MERCURY WILL BE RETROGRADE from April 6 to April 30, 2004 with the retrograde's shadow period extending from March 24 through May 18, 2004. This is a phenomenon that occurs three or four times every year and the astrological community warns us to prepare for the usual Mercury retrograde problems that can include botched communications, computer failures, 'deals gone sour.' We are warned to not sign leases, move, start new jobs and make legal agreements during this time. In short, everything that can go wrong often does when Mercury goes retrograde.

If the retrogrades of 2003 were as difficult for you as they were for me, read on because you may learn something that will prepare you for this process in 2004. I thought that Mercury retrograde might hold some clues and what I discovered surprised me and changed the way that I look at Mercury retrograde--maybe it will for you too.

The secret to what makes retrograde periods so significant lies in understanding Mercury's function in astrology. As ruler of the third and sixth houses, Mercury rules our contact with others, including communication of all forms and transportation, how we perceive and analyze information, and how we serve others through our work. It also rules sibling relationships and childhood experiences. Because Mercury, as ruler of Gemini, represents our first point of communication with the outside world and it puts us in contact with some of our most karmic relationships (those with our siblings and childhood), it is a strong indicator of ongoing karmic lessons. Those karmic issues often represent areas of 'enslavement' (6th house) for us, areas that often prevent us from progressing in our lives or that represent ongoing life issues. I believe that Mercury and Saturn are both astrological teachers, with Mercury providing us with an opportunity to learn life lessons before they become subject to Saturn's disciplinary action and that they both help us to address karmic issues.

And that is the key to understanding Mercury retrograde and why it can have such a disruptive effect on our lives.

Now we can look at Mercury retrograde periods as significant growth opportunities to learn and heal important lessons, instead of a three week period of disruption in communications or transportation. There is a pattern to Mercury retrogrades that aids in this process. While they occur in three month cycles (about four times in a calendar year), we dilute their learning potential if we consider them as individual phenomena. They actually occur in elemental cycles of four periods that generally begin and end in the same sign, with the intervening retrogrades occurring at trining (120 deg) angles. Here's an opportunity to experience a lesson during the first retrograde period, gain knowledge and make necessary adjustments in our thinking and perception during the second and third periods. Then, we get to review the lesson during the cycle's fourth and final retrograde to discover whether we learned anything (don't you just love it). To understand the full effect of the Mercury retrograde cycle we must look beyond the confines of a 12-month calendar year, as the full retrograde cycle occurs over a period of thirteen months or longer.

Mercury retrograde periods occur in one of the four elements, fire, air, earth and water. Since January 2003, they have been in Earth signs. However, the current Earth cycle is unusually long and continues through much of 2004. The November 2003 Harmonic Concordance introduced a shift in humanity's consciousness and the extra-long Mercury Earth retrograde gives us an opportunity to deal with 'earth' issues, such as karma. It's telling us that we must deal with our humanity before we can embrace our spirituality. And the Earth retrogrades began in Capricorn, whose ruler, Saturn, is also called the 'planet of karma.' Many of my clients experienced life major lessons during 2003, addressing family, career and home. I noticed a strong correlation between the houses covered by the retrogrades, Saturn's placement in the natal chart and its transits and aspects to certain natal planets during the retrograde periods and the degree of challenge encountered.

What I discovered is that if Mercury retrograde occurs in an angular house, a house cusp, or within in a house whose natal or traditional ruler is Saturn, then it becomes a significant learning experience, on par with a Saturn return. If Saturn is aspecting any natal planets in the chart's houses during the Mercury retrograde, especially the first one in the series, the retrograde takes on an even more significant (and often difficult) tone. With a Saturnian overtone, the karmic issues come to the forefront and become a central theme of events within the entire retrograde cycle. But this is not only for Earth/Saturn/Capricorn retrogrades. It is true of all Mercury retrograde cycles--they address an area where there is a lesson to be learned and provide us with opportunities and experiences to learn them.

When studying the effects of Mercury retrograde on the chart, the analysis should include the house and degree of the retrograde, paying special attention to whether the retrograde transits a house cusp, especially on an angular house, the natal position of the retrograde house's natural planetary ruler and any ongoing transits, especially of Saturn. While the shadow period is important, the sign and degree of the beginning and end of the actual retrograde movement are especially critical. The shadow period can provide clues as to the events that will lead to the lesson and the degree and sign of the actual movement will provide clues as to where the lessons will occur. Although the shadow period and retrograde path may occur in different signs, I use the sign on the date the retrograde movement begins to determine the element of the cycle

Here's an example of the process: One of my clients faced significant life challenges in 2003. With Capricorn on the 4th house cusp, transiting Saturn in his 10th house, opposing his natal Moon in the 4th I told him to expect some significant challenges. The first Mercury retrograde began at his 4th house cusp. This brought up issues with home, family, his mother and his career. The intervening Mercury retrograde periods hit his 8th house cups, the 12th house with the final retrograde period again beginning at his 4th house cusp. During 2003, he moved three times, lost his job, lost his house, stopped speaking to his family and eventually changed his career track. He also discovered where he had been blocking his own progress and how to make some long overdue changes in his thinking and beliefs.

In 2004, the Mercury will continue its Earth retrograde pattern with retrograde dates as follows:

Although Mercury retrograde will continue its Earth phase for much of 2003, it transitions to fire signs in November 2004. To prepare yourself for the upcoming Mercury retrograde and discover the karmic issues it will uncover for you, here are some guidelines for chart analysis:

What houses are affected by the retrograde?

Are they angular (this is especially important if it is the same degree as the retrograde)?

Is Saturn their natural or planetary ruler?

Is Saturn currently transiting or aspecting any planets in that house or planetary rulers of that house?

What are the sign and degree of the beginning and end of the shadow period?

Are they significant angles or houses?

I believe that this new interpretation of Mercury retrograde provides additional tools for chart analysis that will guide us through the significant life changes that are occurring today. Astrology is a tool for living, a guide that helps us chart the dynamic landscape of our lives. Faced by constant changes, it is sometimes difficult to know what to do next, what's coming up and how to best address the next challenge. Mercury retrograde provides us with opportunities to review and reassess important life issues and create something new and different for ourselves. The shift in humanity's consciousness is not occurring solely in the spiritual community--it is occurring on a global level and Mercury retrograde provides us with a chance to deal with our humanity as we move to embrace our spirituality.

A final note: A solar eclipse will occur on April 19 at 29 deg 49 Aries during the Mercury retrograde, also in Aries, giving it extra strength. Both Mars and Venus will be in Gemini and Jupiter in Virgo, all ruled by Mercury. When analyzing your chart for the effects of this retrograde, also look at the positions of Venus, Mars and Jupiter to get a full picture of the retrograde's effects for you.

© Jennifer Hoffman, 2004

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Jennifer Hoffman is an intuitive, spiritual healer, mentor, teacher, author and astrology student. She has helped many people get out of the 'gap' by providing her unique insights and counsel to facilitate their healing journey. Jennifer is the founder of feedthemuse.com, a spiritual healing and growth center and www.quantuslibet.org, a personal and professional coaching group. Information about Jennifer's books, on-line seminars and services is available at her websites, www.feedthemuse.com and www.quantuslibet.org. email address: info@quantuslibet.org. This article is an excerpt from Jennifer Hoffman's upcoming book, Mercury Retrograde: Discovery Through Disaster.