By Madame Dana Zia
On September 22nd at 12:22pm PDT the Sun moved into Libra and autumn has officially begun. This day, the light is equal with the dark, the balance point before the decent into the winter season. This is the time of year to take stock of what we have done and what we haven’t. We are going to have some lovely, quiet, winter months ahead to work on those things that we were just a bit too busy for this summer.
Libra season which runs September 22nd through October 22nd is highlighted by Mercury going retrograde starting September 26th through October 18th in Libra, the sign of conscious equal relationships. Libra is ruled by the planet Venus which represents beauty, the feminine principal and intimacy. This Mercury retrograde creates the opportunity to recalibrate our most significant relationships and interactions with careful effort and consideration.
Mercury Retrograde occurs when the planet appears to be moving backward from our vantage point here on earth. Hopefully you’ve learned by now not to be freaked out about Mercury retrogrades but understand that these transits (that happen three times a year for three weeks each) are times to pause and reconsider. If you chose to slow down, give yourself additional time and be more mindful, you will avoid most of the chaos that retrogrades can cause. Consider Mercury retrogrades as a natural cycle to review, renew, rethink, reflect and redirect. It is also a fantastic time to take conscious time away from screens that eat up your brain.
This Mercury retrograde will particularly affect Libras, Cancers, Capricorns and Aries but all of us could use this time wisely to shine up our relationships with a little extra elbow grease and devotion. Pluto squares Mercury at the beginning of this retrograde for a week, so issues in your relationships that have been shoved under the bed, might come crawling out demanding attention. This is ok, see it as an opportunity to make your relationship better. Keep your cool and do your work without blame. One of the superpowers of Libra is the ability to honor everyone’s view points and bring peace through that.
A time to be particularly careful during this retrograde is October 7-10th when the Sun, Mars and Mercury all line up in Libra bringing with it possible communication calamities and people blowing off steam in their relationships where pressure has been building. This time could also bring the energy of being able to lean (gently) into an issue that is illuminated and heal it. Just proceed with compassion and tenderness on these days so you don’t say or do something that can never be taken back.
During Mercury’s retrograde, three other planets will come out of retrograde: Pluto on October 6th, Saturn on the 11th and Jupiter on the 18th, the same day Mercury goes direct. This is quite magical and at the end of Mercury’s retrograde we will all be feeling a lot more liberated from the jammed up energy that many of us have been experiencing during the late summer.
Use the next 3 weeks to take stock and tend our most precious commodity — our relationships. We will be greatly rewarded for it!