Alchemy with Mercury retrograde in Gemini

Mercury is quite a powerful transitional energy, often missed as this magical and alchemical untethered force. It is closest to the Sun and thus known commonly as the ‘messenger of the gods’. Mercury moves into its retrograde in Gemini on 30 May 2021 at 24 degrees moves progressive 24 June, making a conjunction to Venus, square to Neptune and a quincunx to Pluto, concluding a life changing retrograde, shaming all those memes about Mercury retrogrades as we feel the intensity of this alignment. Over the past few years Mercury has retrograde in Gemini; on May 2001/2, May 2008, May 2015 and 2021, in each of these years, Mercury has connected with either Neptune or Uranus. This is no ordinary Mercury retrograde, at the best of times we tend to manage the errors, with a half-hearted accusation to this alignment, shrugging off its reasoning or even wisdom. The teachings of Mercury retrograde are always refinement in our being to bring our best self forward.

Mercury has two different kinds of conjunctions with the Sun, the first is called a Superior Conjunction, which translates as above and occurs when it moves in a forward direction with the Sun, the second is Inferior Conjunction, which means below and occurs when Mercury is moving opposite to the Sun from our earth’s perspective. Although Mercury will meet the Sun in its inferior conjunction on 11 June, the day after the Solar Eclipse, it still holds great influence, power and sensory over our mental body because its at home with Gemini and makes a strong square to Neptune. The following week can bring some unnecessary excitement leaving us with an undercurrent of frustration.

Mercury’s archetype is referred to Hermes in Greek mythology, the son of Zeus (Jupiter) and Maia the eldest of the seven sisters of the Pleiadian star cluster. With such powerful and wise parents Hemes creates an energy of connection, collaboration, buying selling, markets, merchants, travel, opening of borders, developed language for conversation including foreign, understanding, transactional, educator of the young, gymnastics and trade. Mercury represents all that is transactional, transformative, translated in our day to day lives, thus having an impact on this including our choice of vehicle for travelling. The frequency of Mercury is just that, the planet orbits around the sun approximately 88 days, gaining insight and information from the cosmos, all knowing can also be a trickster, chameleon or charleton.

Mercury retrogrades in the past have resulted in some unexplainable events such as plane crashes, volcano eruptions, earthquakes, paintings selling for astonishing prices and unmanned ship landing on Mars. Each of these events have happened during its retrograde leaving us stunned, shocked or in awe, take your pick. During this retrograde, any of the themes associated with Hermes, including assisting spirits to the otherside, can be experienced, especially with a square to Neptune. In 2008, Mercury made a trine to Uranus in Pisces at 22 degrees, this was the first time the spacecraft Phoenix landed on Mars, Nepal’s 240 year old Monarch was abolished creating a republic and China experience a 7.9 earthquake. Uranus in Pisces is an alien energy, breaking down traditional norms to create balance in humanity, or use technology to expand learning, interestingly it was at 22 degrees Picses, this is where Neptune resides until the Mercury retrograde it will move to 23 degrees.

Mercury retrograde with a square to Neptune, the lower, busy transactional mental body with Neptune the force in which veils are thin in-between world, fantasy versus reality, imagination versus practical application, spiritual versus escapism and addiction versus moderation. It doesn’t matter if you’re a level 7 yogi, or have hold deep spiritual practices, our mental health is influenced deeply during this transit. Mercury retrogrades in Gemini shifts and changes perspectives and attention to detail, this distortion is weighted as we witness the consequences of our decision making. Neptune is like a nebula, it looks beautiful, sounds great and in these transits doable, when we get to the details, we attempt to address the hidden nuances which distort our ability to move forward, enchanting us to different realities.

Mercury will connect with Venus as her forward motion attempts to remind us our innate truth, integrity to our values and discernment on where and how we spend our energy is a priority. Venus makes a quincunx to Pluto, we feel this transit projected through as obsession, jealousy, manipulation or transform to transcend our shadows towards the light, it’s not an easy situation as we are faced with deep shadows triggered by others. We will have Saturn, Pluto and Mercury all in retrograde, meaning all these energies are close to Earth, where their impact asks us to rise above all of the day to day noise and question our own programming, beliefs, values to understand our truth. Why we think in certain ways? Why we believe what we do? Where are we extreme about something? Where we advocate for something and not the other? What prevents us from exploring the unknown?

Mercury square Neptune (until 16 June and again from 28 June till 11 July) is best when we become deeply conscious and present in the now, not planning tomorrow or diving in yesterday’s grief or worries, but to put the inner turbulence or distortion into a creative project. Drawing, painting, music, song, dance all practiced as a means to get closer to spirit. As the sufi muslims believe through their dance they can reach to an elevated frequency and converse with spirit the divine, to gain insights of who we truly are and what our purpose in this life pertains.

We are in between eclipses, portals are open, souls come and go, anything can happen, it is a time of taking the responsibility to pave our destiny, especially with these retrogrades and the twists and turns. We can peel away all that requires releasing or transmuting to be in our own wisdom without projecting this onto others and we are open to see what we don’t understand. There is a warning, to substances or mind altering chemicals, alcohol, drugs or addiction, if we are going to entertain these ensure we are fully present with our intentions when we engage, if not we can put ourselves in some tricky situations, distract ourselves from our path or truth, what would you chose?

Here are some questions to help with Mercury retrograde and the Neptune transit:

1. What brings you happiness?
2. When was the last time you felt complete and whole?
3. What is your biggest regret over the last few years?
4. What did you do to support your emotional well-being?
5. Compared to this time last year are you happier?
6. How have you grown over the last year?
7. Who do you need to apologise to?
8. Who do you need to forgive?
9. Where do you feel you need to forgive yourself?
10. Who can you count on to provide healthy support?
11. Do you feel happy in your day to day life?
12. What changes do you dream about to make you feel whole?
13. How often do you change your routine?
14. Do you consume substances for pleasure, medicine, growth or escapism?
15. Do you have a say in how you live your life?
16. What are you most inspired about for the rest of this year?
17. What will keep you on track without being too rigid?
18. What’s the most important thing you’ve learned about your mental health?
19. How often do you say positive words to describe yourself or to your inner Self?
20. What do you need to, support your emotional well-being for the next six months or more?

Once we can grapple we are not our thoughts, they are fluctuating nuances at times they bring insights others they distract us from the present, we can start to gain deep understanding of our precious life. Each of us holds a gift, no other being can do it quite like you, this Mercury retrograde is a time to bring those gifts into the world without any attachment. To lead with responsibility as magic is a shift of perception.