2016 Mercury Retrogrades & How to Use Them To Your Advantage: Part 2

Welcome to Part two of a three series blog on this year’s Mercury Retrograde cycles.  This blog covers what to expect with our first retrograde of the year, which begins today, January 5, 2016.  As previously mentioned, this year we will experience four vs. the typical three retrogrades.  All in all 2016 provides you with many opportunities to learn more about yourself and others so you can continue to personally grow. 

Many people have misconceptions about Mercury Retrograde and believe that what occurs during these 3 week chunks of time are simply a series of miscommunications, technology malfunctions and overall chaos.  While sometimes these themes do play out, there are usually many factors contributing to these types of energetic expressions, which may have little to nothing to do with the retrograde itself.
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I’d like to focus on the healthier and more beneficial aspects of our Mercury Retrogrades 

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so you can truly take advantages of these unique energies orchestrated by our lovely cosmos.  These pockets of time are a time during the year where Mercury revisits the degrees of the particular sign it’s in to provide an opportunity for you to learn more on a deeper level.  It’s a wonderful opportunity not only for a redo, but a way to enhance and deepen your learning in particular areas. 

Mercury is the planet associated with communications, your mind, ability to learn, communication, perceptions and how we filter these into our understanding.  It’s a fast moving planet, highly flexible and one of four mutual signs in astrology.   When Mercury makes itself present in the cosmos, you are provided with a unique opportunity to revisit your perceptions about the world and create personal enhancements in order to create a better world for yourself. 

It's also important to know is where the Mercury Retrograde occurs.  As they say, location, location, location!  In this case we’re talking about planets, their respective signs and what that energetically means.  Each year Mercury picks planetary locations to experience its retrograde, and in 2016 it’s all about the Earth signs!  Fellow Earth peeps, think of this as a project where you can score extra points for doing a little extra homework!  

Let’s get into the specifics now with our first retrograde, which begins today, January 5, 2016.  The following are the specific dates, planets and degrees of January’s retrograde:

1st Retrograde:  Dates:   January 5-25, 2016  Sign(s):  Aquarius & Capricorn
Occurs in Aquarius (1o 3") on January 5 at 1:05pm Greenwich or Universal Time/8:05am Eastern Time.  Mercury enters Direct Station in Capricorn (14o55") on January 25 at 9:50pm Universal Time/ 4:50pm Eastern Time.

Now that you have some specifics let’s take a closer look at the focus and themes and how you can take advantage of this time and make it work for you.  It’s important to note that the Retrograde starts in Aquarius, ruled by Uranus, which is about revolution and innovation.   Are there areas you can identify where innovation can be introduced, embraced or infused in new ways?  During the beginning part of this phase, take some time to think about where you need a new vision and change.  This could be in any area of your life, but likely it will show up with your job, career and/or purpose in life.  This matches up nicely with the New Year energy where many people move into a deeper internal reflection and contemplate what they’re doing, where they’re headed and why they're here. 

Then Mercury travels to Capricorn which is ruled by Saturn, the sign of the great organizer, task master, and getting things done.  Saturn themes involve achievement and taking the necessary steps, one at a time, to get there. It also puts the spotlight on honoring any necessary sacrifices along your path in order to accomplish your goals.   In addition, this sign and it's influence embodies focus, patience and perseverance which are large planetary influences of Saturn.  Many of you may feel a strong pull to clean and declutter your space during this time.   The New Year is often associated with fresh new energy to support new beginnings and so  cleansing is a great investment of your energy in order to make room for the new.

While combining the different energies of Uranus and Saturn during this time, you'll be given an opportunity to revisit your work and dig deeper to find ways to be more innovative.  Perhaps you're a business owner and now want to take it to the next level.  Maybe you've decided to work towards a promotion and move from an individual contributor to a leadership role.  Or you could be considering starting a new side business that is one of your passions.  Whatever the goal may be, take some time to determine ways to add some spice and your own uniqueness, determine what needs to be done to get there and be ready to launch your new plan once the retrograde completes it's cycle. 

Part 3 of this blog series on the 2016 Mercury Retrogrades will provide a complete overview of all 4 retrogrades for 2016, including themes, tips and how to best use these energies.  Look for this update out by this weekend!

Much love,
MK Healing
www.MaryKateOConnell.com