CELESTIAL COLLABORATIONS
Mercury Stationing Retrograde at 24*18', Conjunct Venus at 24*21'| DECEMBER 28&29
From here through the end of the month Mercury stations to retrograde on the 28th at 24*18’ Capricorn, only to begin shifting in the slightest to retrace previous steps—is reunited to Venus in conjunction at 24*21’ Capricorn… Mercury had been chasing after Venus since before November, and last reunited in conjunction on November 21st at 7*09’ Sagittarius.
As close as Mercury is to Pluto, however, this time, Mercury will not come close enough… Mercury’s one and only conjunction to Pluto occurs on February 10th at 28*58’ Capricorn—but that’s neither here nor there, really, not yet.
We’ll get to that next year.
Rather, let’s explore right now…
Mercury stations retrograde and reunites with Venus through the same degree, and I would like to explore what this degree can tell us in regard to the tone of these celestial movements and celestial collaborations…
This degree accents business.
Mercury, indeed, represents commerce while Venus represents worth and value.
Though, if this degree is describing the vitality of both a retrograde and an inferior conjunction—this would suggest that these things, such as commerce and worth, values and business might be somewhat compromised in very levering or functioning ways… that potentials toward gain through these avenues may only be available when true exchange is offered or available, or should the value or worth be compromised.
There will need to be some real effort put into refining whatever it is you’re needing to sell, exchange, qualify as worthy, or even that which you purchase—maybe not refining how you go about purchasing, but rethinking some of the ways you consider something being worthy of paying for to obtain, or that which you buy, to reconsider why you think you need what you think you need.
It is likely that back in late November, when Mercury and Venus reunited in superior conjunction, that you were sparked with new insights—and new understandings about what you find valuable, as well as what you now consider worth your time, your energies, and your resources…
How have your spending habits evolved or digressed between then and now?
How have your social exchanges with others evolved or digressed?
How have your own realizations regarding these changed?
Astrologer Dane Rudhyar describes this degree as one that emphasizes “the value of reliance on tradition…”
Rudhyar attempts to translate the underlying essence of this degree to mean an intrinsic connection between oneself and ‘the use of cultural and artistic processes as means to enhance personal comfort and appreciation…’ which suggests that if one is able to find both beauty and a deeper, more personal meaning within that which can be bought—that these meanings and appreciations can provide that much more worth. This worth, and inevitably value, is lost when these processes are not understood, or when one is entirely ignorant of them… that the traditional reliances refer to knowing where your goods come from, as traditionally, people knew the names of the people who made everything they used, and the names of those who made everything they would wear… and if a product was less than acceptable it would be handled justly and honestly, and directly.
All virtue is summed up in dealing justly.
—Aristotle
Do you know the names of the people who put your shoes together?
Do you know the origin story of the piece of fruit you enjoyed at lunch?
Do you know the region of the world where your maple coffee table was cut from?
Do you know where the diamonds on your finger, ears, or neck were mined?
Do you know the process that’s involved in weaving your clothing?—or draperies?
I wonder if Mercury’s retrograde through the degrees of Capricorn this season, through new year, until mid-January will be inspiring a more personally acquainted curiosity toward that which we buy, sell, trade, or provide others when in exchange—particularly transactional exchanges?
Mercury will station to move directly once more on January 19th at 8*14’ Capricorn—and so it may behoove you to consider anything that stands out from December 12th, when Mercury moved through this degree originally—a degree that describes inspiration and attunement… so I would gather that yes—this may be precisely something we all need to learn a little more about.
Blowing the whistle, so to speak, upon advertising techniques that provide obscurity or manipulated motivations… to challenge these companies to be better, to create better, to offer better, and to invest in better—because you’re worth it, and willing to swing what meager amount of power you do possess with your dollars.
To honestly question the real value of nearly everything you own… and how it serves you—or harms you, in even the most duplicitous of ways—and to reconsider your boundaries between needs and wants, and toward that which serves an actual function, to that which merely sits… to that which holds sentimental value, and that which simply continues to become pushed further and further back into your closet or underneath your bed.
Real change begins with a previous complacency ending and this ending initiates this beginning of a short patience toward any inability to provide basic functionalities… or a silent protesting begins to occur against the continuation of investing any further with that which does not provide that which is truly desired—and seek out for more.
Hill, L. ‘360 Degrees of Wisdom.’ A Plume Book; 2004.
Roche, D. ‘The Sabian Symbols.’ Astrology Classics; 1998, 2010.
Rudhyar, D. ‘An Astrological Mandala.’ Vintage Books; 1973.