Mercury in Virgo

Great News! For those that were overly frustrated (and according to my social media feed that was most of you) while Mercury spent a significant amount of the summer in dramatic Leo, you can breathe a sigh of relief. Today, Mercury will move out of shadow as it moves into the sign of Virgo for the 2^nd time this year. Mercury will remain in Virgo until September 25. Take advantage of the next 7 weeks because the next shadow period begins on November 5^th, and Mercury will go retrograde on Thanksgiving Day in Sagittarius.

Mercury is most at home in the sign of Virgo because it not only rules the sign but is exalted in Virgo as well. Mercury rules expression, communication, conversation, and the way we understand life. The next three weeks will be about analyzing and observing our circumstances especially regarding our jobs and daily habits, and ultimately making changes in our day to day life. Further, we will find a strong desire to be charitable and will have opportunities to be of service to those that need it. For those that wish to start an exercise plan or wish to put forth effort in leading a healthier life, Mercury in Virgo is one of the best times to do it.

There are a couple of things that we need to avoid during this transit. One is attempting to over-analyze a situation, which can lead us to being highly reactive and often we can get in a self-righteous and critical mind set. The other is to avoid excessive worry and fear based thoughts. When we allow fear and anxiety to rule this can ultimately lead to problems with the digestive and nervous systems.

How Mercury’s Transit through Virgo Will Affect Your Sign:
(Read for both your Sun and Ascendant signs)

Aries: Out of all the signs of the zodiac, this transit could prove to be not only frustrating for you but could lead to dramatic changes in your life. Try not to over analyze situations and circumstances and read more into them than what is really there. Try to stick to the facts, not to your emotions. Further, you will need to avoid being emotionally reactive during this time.

Taurus: Mercury is traveling through your solar 9^th house, so you will find that learning new things and attempting to understand the larger world will be your mission for the next 3 weeks. Spiritual thoughts and ideas will be highly important to you. If you have considered taking a course or a seminar, Mercury in Virgo will provide you with the focus to achieve your goals.

Gemini: Mercury is moving through your solar 10^th house. You will be inspired by lots of information about business, job, and career throughout September. Try to stick to one or two projects because when you have too much on your plate you tend to become bored with everything and nothing tends to get done.

Cancer: Communicating with friends and associates will be very important for you during this transit. You may be presented with opportunities that would not be ordinarily available by networking and linking in with your social scene. Avoid over thinking circumstances and situations which are beyond your control.

Leo: Mercury will transit through your 12^th house which will open the flood gates to your already creative nature. The 12^th house connects us to the larger collective unconscious and Mercury transiting through this house tells us to pay very close attention to your gut instincts and hunches. If you are inspired by an idea definitely go with it.

Virgo: Speaking your mind and communicating your needs will be important over the next 3 weeks. This is your time to stay focused on you and what you desire out of life. In addition, Mercury in your first house could prove to be very beneficial if you are starting a promotional campaign or any form of self-promotion. The natural sign of the 1^st house is Aries which will give you drive and determination to get what you want.

Libra: Chances for financial improvement will occur this month if you take advantage of the opportunities that are available to you. Rather than dismissing things or staying on the fence, you will need to be more aggressive and actually seize the moment. This may be difficult for you, but the rewards (if you can raise your sword to the cause) will be many.

Scorpio: Mercury in the third house will present you with a natural ability for you to communicate what you want. Since Mercury is the natural ruler of this house, you will find your mind will be very adept and your ability to process information will be at an all-time high. However avoid gossip at all costs because it could prove lethal if your “information” turns out to be wrong.

Sagittarius: Problems surrounding your home life may occur while Mercury is retrograde in your 4^th house which could prove to be frustrating. This includes everything from mechanical breakdowns, to housing repairs, and even arguing with other family members. This is a month where you should definitely pause before you react to anything as Mercury’s silver tongue could get you in trouble.

Capricorn: Mercury transiting your solar 5^th house will give you deep insight into yourself and your true desires. If you are currently single you could find someone of interest around you, or even start a new romantic encounter. This is a transit where luck is on your side, so if you want to take a risk now would be the time to do it.

Aquarius: The Sixth house is considered the house of health, jobs, service to others, and day to day activities. You will notice that one of these areas will be activated during this cycle. If you are experiencing problems in your work or career this could prove to be a rather difficult 3 weeks for you, but the good news is that things will improve dramatically when we move into October. An excellent way of relieving stress is working out or beginning an exercise program.

Pisces: Relationships will be your focus over the next 3 weeks as Mercury transits through your 7^th house. Since the 7^th house is the natural home of the sign of Libra, you may find communication to be a little stressed. This is a great time for you to reflect and analyze what you truly want and need out of your relationships, and attempt to convey this to your partner.

Tarot Tune-Up: Get out your tarot or oracle deck. Shuffle the cards thoroughly. Ask yourself the following question, “How best can I use the energy of the Mercury in Virgo transit in my life?” Draw a single card from the deck.

I drew the Ace of Wands: During the Mercury in Virgo transit, I should focus on new opportunities and new projects that are presented to me. It’s a great time to start something new.

I believe that we can find the spiritual in everything if we are willing to look closely. Often, it is hiding in the most unlikely places. We can find it in the most evolved and esoteric or veiled in the mundane, the hilarious, and even the absurd. However, like the mysteries contained within the High Priestess card of the mystical tarot, it is up to us to have the courage to seek out the spiritual nuggets presented to us.

Believe it or not a movie that has an overflowing basket of spiritual nuggets is the 1995 comedy, Clueless. I am sure your kneejerk reaction to this revelation is “as if!” But seriously, there is much insight that can be gleaned from this movie. The adventures of Cher Horowitz (Alicia Silverstone) and her group of Beverly Hills friends as they journey through the angst of young adulthood is something we all experience on one level or another. Although our problems in adulthood can be more complex and sophisticated, they truly are not all that different. We all go through love problems, the need to be accepted, the need to feel secure, and the need to find ourselves in a world that can seem overwhelming. We all make mistakes, and we all learn from them. However, when we look back at our past problems and difficulties, we often realize how clueless we were.

So, what does Cher Horowitz have to do with the energy of the week? Everything! But first the astrology…

Astrological Energy of the Week:

After several weeks of rather intense astrological energies we finally get a break. Get out those margaritas, fun in the sun toys, and if you live in the southern hemisphere some hot apple cider with cinnamon while snuggling in front of the fire will do the trick. Enjoy this break while it lasts because Mercury will go retrograde on August 2^nd.

There are two sign changes this week. First, Venus will move out of emotional Cancer and into fiery Leo. Leo is all about glamour and pampering ourselves. Go out and get your hair done, buy yourself a new outfit, or simply bling up your outfits with a little glitz and frost. Venus is in her joy when she is in Leo, and it is a great time for us to explore possible new romantic relationships or spice up our current ones; however you need to try to remain grounded. Often Venus in Leo can get so caught up in the romantic drama that the reality of relationship and structure becomes more than she can handle. Secondly, Mercury moves out of dramatic Leo and into meticulous Virgo (the sign it will retrograde in). In Virgo, Mercury understands life by creating structured order in what can feel chaotic and unorganized. It is a great time for you to do research, take on mental projects, and be very clear about what you want out of life. If you are finishing up a writing or research project this will be an incredible week for you. However, keep in mind that Mercury will turn retrograde so this window of opportunity will quickly close.

In addition to the two sign changes, there are two planetary aspects this week as well. On Wednesday, the Sun in Leo will trine Uranus in Aries. This aspect is a powerful juggernaut, and being in fire signs will give you an enormous creative urge over the next week. New ideas will come to you rather spontaneously and you will feel highly stimulated. Often, the intensity of this aspect will make you feel high strung, alert, and restless, so try to contain yourself and be as grounded as you can be throughout the week. Further, this aspect directs you to focus on technical gadgets, so make sure you back up your computer before the retrograde hits! On Thursday, Mercury will oppose Neptune. Normally, this is a rather confusing aspect that can make you feel out of sorts (and for airy people it still may), yet your advantage is that Mercury is in its own sign of Virgo. If you begin to feel confused or need to make order out of chaos (see above), Mercury will provide you with the ability to sort things out and make sense of it all. All Mercury – Neptune aspects are a great time to do creative or artistic work, or connect to your inner spirit.

Finally, on Saturday we will have a New Moon at 8 degrees of Leo. At its core, the sign of Leo is about individuality. This is a great time for you to do intention work that focuses on your individual talents and gifts. Also, if you are interested in attracting love to you, this is a great time to do it. If you have any planets around 8 degrees of a sign, this New Moon could be a channel for new beginnings and new opportunities heading your way.

Your Cosmic Weather Forecast:

Cher Horowitz (Alicia Silverstone) is the heroine of the movie Clueless. She is not the normal image of a heroic figure that fights dragons, engages in warfare, and topples kingdoms, yet she is a heroine nonetheless. Unlike other heroic female figures, such as Wonder Woman or Xena, Cher is a heroine of the heart. Her battles are in the name of love, and rather than using swords and power she uses the depth of her feelings and emotions.

Through most of the movie, Cher spends her time being a matchmaker for other people, yet her own desire to be in love is denied. The one instance she attempts to connect with another classmate, she shockingly finds out that he is gay! However, severe crisis (which occurs with all heroic figures) strikes when she fails her driver’s exam, which gives Cher insight into her own personality, and she begins to reflect. This process of reflection allows Cher to realize what she wants in her own life and the depth of her own emotional feelings – however awkward those may be. Once she takes the steps to honor herself, she finally falls in love.

This week the kabbalistic portion is called Massei. It is a story that retells the places that the Israelites stop on their journey from Egypt

to Israel. To be honest, it is one of the most boring portions of the Torah, and it drones on and on about each place the Israelites set up camp. I truly have to force myself to stay awake when reading this portion. Further, there is no Zohar assigned to this portion, so the meaning is hidden and obscured. However, this portion has one of the most powerful messages of the entire Torah.

According to the Kabbalistic sages, the portion of Massei is all about our spiritual journey. It includes the things we learn, the things we get wrong, the places that we are reactive, our moments of joy and happiness, and those periods of our life that we are in pain. It is through our spiritual journey and process that we learn what we want to achieve, and we decide what our priorities are. In essence, the trip from Egypt to Israel describes different spiritual lessons (and those teenage years are part of them) we learn to complete our correction.

Many new students of kabbalah become overwhelmed by correction. They believe (and trust me I have been there) that you need to fix everything as quickly as possible and then you will achieve some form of spiritual ascension. However, the Kabbalists state that in order for us to achieve our correction we must take action. What kind of action? It is rather simple – the actions we must take to perform our correction are bound up in living our lives. It is our journey, our path, the way we experience it, and the choices that we make along the way.

True spiritual change does not happen overnight. It is a series of trial and error. We learn by our perceived failures and triumphs, and we adjust and modify our lives based on those experiences. Sometimes we hit a crisis (like Cher does), and we begin to realize what it is in life that we truly want. We feel clueless, but through our confusion we achieve our next step on the journey. We learn that it is the process that is our spiritual ascension, not the destination.

Tarot Tune-Up:

Get out your favorite Tarot or Oracle Deck. Shuffle the cards thoroughly. Ask yourself the following question, “What do I need to know about my current process within my journey?” Draw three cards. Let me know which ones you picked!

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Mercury in Virgo and How it Will Affect You..

The Secret Spirituality of the Movie ‘Clueless’