Hail and well-met to all you Magickal Souls!!!!
It's almost time for Mercury to go retrograde for the last time this calendar year. I know. Yet another Mercury retrograde but this is the third and final time it happens in 2024. Mercury goes retrograde three to four times a year so it's the most regular of all planetary retrogrades, and it's the most popular one to be blamed for all sorts of things being affected.
Mercury is the planet of communication and travel as Mercury is also the god of these things plus travelers, business, tricksters, and messengers. As a god, one of His duties was to bring those who had passed to the Underworld. Because the planet is named after the god, all of the associations can be relevant.
Retrogrades are all about going internal with everything. It's a good time to just think about every decision, every aspect of life that the planets are associated with. So when Mercury goes retrograde, it's always a good idea to consider whether any travel, business, communication etc is necessary, right for you, or the right time to be doing it.
Mercury goes retrograde for about three weeks (give or take a day or two) but we can start to feel this energy in the two weeks before Mercury stations retrograde and continue to feel it for two weeks afterwards. This first two-week period is known as the pre-shadow, while the two week period that follows the retrograde is called the post-shadow. So while Mercury is retrograde for about 20 days, there's an extra 28 days that we can feel this energy.
This time, Mercury will be going retrograde from 25th November to 15th December in the sign of Sagittarius which brings the theme of adventures and curiosity into the mix. This means that if we are thinking about travelling the world, or learning about something new (whether locally, nationally or globally), we need to think long and hard about it. We can't rush into anything without knowing every possible detail and making sure back-up plans are in place just in case they might be needed.
Keeping all of this in mind, I crafted a Mercury Retrograde in Sagittarius spread to do for the collective. I chose to use my newest deck: TheWitch's Familiar Runic Oracle by Athene Noctua.
How can we temper our desire for adventure?
Berkano
This is one of my favourite runes because it's all about new life, birth, fertility, and all the other energies of spring-time. Perhaps this is why the animal chosen for this card is the rabbit/hare, both of which are symbols of Easter.
As well as being about spring-time, there's also an association with maternal, nurturing feelings. So with this in mind, Berkano is saying that we can temper our desire for adventure with nurturing what we already have. We have a home, a safe place that could almost be called a sanctuary and while we desire adventure, we still need to nurture the home we already have.
How can we temper our curiosity?
Jera, Eihwaz
Jera is connected to the year and its constant cycles, whether seasonal, weather, and farming cycles. Maybe this is why the Honeybee is connected to this rune, because it is connected to the cycles too as it moves through the stages of creating honey.
Perhaps the message from both Jera and the Honeybee is that we need to temper our curiosity with a steady patience. When we are curous, we might desire answers immediately but sometimes they aren't available and so we need to wait a little while, to consider if we truly want to know these answers.
Eihwaz is associated with mysteries and renewal. But the black cat (an Oriental in the image) brings transformation just like the Death tarot card. Black cats have always been associated with witches and fears but in some cultures they are seen as lucky - perhaps the message is to temper our curiosity with the knowledge that we might not solve some of the mysteries we are faced with. Our curiosity will always be tested but we can always temper it by transforming it, finding something else to wonder about. Enlightenment isn't just about discovering every possible answer.
How can we prepare to get our next adventure underway after Mercury stations direct?
Naudhiz
This rune is all about needs and what is necessary. Naudhiz recognises that life can be hard but it's only with unimaginable pressure that diamonds are creating. This rune appears to teach us perseverance.
But the Honey Badger is associated with this rune because they learn, grow and become stronger as they move through life. Honey Badgers don't bother with frivolous wants and only focus on essential needs.
This is what we have to do in order to prepare for our next adventure: the absolute essentials that we need for it without any extras.
How could this Mercury retrograde improve our lives?
Uruz, Thurisaz
Uruz is all about strength, symbolised by the Bull. The Bull doesn't give up or let anyone get in its way - he stands unyielding and confident in his own strength. Uruz and the Bull are also connected through their untamed power which is neither untamed or controlled.
Maybe we need to believe in our own strengths so that we can overcome anything that stands in our way after this Mercury retrograde.
Thurisaz is associated with chaos, natural destructive forces, aggression and conflict, especially when they are united and used for defense and/or protection. But the Wolf is associated with Thurisaz, and might seem like a bad connection, however, the Wolf is all about growling in warning before eventually biting and fighting. The Wolf has to work through its emotions, getting the aggression out before it can move onto the next task. This is what we need to do to improve our own lives: work through our own emotions and then progress to whatever we need to do next. Sometimes we have to purge ourselves of what we don't need in order to make progress.
It seems like this really is an opportunity for us to work out what we need versus what we want in our lives. There's nothing wrong with having wants but there is an issue when those wants become more important than what you need, life will start to go wrong. And once we've become clear on what we want and what we need, then we can prioritise to make our lives as easy as possible when Mercury stations direct in a few weeks.
I hope this was helpful with dealing with Mercury's third and final retrograde of 2024. If you'd like a more personal look at this retrograde, my diary and inbox are open.
Peace and love to all!!!!
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