Mercury in Aries
Mercury has been giving us quite a bit of trouble the last few months, remaining in a place of strong essential debility in the sign of Pisces, where Mercury is in both his detriment and his fall. Mercury first entered Pisces back in early February, and then we had to deal with a retrograde period in this sign through Late February and early March. At this point, he reentered Pisces and we had to do the whole thing all over again.
And now at long, long last, Mercury will finally leave his being-in-detriment/fall-in-Pisces phase and move on to greater things in the sign of Aries on April 11th. If your thinking has felt cloudy and un-specific the past few months (over and above the corona virus panic, more on that later), then rest assured that your thinking will start to clear up, and your focus and discursive reasoning will greatly improve. This will come as a great relief to people who work in mercurial settings such as communication industries, marketing, and even astrologers, who draw on the power of Mercury to do their work.
Having said that, while this placement is still better than the detriment and fall of Pisces, he is still without much dignity and power here in Aries. He is what medieval and Arabic astrologers would call peregrine, or wandering without essential dignity, but also not debilitated as he was in Pisces. In short, he is still not in the strongest of states, even though he is doing much better than he was beforehand.
Since he has little dignity, he has little power to act on his own here, and so relies on the resources of his planetary ruler, Mars. Fortunately, Mercury forms a positive aspect to Mars (a sextile) from Aquarius, and that aspect perfects on the 18th. This indicates that, even though Mercury is without dignity and power to act, he has help from his host to enact his significations. You may find yourself having trouble trying to speak your mind and express yourself, and a friend or coworker comes in to help you along. Or your car doesn’t work anymore after the mercury retrograde in Pisces period, but you can borrow a friend’s. In any case, there is a theme here of the topics ruled by Mercury – travelling, communication, writing, etc. – receiving their fruition with the help of someone or something else.
However, Mars is not well disposed to Mercury right now, seeing as they are currently of differing sects and so promoting opposite agendas. You may find yourself trying to speak your mind and express yourself in the typically confidant, Aries-esque way, but perhaps the words get stuck in your throat, or if they do get out, they aren’t received well. The friend may help articulate and understand what your point of view is, but chances are they won’t agree with you. Differing views and opinions will abound for everyone, and this will only be exacerbated by the already competitive, combative nature of Aries.
The fiery nature of Aries will serve to heat up words and discussions. People will talk more passionately about the things they believe in. People will feel inspired by new insights and ideas that come to them. People will simply talk faster. Arguments are more likely to ensue as people battle over theoretical ground. If you’re someone who is prone to engage in pointless arguments on social media that don’t change anyone else’s mind and just leave everyone more cemented in their own perspectives, you will be more prone to do that now. Don’t do that!
Since Aries is a Movable (cardinal) sign, you will probably have lots of ideas, and lots of different things that you want to express and put out there, but chances are that only a few of them will land. Movable signs tend to change quickly and have difficulty following through on things, and that is especially true for Aries, where the action and commitment oftentimes doesn’t get past first impulse. This is a great time to brainstorm, journal, and be creative! Put all your ideas out on paper, and after this is over, look back and see which ones really resonate and seem realistic.
To get a clear picture of what this Mercury-in-Aries period will look like, think of the individuals you know who have this placement in their natal charts. They tend to get very excited about what they’re talking about, and can have very strong opinions, sometimes even being a little forceful with them (usually unintentionally). People with mercury in Aries have a determination and drive that fuels the way that they communicate. You will oftentimes find that when people with this placement say anything, it sounds like they’re gearing up for a fight.
Mercury will also be forming a sextile to Venus during this period. There is more potential for charm and amicability between people, especially a few days before and after the 17th of April when the aspect perfects. Disagreements and differing opinions may abound because of Mars (see above), but there will at least be some civility throughout, without any really strong tendency for any brawls or fistfights to develop.
I couldn’t be a self-respecting astrologer and end this post without saying something about the corona virus. There has been a lot of panic, cloudy thinking, and emotional overrides of discursivity related to this pandemic. This all seems related to Mercury’s placement in Pisces over the last few months, which encourages unclear thinking and overly emotional responses to problems when what is needed is a clear head. I can’t help but wonder if some of the fears and instability and the corona virus will begin to abate after Mercury leaves Pisces and goes into Aries. We shall see.
People with Moon in Aries natally will have more opportunities to express how they are feeling. If you are someone who has trouble express your emotions and verbalizing them, this is an excellent opportunity to practice. If you have the Sun in Aries, this is a great time to express what you are thinking, and reflect on deeper questions related to your purpose and what you want to do with your life. If you’re an Aries rising, then you can take this opportunity to put yourself out there more, take up more space, and use your voice in public settings.
You can always check to see which house in your chart the planet Mercury is currently transiting. This will say a lot about where this transit will show up most in your life. If you are a Gemini rising with Aries in the 11th house, you will probably be more prone to discussions and debates with your friends, and you can use this as an opportunity to express yourself to them more. If you are a Leo rising with Aries in the 9th, then take this opportunity to study and learn more. Download some new podcasts and go to town.
As always, if you have any questions or would like to explore this more thoroughly in your own natal chart, feel free to book a session with me. I would be more than happy to explore this transit with your in more detail.