Soul Work-Mercury Retrograde in Virgo

It is Mercury retrograde time again. All Mercury retrogrades mark important points of learning, but this one, in particular, is especially potent. With all the heightened energy of the eclipses, this retrograde adds dynamic depth. Mercury (aka the messenger of the gods), was the only one who could freely travel between the underworld, earth, and the divine realms. Symbolically then, we too are meant to delve into our own many layers, unconscious, conscious, and divine, to glean important wisdom and insight.

One of my main goals as an astrologer is to remove the fear from fate-based astrological thinking and open the door to the possibilities and potential present. Mercury retrogrades are always a time to pause, reflect, reassess, and take stock of our lives. Sometimes we do that willingly, and sometimes that pause is thrust upon us without our conscious permission. Which is why Mercury retrogrades have such a bad rap (think communication breakdowns, technology glitches, and overall disorganization).

Mercury goes retrograde August 12 at 11° Virgo. It will retrograde back to 28° Leo where it will finally go direct September 5. If you have been following any of the astrology around the August eclipses, then you know the Great American Solar Eclipse on the 21st is at the same degree exactly, 28° Leo. This synergistically merges the eclipse cycle with this retrograde making it especially active.

Virgo is the co-creator of the zodiac. Opposite Pisces, it bridges Heaven and Earth. Virgo reminds us with compassionate pragmatism and loving accountability, that our outer lives are reflections of our inner world. Our thoughts and feelings create habits that are seeds producing real and tangible results. We reap what we sow. And we sow from either fear or love, truth or ego. As Mercury dips into the same degree of the eclipse and then out again, it is a reminder to reassess what we are co-creating in our lives and then act to change what is no longer serving our highest good.

Because intent is everything.

What is your life revealing to you about the seeds of intention you are planting?

We must go back to go forward.

This retrograde is going to keep it real. The messenger has arrived with an important message.

How? Let’s recap.

The Leo New Moon began the cycle by cracking the door to embracing our passion, purpose, inspiration, joy, and authenticity as a path to love.

The Full Moon Eclipse in Aquarius stirred the mud, illuminating internal epiphanies and ways in which we block, deny or give away real authenticity and love in our lives.

The retrograde gives us plenty of opportunities to practice bringing those epiphanies to form by asking us to DO something with them.

A path of love, after all, is not about finding love, but undoing what is blocking its innate flow in our lives.

And this soul work isn’t necessarily easy or comfortable. By definition, change implies tension. That tension though creates the fire necessary to forge new pathways.

What might we bump up against in this retrograde?

Responsibility– In its highest form responsibility gives rise to authentic service where the energy of giving and receiving is balanced. In shadow and channeled through fear, responsibility can look more like martyrdom, duty, and obligation which blocks a loving and balanced exchange of energy. During the next few weeks, life events may occur that ask you to assess what you are serving and if it is serving you.

~Is what you are serving, really serving you?
~Is what you are giving your energy nourishing, sustaining, and inspiring you?
 ~Are you taking responsibility for events, people, and experiences that are not yours?

Control- Virgo is the queen of all earthly realms and thus likes to be in control. Yet, the dynamic opposition with Pisces reminds us while we can have some control we can never control everything. Uncertainty is a certainty. Control can be mastery when it is balanced in assertive truth. Sovereignty is a divine right. Control, however, falls into manipulation, perfection, worry or anxiety when channeled through fear. No doubt, you may be faced with opportunities to get up close and personal with control and surrender in your life.

~What situations in your life require personal sovereignty and what require surrender to a higher power?
~Can you tell the difference between your business, their business, and gods business?
~Are you aligning with soul goals or ego goals? (For more on that, check out Ego Goals vs. Soul Goals.)

Humility– Humility is often defined as a need to downplay the light of who we are. In truth, humility is to be fully accepting of the whole of who we are- the light and the shadow. True humility is the ability to stand grounded in our self-worth with both the knowledge of what requires improvement and what is enough. It is the capacity to accept our weaknesses and our strengths. True humility is acceptance without judgment, defense, or criticism. When humility goes dark, it often emerges as shame and the punishing voice of the inner critic. Be ready for experiences and situations that arise that bring your shame to the surface so you can transform it in the light of self-compassion.

~Where are you being asked to accept your wholeness? (Check out my story on accepting my own ‘flawsomeness’)
~Is the voice of the inner advocate balanced with the inner critic?
~Where do you require more self-compassion and acceptance? (For more on that, check out How to really LOVE yourself)

Health- Our physical health is a direct result of our mental, psychological, emotional and spiritual health. Virgo reminds us we are holistic being where each part plays into the whole. Quite simply physical symptoms get our attention. They are the fire alarm warning of the fire. It is especially important during this time to look beyond the physicality of any health challenges that arise and allow the symptoms to lead to the root cause.

~What are your physical symptoms really trying to tell you about the whole of your life?
~What changes do you need to make in your life to honor the holistic nature of your health?
~Where can you create new routines, discernment and embody sacred discipline to honor your best health? (For more, check out the Difference Between Judgment and Discernment)

This retrograde is going to ask us to get real with ourselves about who we are and how that changes our experience. Our lives are a reflection of where we put our energy. Our patterns determine our destination. This is both the good and bad news. Good news because we have the ability to plant new seeds and have a totally different outcome, and bad news because when we do this we are thrust into the gap of change, looking squarely at our shadow.

~What is the nature of the garden that is your life?
~Where do seeds of control and responsibility create vines that choke your vitality?
~Where do seeds of shame and criticism spawn weeds that crowd out your gorgeous uniqueness? 

So, use this time to assess the harvest you have sowed thus far, and plant new seeds that will grow into a crop more in alignment with your most authentic truth, highest calling, and undeniable passion.

A call to love is not a quest of outside discovery. It is the realization it is always present we just need to clear the path for it to flow freely. Virgo reminds us the road to love is a practice. It means when we ask for more purpose, inspiration, balance, joy, and abundance in our lives we are not given those things but the opportunities to do the soul work to claim them. It reminds us the word sacrifice originally defined means to ‘make sacred’. When we do our soul work, when we apply the discipline, practice and dedicated learning to honing our personal path of discovery, we become one with the divine.

This is often a daily, hourly, minute-by-minute, and breath-to-breath practice.

It may not be easy, but it is entirely worth it.

This is an especially vital and transformative time. The air is ripe with creative static and kinetic potential. Retrogrades shake things up and disorganize something in our world so we have the impetus to reorganize it in a new, more empowered way. Retrogrades are a catalyst to revolutionize and innovate our lives. Situations will very likely arise that ask us all to look deeply at how we have a significant role in our reality. Our life, our work, our relationships, and our physical health will be speaking. It’s our job to pay attention.

Because true soul work goes to our deepest layers. It is transformation from the roots up. 

The truth is we can only learn trust by being thrust into uncertainty.

We can only learn to be empowered by navigating the empty waters of disappointment and powerlessness.

We can only learn forgiveness by facing the confines and heavy roots of resentment.

We can only grasp courage by walking steadfastly over the burning embers of our fear.

We can only grasp compassion by humbly tracing the edges of our own pain and not turning away.

We can only learn to love when we feel the most broken.

We can only grow when we allow the creative tension to establish new boundaries within us and let the fire of change burn away the past.

****For a deeper understanding of how these cycles are showing up in your life schedule an integrated astrology reading? Check out my astrology offerings on my services page and contact me to set up a session.