Look...Mercury In Retrograde...Whaddaya Mean Mars Too?!

~Mercury-December 26, 2009 -January 15, 2010

~Mars- December 20, 2009 - March 10, 2010 

Today marks the beginning of Mercury Retrograde and will be with us until January 15th. The word retrograde simply means “moving backward” or “retreating.” In its astronomical language, a planet is said to be retrograde when, from the viewpoint of Earth... it stops and then moves backward in its orbit. The effect has been likened to driving down the road watching a moving car beside you....if it slows down or your car speeds up, the other car appears to be moving backward.

 A change in speed has nothing to do with a planet going retrograde. The illusion of backward motion occurs because the angle of a planet’s orbit relative to Earth’s orbit changes at certain points in their respective cycles. Three or four times a year,(four this year) for a period of 20 to 28 days each time, Mercury exhibits this effect.

Mercury in retrograde periods are said to be fraught with misunderstandings, confusion, and indecision. Delays in communication (for example, a misdirected package or a failure to return a call) are common, as are distractions and a frequent need to rework or redo things you create. Mercury retrograde is also blamed for malfunctions of every kind—cars breaking down, computers crashing, and answering machines going kaput for no apparent reason and with greater frequency than usual. Oh boy... As if I were not challenged enough already?!

Mars goes retrograde about every two years and two months, on average, making it a fairly rare event and the least frequent of all the planets. During this time, our approach to conflict, hostility, anger, assertiveness and taking action often requires rethinking, regrouping and reevaluating.

 You may be required to draw on your strengths to assert yourself in some area where you've been reserved, cautious or inexperienced. The weakest links in your life may break apart or need to be repaired. You might need to find new ways to become empowered.

So, what is Mars energy? A big part of Mars' energy is about anger and aggression. Under Mars retrograde, we may be confronted by issues involving these emotions, either within ourselves or through others. During the retrograde phase, we may be unusually sensitive to disagreement, conflict and power dynamics in the world around us. We might encounter a need to examine how we deal with aggression, and then integrate the powerful forces of human nature into our lives in some new way.


Wow, looks like it's going to be a bumpy ride folks...buckle up!

Tarot Tuesday

The Five of Wands


Among the keywords for the Five of Wands are: problems and possibly upheaval that simply cannot be avoided, minor irritations, trouble, strife, petty squabbles. The Five of Wands usually shows up in readings at times when the world seems to be working against you.... nothing flows smoothly and everyone is working at odds with each other. 


The figures in this card are all batting with each other and it appears there is no coordinated effort whatsoever, let alone any agreement. When this card shows up, be prepared for a lumpy and very bumpy ride because you're going to need extra patience and determination just to get to where you can accomplish something. Thankfully, the Five of Wands does not represent major blockages... just many small and irritating ones.


All in all, just remember that you should view the Five of Wands as a sign of progress that has been slowed or stalled due to stubbornness and a "My way or No way" attitude but not totally thwarted... consider whether or not the personal conflicts are really worth the battle because emotional and spiritual development may very well be hindered by an unwillingness to see beyond petty conflicts.