posted March 25, 2005 01:52 PM              

Mercury turns retrograde March 19th at 14° Aries
Mercury turns direct April 12 at 1° Aries

This Mercury retrograde relates to our inner drive and sense of self.

With Mercury moving into Aires, our true sense of self, we find that the cosmic cues will be given to us to look a new and different directions for our Self with this Mercury retrograde. Aries provides the seed energy and the aspect of self that we want to provide an appropriate manifestation for the expression of self. We will be addressing issues of Self, such as self-confidence, self-assertiveness, self-reliance, and come up with our true concept of self and that inner blueprint that shows us who we are and what we are made from. If when squeezed, an orange produces orange juice, we need to determine what comes from us when squeezed in pressure as well as what we have within us in ordinary circumstances. The importance of our “inner substance” becomes an important aspect of this Mercury retrograde. It will become a very important issue during this Mercury retrograde to look at our “inner interpretation” of events, circumstances to see the choices we make. Often we have a tendency to think that our response to situations is determined by the situation, by the people within the situation, by the events, etc. That in fact, turns our life over to the outer situations and thus avoids the inner responsibility for our response and our ability to follow our own inner path. To choose an action instead of a reaction is truly the Aries mode of issues. This will become the key ingredient in the process to determine what we are made of. When squeezed, what emerges from us?

To see the area of our life that will become the backdrop and the stage for addressing this issue, look to where Aries is found within our individual natal chart. Our true core self has an environment that is symbolic of our Self and this environment will become the area of revision during Mercury retrograde

Mercury retrograde in Aries impacting your 1st house – Issues regarding your sense of Self rise to the surface at this time to determine whether you are going into your true direction. As your sense of Self is going through a time of transition, you are getting back your core needs, desires and attributes. Situations are thrown at you during this time to help you assess your sense of purpose and direction as well. Mercury’s impact is in your thought process and to break through the barriers about your sense of self are an important part of this Mercury retrograde. Many situations have kept you going into directions that have been counter to who you truly are inside, and it is during this Mercury retrograde that you begin to question and revise your directions to be more aligned to your inner self.

Mercury retrograde in Aries impacting your 2nd house – You are very money conscious especially with how your finances mirror your sense of self and the worth that you place upon your talents and abilities. Your sense of self has been dependent upon the whims of others and the value they place upon you. To a certain extent, there is a great need to break through any barriers that have kept you surrounded by people who truly do not understand you and who do not value you and your abilities. The revision that is happening during this Mercury retrograde is assisting you to move into a direction that is more appropriate to who you truly are inside. You may make a decision to move your career into a different direction, to become self employed so that you are no longer limited by someone else’s interpretation of your worth. You have allowed others to be in control of your sense of self-worth. It is time for changes to occur within this arena.

Mercury retrograde in Aries impacting your 3rd house – You are very bold and direct in your communication. You enjoy encountering the sparing attitude within your conversations. You should have a strong journalism to your self and to your career as this type of communication comes naturally to you. The focus of this Mercury retrograde is about you recognizing your natural talents and moving them out into the real world that allows you to earn an income that appropriately matches your talents. You ask the right questions to move you into the front of the pack and so you are able to best utilize the information you uncover. What makes sense to you will push you into the front of the line when it comes to making the right moves. Maintaining your boldness in communication is imperative during this time. You’ll notice all of the situations come forth that are uncomfortable with your boldness. These are folks that you need to push away from. Your path is your own, carve it!

Mercury retrograde in Aries impacting your 4th house – Your home environment is what sets your pace. All aspects of this environment determine your sense of self. Your self is of great value and is being revised to reflect the true self that you have operating in your core being. You take charge of your home environment and it becomes your castle. You rule your castle like a true King, protecting and being the authority within the environment. Your sense of self is being revised and you will experience a greater awakening with regard to your sense of self. Expanding your domain and your power within your domain becomes the focus during this Mercury retrograde. You are ousting people that have invaded your castle and tossing them from your protective and benevolent leadership. Your sense of Self becomes the ruler that you want for your own Self, and your home environment reflects that same essence. Changes within your home environment will be a natural reflection of this Mercury retrograde, whether they are changes within your color scheme, furniture, people, or the location all together.

Mercury retrograde in Aries impacting your 5th house – Your sense of Self-expression is a very important part of your bold, direct communication. You have only to become the very person you want to see, and then you will become the latest fad in many peoples mind of who to mirror. Your self-expression has been curtailed lately and you are no longer willing to accept others restrictions upon your communication. You will move beyond the people who dictate these rules. You want to have friends, yet to adhere to the present rules keeps popping back into your mind as absurd, therefore you determine to do it all your own way.

Mercury retrograde in Aries impacting your 6th house – Your work, effort and health depend upon your ability to put yourself into your efforts. Situations at times counter your value and worth, however it is imperative that you begin to activate your true sense of Self within your world. Mercury moving through the 6th house requires that you rethink your work environment to allow your effort to become something more of a truer expression to who you truly are inside. Your health is a direct link to the ability to utilize your talents in your work environment. Your effort is a physical expression of words, emotions and your spiritual purpose. You have to make the appropriate revisions to allow these talents a natural expression of your true self. Changes during this Mercury retrograde will automatically become a natural part of the picture.

Mercury retrograde in Aries impacting your 7th house – Your sense of partnership and relationships will need to be revised. You have been fairly strong about the people in your life, yet there is a need to revise the players. You will have a shift and change in the people around you and your attitude toward others. You will no longer allow others to have the role of determining your life. You will determine who you have in your life and you will become very bold and direct in your communication to make the appropriate statements. You will begin to make decisions and they will become very black and white as your sense of self determines who makes you feel good and who makes you feel bad. You will get the hang of this in a very definite way. You are at a point in your life that your Self will no longer tolerate others disrespect for you. You require partnership that is similar to the relationships that you give out to others.

Mercury retrograde in Aries impacting your 8th house – Your inner values are your own, they are not determined by others. You are at a point of internal frustration with others that you will throw them out on their ear. You know what is most important and when others determine the value system you are supposed to accept, you find yourself rebelling at the drop of a hat. You will no longer be willing or patient with those that step into a dictatorship in your life. You will meet their words with an ultimatum. You will win in this situation during this time as you have so much more than most people are even aware. You will point to the door and this action becomes the necessary adjustment process during this time. Either you walk out the door or others walk out the door. It is important to draw the line in the sand for those that have become the deceptive grey people that steal the strengths of people and leave them in a weakened position.

Mercury retrograde in Aries impacting your 9th house – Your philosophy about people, places and things is very important because it affects the goals that you set and the surrounding environment in attaining your goals. Being a very goal oriented person with a strong philosophy, you live your life accordingly. There is not one area of your life that your philosophy hasn’t become the foundation for thoughts, communications and decisions. As Mercury turns retrograde, you are revising your goals because you are reviewing your sense of self and updating the goals to who you have become. You have grown a great deal and have accomplished much because of your strong philosophy. Reassessing your goals helps you to realize just how much you have changed and how much you have accomplished. The revision process will assist you to move to the next step in your evolutionary path. There may be many people around you that don’t align with your philosophy, however your independence will grant you the luxury of making your life your own as your philosophy is between you and your life.

Mercury retrograde in Aries impacting your 10th house - The 10th house affects your career and accomplishments within the business world. Aries within the 10th house makes you very ambitious and image conscious with your career. You are the motor in your career and you enjoy revving up that engine to fly through situations and accomplish as much as possible. You continue to climb in the business world and are at the helm of your ship, no matter whether you own your own company or whether you work for someone else. You pursue your career very seriously and take aim at the top. This Mercury retrograde will cause you to assess the situation within your career path and make a determination about making changes within this path. If you are working for someone else, you will see them as an obstacle that has to be removed from your path and if you work for yourself, you will revise your plans to attack the business world with a different approach. Your plans will be varied, yet have a methodical approach to attain the success you are looking for. You see this as a reflection of yourself so you are not about to be deterred in your attainment for success.

Mercury retrograde in Aries impacting your 11th house – The social path that you have been pursuing for quite some time is about to take a giant turn. You are very aware of the value of humanity and your desire to move forward in important ways regarding your connection with people. You see yourself as one of the audience and you also have a say as what you do on your stage of humanity. You give something that you, yourself would want. This becomes an important aspect because as you revise your plans to better the stage, you also become excited as a member of the audience. There may be some people that are just not interested in the stage at all, but these are folks that you are not interested in allowing them to dictate the path you pursue, utilize those people that are similar to you to expand your stage to become something of value. Your concepts are solid and valuable and worth pursuing. Become the innovator of the stage as the strongest proponent in your audience. This assures you success.

Mercury retrograde in Aries impacting your 12th house – Your inner sense of self is going through an overhaul. You are making a major transition within your life and you are ready to come out of this transition sporting a whole new you. You have completed something of great measure in your life and you will be moving the results of this completion out into the world. You will leave the tools and the workshop image behind as you take the produce of your transition – a new you – out into the world. Leaving behind the efforts and the strong belief within your self that carried you each step of the way, you have reached a level of accomplishment that you can be proud of and it is at this time that you are ready to be hatched into a new world. This Mercury retrograde time period allows you to look around you, your workshop to see the array of situations and packaging of time that will stay within your memory, yet you will not take forward. You will walk out of this workshop of time and become a new person, the person you’ve wanted to become.