In the latter part of 2010, whatever uncertainty I had regarding the collective manifestation of the element in which Mercury performs what I have come to refer to as its “backward trickster medicine dance” was completely eliminated. We were living through the collective event that became known as the “Arab Spring” at the same time as Mercury was traveling retrograde for the first time in six to seven years and entering the fire signs.
In a remarkable coincidence, a street vendor in Tunisia chose to commit self-immolation as a form of protest against corruption. The entire area suddenly descended into protest rage. The elemental character of fire, which is to move swiftly, upward and forth, leaping over obstacles (such as national borders), devouring and consuming all the dry fuel within its grasp, was expressed in this in a very literal way. In fact, within a year, variations of this phenomena (mass protest) appeared all throughout the world.
2020, on the other hand, corresponded to the element of water and was the year we were all put on lockdown. Water has a natural inclination to travel downward and within rather than upward and outward. We all spent a lot of time relaxing and turning inward throughout the year since Mercury spent more time in the water signs than in all the other signs put together. It is imperative that we revisit the fundamental characteristics of earth as we enter a time when Mercury will be emphasizing the earth element in an effort to synchronize with the anticipated collective mood. Earth’s nature is downward and inward, just like water. The earth is actually denser than water. Even a skipping stone eventually sinks, as any young child is aware. The earth’s interior holds many of its most fascinating features. It appears that the capacity to settle down with composure and to deliberately and systematically delve beyond the surface will be necessary.
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Global impacts in 2023
At the Winter Solstice on December 22, 2023, Mercury will line up with the World Axis, forming an inferior conjunction with the Sun in the first degree of Capricorn. I’ve found that during the so-called “largest elongations,” Mercury likewise travels through the same degrees of the conjunction. This take place on December 4 and January 12. This entire final retrograde in earth signs could end up being quite important in terms of major global events due to a triple activation of the Global Axis. Similar to what occurred in late 2010, except that this conjunction occurs in the first degree of an earth sign rather than the last degree of a fire sign.
This highlights some significant economic developments that could realign monetary or fiscal policy in our planet. It will be fascinating to see what clarity another year brings in terms of the efficacy of these policies given that we are currently witnessing a border conflict between Russia and Ukraine in which the majority of nations have chosen to impose financial sanctions on Russia rather than intervene militarily. Also, in an effort to combat rising inflation, the US Federal Reserve plans to start tightening monetary policy in order to create a “soft landing” from the pandemic-related economic slowdown.
Personal impacts in 2023
Thus far, we have been discussing how the Mercury retrograde will change how mankind as a whole experiences the earth element. The most specific element, the so-called horoskopos, which literally translates as “hour marker” and is also known as the “rising sign,” is what helps us comprehend how this affects a particular chart. Every few hours, the sign rising across the eastern horizon shifts, and because of this, people born on the same day—and perhaps even in the same hour—can have dramatically different birth maps. This is due to the fact that the ascendant or rising sign is divided into a set of 12 “houses” that represent all the important aspects of life.
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A set of three houses will be activated in every given birth chart as a result of the three Mercury retrogrades of 2023 falling in the earth element’s three signs. And since it appears that the themes of these three houses are loosely connected, I have created a set of four “trigons” using these organic groupings.
Earth signs
The “Identity Trigon,” a set of houses that I refer to as being active during the 2023 Mercury retrograde, will be active for the earth signs Taurus, Virgo, and Capricorn. Sometimes it could feel that your well-known brand or image isn’t as effective as it once was. Ordinarily, this would motivate the person to improve their appearance through training, education, or even just a new clothing. In these years (which come in cycles of six to seven years), you can feel more the need to start building a whole new image than to update or enhance the current one.
Any new identity gives you new options, whether you choose upgrades or new building. This is sort of the key idea. You now have more options, which gives you more freedom to experiment and be imaginative. Gains and losses, fresh chances and dead ends can all be the outcome of this creative outburst. Sometimes everything depends on timing or good fortune. But happy accidents are an essential component of the human condition, and the only way to let them into our life is to stir things up and try something new. Hence, even while it could seem silly and unpleasant to adopt a new persona, doing so eventually expands our creative options.
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Fire signs
The Mercury retrogrades of 2023 are activating a set of houses I refer to as the “Trigon of Mastery” for fire signs Aries, Leo, and Sagittarius. Although it has been a common topic during the pandemic, you will probably start to see resource problems on a more personal basis in 2023. It could be that your supply chain is broken or that you have new, unforeseen expenses, but in some manner, obtaining resources will be harder than usual.
You will need to create new routines or skill sets in order to address these resource issues. Although you might not have started out with this objective in mind, it will become evident that this is what has to happen as you work through your resource problems. Time and patience are not qualities that fire signs are particularly known for, and both are required while learning a new skill or changing your habit. However, as a result of being forced to slow down, you will start to understand the bigger, more comprehensive picture.
Water signs
The Mercury retrogrades of 2023 are activating a set of houses I refer to as the “Relationship Trigon” for water signs Cancer, Scorpio, and Pisces. You’re likely to experience some social issues this year. One of your social circles can collapse or your dearest friend might move away. As an alternative, you can just get disinterested in or realize that you have lost touch with some social ties and lack the motivation to make new ones. At the same time, you could be forced into making new connections that are difficult or even disagreeable. This might require more than a few deep breaths if your social skills are rusty, but water signs are empathic by nature, so you’ll get the idea.
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Naturally, if we look into new partnerships, we also come into contact with new groups. We eventually get to know the families and organizations that our new friends are a part of. If we are serious about these new relationships, this demands us to modify and accept or build a new identity within these new group situations.
Air signs
The Mercury retrogrades of 2023 are activating a set of houses I refer to as the “Trigon of Dynasty” for the air signs Gemini, Libra, and Aquarius. Your feeling of home and family, as well as your sense of making a difference in the world and leaving something behind for your heirs, may be disrupted at some time in 2023. This move might be straightforward, but it might also make you rethink your values more deeply. What exactly is the purpose of life in general?
We frequently need to rely on individuals who care about us while we are experiencing emotional hardship. As you seek out to your extended family or emotional support network, you’ll discover that while some of them can relate to what you’re going through and provide some perspective, others might not understand or even find the possibility that your feelings might alter repugnant. You will realize during this process how crucial and fundamental the relationships of intimacy are in our life, yet this may not fully satisfy the nagging desire to discover meaning or comprehend the wider picture.
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