It is that time again - Mercury in Retrograde! For many this time means communication disorganization, technology failures, and grumpy goblins possessing normally happy and chipper people.
Books and websites and blogs on astrology and magic often notes that this is a time to avoid new endeavors, important paperwork, and communication and technology in general. If Mercury in Retrograde was a tarot card I'd name it The Hermit in reverse - forced solitude and the crotchety bastard next door.
Of course during this time period, I got the urge to do everything I was advised against! I don't know if this is because I love Mercury's trickster side or if its because of my ornery Sagittarian nature. So, instead of avoiding communication and technology, I cling to it. I created a website, work on my social media accounts, call my mom long distance, and sit on my stack of pillows, cradling my laptop against my pregnant belly and WRITE!
Today I spent the morning tending my herb garden, sunbathing while making notes in one of my aromatherapy books and journaling. I texted and called Damon, my mom, and my sister in law over nonsense things like "remember to buy sponges" and "how goes the house cleaning?" Then I ate a quart of strawberries and wrote 2000 words on the book I'm currently working on. I pulled out one of my favorite writing inspirations - SARK's Juicy Pens, Thirsty Paper and read for an hour to avoid cleaning house. Between chapters I grabbed some water, cleaned up a little, lit a lavender candle, then grabbed my laptop to write yet another book idea up along with some notes. After exhausting that idea, and procrastinating further on cleaning, I returned to SARK's book. Here I read a wonderful note about writing is part creating words to write and part moving the tools (actual writing). SARK said something about a pen with wings and this triggered an idea...
Books and websites and blogs on astrology and magic often notes that this is a time to avoid new endeavors, important paperwork, and communication and technology in general. If Mercury in Retrograde was a tarot card I'd name it The Hermit in reverse - forced solitude and the crotchety bastard next door.
Of course during this time period, I got the urge to do everything I was advised against! I don't know if this is because I love Mercury's trickster side or if its because of my ornery Sagittarian nature. So, instead of avoiding communication and technology, I cling to it. I created a website, work on my social media accounts, call my mom long distance, and sit on my stack of pillows, cradling my laptop against my pregnant belly and WRITE!
Today I spent the morning tending my herb garden, sunbathing while making notes in one of my aromatherapy books and journaling. I texted and called Damon, my mom, and my sister in law over nonsense things like "remember to buy sponges" and "how goes the house cleaning?" Then I ate a quart of strawberries and wrote 2000 words on the book I'm currently working on. I pulled out one of my favorite writing inspirations - SARK's Juicy Pens, Thirsty Paper and read for an hour to avoid cleaning house. Between chapters I grabbed some water, cleaned up a little, lit a lavender candle, then grabbed my laptop to write yet another book idea up along with some notes. After exhausting that idea, and procrastinating further on cleaning, I returned to SARK's book. Here I read a wonderful note about writing is part creating words to write and part moving the tools (actual writing). SARK said something about a pen with wings and this triggered an idea...
Often Mercury or Hermes is depicted with or just as the symbol of a staff with wings - the caduceus. What if Mercury's symbol for me was not the medical staff but the tool of communication - a pen with wings!
So I doodled in my journal a bit, drawing the pen my midwife gave me in my birth center swag bag, which is a wonderful peaceful and communicative blue and added some wings to it. I drew this, of course, with the pen that I was depicting.
As I drew, and breathed in the lovely aromatherapy of my lavender candle and listened to the cranes bicker outside my window, I wondered what Mercury would think of me during this crazy time of retrograde. would he think I'm too bold and is preparing some crazy computer crash or miscommunication to knock me off my course? Or does he like my brash nature and grin down at me from his winged heights as I type away on this blog post that is already too long to be allowed. (I hope it is the latter)
So I doodled in my journal a bit, drawing the pen my midwife gave me in my birth center swag bag, which is a wonderful peaceful and communicative blue and added some wings to it. I drew this, of course, with the pen that I was depicting.
As I drew, and breathed in the lovely aromatherapy of my lavender candle and listened to the cranes bicker outside my window, I wondered what Mercury would think of me during this crazy time of retrograde. would he think I'm too bold and is preparing some crazy computer crash or miscommunication to knock me off my course? Or does he like my brash nature and grin down at me from his winged heights as I type away on this blog post that is already too long to be allowed. (I hope it is the latter)
Another thing SARK says in her book is that writing is a Daring process. It is preposterous that we put our words out there with the audacious idea that someone might actually want to read them! GASP!
What is mischievous Mercury but DARING! He is the god of thieves and tricksters! He dares to fly when others walk or crawl. He dares to be the message bearer even when the message doesn't want to be heard! So perhaps, retrograde is a great time to dare a little with communication...
I think about how daring I must be to write a book...much less a book about a topic on which other books have already been written! I think about what my lil baby in my womb might think and even ask "Lil Caleb, is your mommy crazy to be writing?" I wonder what he will think about his paper and ink sibling when he emerges into this wild world. I wonder what he will think of Mercury in Retrograde; if he will be a grumpy goblin or daring the insanity like his momma. I think about how daring it is to write about writing here on this blog post. Little voices ask "what if you never publish?" or "what if they hate your book?" and here I'm writing about this book as if it is set in stone that it will be created. I dare to dream that it is already in my hands, created and published and being read my hundreds.
I can't help but smile a little when I write and I light my candles and send up a little prayer to the god of communication, thieves, business, and trickery. Ease my self-doubts about writing. Let me be bold and brash like you and wave my freak flag merrily as I send my words out to the world. Give me many many winged pens that I may move my tools without care of criticism. May I keep my grin even when others are grumpy. Give me aid as I risk the stars and reach forward to communicate. So may it be.
What is mischievous Mercury but DARING! He is the god of thieves and tricksters! He dares to fly when others walk or crawl. He dares to be the message bearer even when the message doesn't want to be heard! So perhaps, retrograde is a great time to dare a little with communication...
I think about how daring I must be to write a book...much less a book about a topic on which other books have already been written! I think about what my lil baby in my womb might think and even ask "Lil Caleb, is your mommy crazy to be writing?" I wonder what he will think about his paper and ink sibling when he emerges into this wild world. I wonder what he will think of Mercury in Retrograde; if he will be a grumpy goblin or daring the insanity like his momma. I think about how daring it is to write about writing here on this blog post. Little voices ask "what if you never publish?" or "what if they hate your book?" and here I'm writing about this book as if it is set in stone that it will be created. I dare to dream that it is already in my hands, created and published and being read my hundreds.
I can't help but smile a little when I write and I light my candles and send up a little prayer to the god of communication, thieves, business, and trickery. Ease my self-doubts about writing. Let me be bold and brash like you and wave my freak flag merrily as I send my words out to the world. Give me many many winged pens that I may move my tools without care of criticism. May I keep my grin even when others are grumpy. Give me aid as I risk the stars and reach forward to communicate. So may it be.
Want More Facts About Mercury?Check out my Tarot Blog Hop post for Lammas wherein I not only provide correspondence charts for this god of Commerce and Tarot Readers but also tell you exactly what I think of him! |