Mercury Retrograde Conjunct Mars at 25 Sagittarius Affecting 2024

by Robert Wilkinson We now are in the heart of the second of three Mercury conjunctions with Mars! The first one was on October 29 at 12 Scorpio. Then Mercury raced forward, going retrograde at 9 Capricorn on December 13. It now makes the second conjunction at 25 Sagittarius on December 27. The third and final one in this sequence will happen on January 27 at 18 Capricorn. That means we effectively had a Mercury conjunct Mars influence from mid-October through mid-November, all of late December, and most of mid to late January 2024. Any time Mercury and Mars come together things get very agitated very quickly, so slow down, be careful, and watch out for people on the roads doing abrupt and dangerous things! In Sagittarius, it should bring glimpses and/or memories of higher truths and liberating life adventures in the house where we have 25 Sagittarius. This may give us insights about different approaches or alternative ways of achieving higher things, or new insights about past spiritual initiatives or hassles. As with all Mercury retrograde periods, things from the past will be reviewed, re-examined, reevaluated, or understood differently. In this case the review involves Mars and how well our Mercury and Mars are working together. This conjunction is entirely anticipatory and future oriented, and fulfills something on the emotional or social level of learning. As this fuses the rulers of the houses where we have Aries, Gemini, Virgo, and Scorpio in the life area where we have 25 Sagittarius, take a newer and wider view of your life affairs in the houses where those signs are active. This will also affect planets we have in those signs, giving us alternative understanding of those inner functions. These three Mercury/Mars conjunctions together form a multi-faceted theme for the 22 months until Mercury’s next conjunction with Mars at 20 Scorpio in late October 2025. That makes these three conjunctions’ themes very important, since they will each be triggered by transits making conjunctions, squares, and oppositions to 12 Scorpio, 25 Sagittarius, and 18 Capricorn. The Sabian symbol for the 25th degree of Sagittarius is "A chubby boy on a hobbyhorse." In The Astrology of Personality, where Rudhyar uses the original notes from the Marc Jones classes, this degree is one of "growth through vicarious imaginative experiences," "detachment from reality," and "self-conservation." In The Astrological Mandala, he says this degree is about anticipating the "enjoyment of powers (we) can only as yet dream of utilizing" offering us the foreshadowing of skills we are developing in our imagination as preparation for doing them in the future. Here the "to-and-fro" rhythm arouses our inner powers, and "make-believe and growth through the imagination." He continues that this degree represents an initiation through imagination "active at the organic body level." Here we play within greater expectations, even though these may be unconscious. He says this degree falls in the Span of Detachment, Act of Group Integration, and Scene of Transference on the Social-Cultural level. Dr. Jones says this is a degree of "the ambition by which we manage "to leave (our) immortal stamp on the world," here demonstrated by our "desire for a fullness of living and a perfection of accomplishment." Here we employ "whatever means are available" to show our skill at achieving an "expanding self-fulfillment," and in our play and training we learn to keep our eyes on the prize. He offers us the keyword EMULATION. He states that when operating in a positive manner, this degree "is an indomitable determination to give the lesser potentialities of existence a more effective dimension." From this symbol, it seems this conjunction will bring us ideas about how to act in creative ways that anticipate future skills and powers to be demonstrated on emotional, social, and cultural areas of experience. This is an expansive energy which will have delays and rehearsals as it learns clear expression. This is focused on what we believe to be truth or a greater future, and how we use our imagination to play with skills that will become powers in the future. All of this is a rehearsal of sorts related to our ability to demonstrate our ability to play with rhythms of activity as we keep our eyes on the prize. The aspects are complex but favorable. We have Mercury and Mars making a quintile to Saturn, a biquintile with Uranus, and a square to Neptune. This will bring unique surges of spontaneity and very high states of consciousness, so get clear about the roles you are and are not playing while anticipating roles to come. This conjunction will compel "right action" for those with planets near 23-27 Gemini, Virgo, Sagittarius, and Pisces, as well as 8-12 Scorpio, Aquarius, Taurus, and Leo. If you are challenged to move or quicken, see it as a chance to redeem a promise and reclaim something you thought had slipped away. This is a "second chance" for you to see things differently and respond in more abundant ways. So slow down and pay attention to signs, signals, and echoes from the past or glimpses of the future these next few days. Prune back your activities, do your own thing in your own way while encouraging others to do the same, set aside preconceptions, and see what’s happening as a “mystery ritual” leading you into the world of “transcendent activity.” Find inspiration in daily routines while seeing the beauty of the “core form” underneath the superficial outer appearance. © Copyright 2023 Robert Wilkinson

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