Mercury Retrograde in Cancer

Part II
(June 15th-July 9th)
I realize that for some of you, astrology may be a new tool. If you'd like a more in
depth understanding of my philosophy regarding astrology, then please visit my
website. For now, let me first summarize briefly what a Mercury retrograde cycle is:
When looking in the sky at the planet Mercury we usually perceive it as moving in a
forward motion through the heavens, this is called "Mercury direct"….then every 4
months or so, it appears to go backwards in the sky due to our earthly orbit
operating in tandem with Mercury's orbit around the Sun.

This apparent backward motion - and I say "apparent" because it's not really going
backwards - lasts for about 22 days. When Mercury is direct we are engaging with
life in a very forward way and not overanalyzing actions. Making decisions seems to
be in greater harmony with the forward movement we want to take on our path in
Life. Yet we are also more driven by the personality and ego during such times, and
tend to not allow for too much reflection and introspection generally speaking. All the
while we are forging forward; the Universe is giving us guidance via intuitive data
that we tend to miss because of our busy minds trying to run the show due to our
wants and needs.

In an effort to keep the Tao of our lives in balance, we are given a three week
opportunity to reflect and re-evaluate our choices and direction in various areas of
our life symbolized by the astrological sign Mercury is retrograding in, allowing for a
more informed wisdom to emerge while we slow up a bit and redirect our life - this is
the Mercury retrograde period. When we resist - via our ego - this introspective time,
then Mercury as a messenger, shows up in the "Trickster" form that everyone is all
too familiar with. This is the phenomena that you always hear about; electronics
breaking down, accidents, miscommunication, thwarted plans, etc. These are all
agencies through which the Universe operates so that you'll slow down and pay
attention to the message the Gods have for you!

And here we are again, the Gods are delivering a message both collectively and
personally to us that we have needed to hear as a reminder of just what our purpose
is, and Mercury, the herald of the Gods, is ready to deliver, but are we ready to
listen?? The "set up" phase of this Mercury retrograde began on June 1st. This is
because on June 1st, Mercury entered into the degrees of Cancer that it will
eventually retrograde over again while it backtracks for 3 weeks. This Mercury
retrograde technically began, however, on Friday, June 15th at 7:40pm EDT. Have
you been feeling it or what? Mercury will stay retrograde until July 9th at 7:15pm
EDT, when it stations direct bringing with it a new Cancerian soulfulness to our
thinking, communicating, and perceptual processes.

This year, the three Mercury retrogrades all occur in water signs which means that
we are called to re-evaluate the quality of emotional connections we have in our lives
with each retrograde. This demands that we use these times to understand better
our own personal psychology and past. We must be willing to receive the emotional
data that leads us to new breakthroughs regarding our inherited psychological traits,
needs, and unresolved psychic complexes in our unconscious. In Jungian terms, this
year's Mercury retrograde in the water signs is about activating the "feeling function"
of our consciousness so we may come to understand our emotional life on all levels -
from the personal to the collective. This demands an investigation into our personal
values and our subjective responses to the world around us. Now onto this
retrograde in Cancer….

A year ago, Mercury went retrograde in Cancer as well, which is why I am calling this
one a second act (Part II). It's my sense that this year is a continuation and
deepening of the themes that came up for all of us last June/July. Take some time
and reflect on what was going on with you around this time last year. Cancer is a
very subjective energy, and deals greatly with our personal unconscious and sense of
origins, i.e. family. So you might want to look to family issues and your past first for
clues regarding what your soul is trying to work out, but that is just the surface of
this watery sign. As we go deeper we discover many archetypes swimming in
Cancerian waters that must also be given consideration.

The archetypes that constellate around this sign, or cluster around it which will
activate in our lives would be: The Mother, The Rescuer, The Child, The Caretaker,
The Enabler, The Nurturer, Betty Crocker (ok, I made that one up!), and the
archetype of Family and Home itself. My sense is that what is up for review and
introspection this retrograde are the ways in which we need to feel emotionally
connected to others in terms of tribe and family.

You may want to spend this retrograde period asking yourself what you need to feel
deeply loved and supported emotionally in your relationships to others, and how do
you communicate those needs? I sense many of us will be addressing the 'family
psyche' that we are connected to, which will perhaps be activated by latent
emotional issues surfacing. So, that old grudge you never resolved with your sibling,
mother, father, may come up……..or perhaps the 'pink elephant' that sat on your
table at dinner growing up, that no one talked about is finally addressed on some
new level.

The Child Archetype will be activated too because fundamental family issues always
reference our childhoods and the parenting we received. Yet, it's the emotions that
matter during this retrograde, and perhaps more importantly, how you were
mothered growing up, and how that fractals into the rest of your life will be a main
issue this retrograde. Yes folks, get ready to deal with your fundamental mother
complex!

Cancer also represents our memories and past, so the past may catch up with all of
us in some way if it's still creating our present in ways no longer tenable to the Soul's
intention. For those of you who are more sensitive emotionally in ways that are not
life affirming for you now because you surrender your power to others via your
hyper-sensitivity, get ready to grow a shell this retrograde - which means time for
some boundaries! If you've been emotionally shut down, then this retrograde will
bring events to get the waters flowing again……. And help you realize the value of
emotional life. We all need water to survive, no?

We may also need to address, in ways that we are ready, the fact that we can
sabotage intimacy with others in our lives because of our fears of abandonment. This
means looking at where we can be passive aggressive in our communications and
efforts to love and be loved. This retrograde may bring out our hidden wounds which
keep us from drinking the water that is right in front of us, yet our wounds keep us
from seeing it.

In other words, each of us will need to become more fluent in the language of
feelings as they relate to the Deeper Self during this retrograde such that we
understand the hidden reactive and subjective aspects of our minds. Our own needs
to be nourished must be acknowledged, in spite of our issues of abandonment -
otherwise we effectively will abandon ourselves as we push out the love in our lives.

More mundanely, you may simply want to redecorate your home to bring in more
nurturing energies to your life, as the home resonates with Cancer as a symbol of
security. Or perhaps this will be a good time to consider relocating to a new place so
that you feel more emotionally fused and connected to a sense of family/tribe in your
life.

In addition, the feminine and receptive aspects of our psyche will need to merge with
a new outlook and perspective on life to bring us up to date with our purpose,
growth, and authentic needs. No matter what area you are needing greater balance
in, this retrograde will address the imbalance as it relates to the integration of your
own archetypal feminine energy, regardless of your actual gender - that's a head's
up for the men out there!

The first two weeks of a Mercury retrograde cycle are usually the most difficult
because something is trying to birth from the unconscious on both a personal and
collective level. This demands often that Mercury show up in his "Trickster" form -
tricking us into taking a good look at ourselves! The more you fight, the worse you
make it, so let go…..breathe, and ask our dear Hermes what message he has for you
from the Universe and your Soul. By June 28th, we reach the midpoint of the cycle
as Mercury conjuncts (joins) the Sun in Cancer in the sky, delivering the main
message and theme for you regarding this retrograde cycle. Don't rush about
thinking it's over yet though!

Your psyche will still be too caught between two perspectives to make clear
judgments, and more time needs to be allotted for a fully informed solution
regarding your needs for inner emotional security and connectedness with others.
Save the big choices of your life until sometime after July 9th, when Mercury goes
direct again. Then you might have just enough insight to make some wise, informed,
and new choices which build a deeper emotional network for your life. I'll be crying,
processing, feeling, remembering, and reaching for deeper levels of loving right
along with all of you.

I wish you all the best! Introspection and slowing down can go along way these next
few weeks. Remember that abandoning a part of yourself is a choice, so don't
abandon the part of you that needs to be loved and nourished as part of a family. I
hope that I was able to give you a more balanced view regarding the law of
attraction, and point you toward how to best apply it for yourself.

As always, I love receiving your feedback, whatever it may be. Please feel free to
email questions and comments to me at Robert@myss.com. If you are interested in
learning more about me, my new expanded services, and my upcoming book, feel
free to visit my website at www.ohotto.com.
Until next time…..

Namaste,

Robert Ohotto

www.myss.com