Mercury in Leo

Center of the Trifide Nebula

(photo credit: Hubble Space Telescope - NASA, Martin Pugh, Robert Gendler, January 2013)

Sometimes life’s parade of astrological sign posts reminds me of a stack. One after another, points enter or take station or become entangled in complicated metaphysical energy ‘pictures’ which emphasize a given sign.

That reminds me of a stack. It’s as if more and more ‘weight’ is being place in that quadrant of life. Or being put on the need to consider certain factors in the process of everyday doings.

At the moment, Leo seems to be center stage (a fact every Leo reading this probably responds to with either a hearty “of course!” or “it’s about time!”). We just had a Leo New Moon, we’re in our yearly solar month of Leo, dwarf planet Huya just went direct in Leo, Ceres and Vesta are in Leo…

…it’s just a Leo moment – into which comes Mercury, which will be entering Leo on August 8th at 12:14 in the afternoon, UT/+0 time. 

Considering Juno (which is conjunct Vaticana) is in opposition to Ceres as Mercury leaps in to join the Leo party, it’s already established that what is planned - or the planning out of a process with an eye to what it’s going to take (“cost”) to protecting not just our interests but everyone’s interests is important to whatever success or goal we’re aiming at during the next two weeks or so while Mercury zips through this Sun-ruled fixed and ‘high light’ sign.

Note please – I said high light…not highlighting, as in ‘focusing on one thing so as to get a response.’ High light, which here is that Leo quality of being drenched in an overall brightness – perhaps to the point of glare… that’s part and parcel of the total Leo quality. My Leo clients (and friends) are constantly confused by how ‘strong’ their simplest act or statement seems to be taken as.

It just is. Every sign has a relationship to ‘light’ (or visibility, if you prefer) and Leo’s tends to be stark and bluntly visible – sometimes to the point of discomfort (even to the Leo person!)…all of which has application now as Mercury moves into Leo.

Mercury in Leo can be a thoroughly creative, expansive and enjoyable time. It’s a combination which lends itself well to discoveries – whether that has to do with who we are, what we are capable of, or who others think we are (and what about us they think is of worth). As with all things Leo, the gap between our ‘hopes and dreams’ for the situation and the reality of life’s outcomes are the biggest challenge and problem – a quality which is reflective of Leo being a fire sign.

The vision, the glory, the beauty of all we hope for and dream of in our ‘Leo state’…whether it’s our hopes for the future, our ‘vision’ of what something or someone or some relationship or job is going to become (or lead to)…all those are life’s cosmic way of getting us to TRY.

And that’s all about Leo’s quality – it’s modality – as a fixed sign. It’s almost as if life tries to ‘lure’ us or assuage us with those hopeful images of happiness so that we’ll take on the task.

But then comes the reality of it.

The distance between the reality and the dream is Leo’s big stumbling block. It’s also a lesson in how (and why) dreams should be our motivation, not our measure of success. There are plenty of things which don’t turn out the way we expected they would which are just fine – even pretty fabulous! - if we just stop referencing that storybook plan we have in our head. Or soul.

Or wherever else you’re keeping it.

(Yes, we have expectations for all THOSE things too!)

And we shouldn’t think that Leo is just about us. Have you ever been in a situation where you suspected or out-and-out ‘knew’ that someone just had these high hopes for you, this image of you as perfect – and you knew you weren’t perfect? Parents often have this one for their children. And long do many of us labor under those parental expectations. Maybe they think we’ll be successful (in terms they define as success). Or maybe they expect us to grow up, get married and have kids – and we’re just not the settling down to have kids kind of person.

Leo represents the ‘dating’ period in all things, from relationships to our relationship to who we are and what we may yet become. And who hasn’t had some date (or envisioned some date) where they thought their Prince-or-Princess Charming was going to be ‘all that’ only to find out they’re regular mortal people who just might come down with the stomach flu?

Or who – in spite of looking good – might turn out to be a case of emotional stomach flu you catch and which thereafter gives you a really hard time in the…uh…end?

Venus in Mirrors by Nevit Dilmen (1999), which in this situation (Mercury entering Leo)

we are taking to be the 'reflection' of ourselves which may or may not be what we 

 want it to be...or what it really is.

Leo visions are meant to get us over the ‘hump’ of diving in…but they’re not so perfect as a lifestyle. Reality is the lifestyle and continuing to work towards improving our life is the Leo way of doing things.

Motivate. Be motivated. Work with what you have to make your world – and thus your life - a little better. These are all part of the Leo spirit of optimization.

So as Mercury enters Leo on August 8th at 12:14 p.m. (UT/+0 time) it will begin ‘evidencing’ more new facets of the Leo New Moon cycle which begins on August 6th (as this post it’s the digital airwaves) and which in having a full phase in late Aquarius (on August 21st) stresses not just our ability to make our way in the world but our ability to develop what we are in real time and on an everyday basis so that our functionality…our being is ever more of a contribution to life, to others, to this world.

To get there, considering the ongoing and sigh-worthy grand trine in water, we’re going to have to ‘agree’ to feel our feelings about all those things we don’t really want to have to confront – most of all in ourselves.

Like, ouch. Like…do I HAVE to?

(Answer: yes, we ALL have to!)

If you’ve been attending this ongoing evocative epic known as the Water Grand Trine, you know it began in early degrees with Jupiter, Saturn and Neptune – all of which are full-fledged planets. That one fact tells us that this is not nuance we’re going through – this is a ‘real deal’ evolutionary moment which is one part things we can’t quite define and certainly don’t control (Neptune) and two parts things we not only can work on but should work on (Jupiter and Saturn), both of which have personal and worldly sides.

In other words, life is now not just about what you’re doing and doing it well (and having a ‘vision’ for where you’re going) but facing the reality that who you are surrounding yourself with (or not surrounding yourself with) has everything to do with your success…or failure…or ultimate viability in your own life. Some of us will comprehend this. And some of those people will actually do something about it, switching things up so that their world is aligned with where they are going and what they are capable of becoming (you know, that ‘visionary Self’ or ‘vision of Self’?) as opposed to what they’re used to. Or what’s easy, comfy and – yes – accepted/acceptable to others.

This last gets to a big Leo focus: though what we are should be acceptable (grandiose-ness under Leo anything tends to get us knocked on our keester) but who we are should be unique. One of Leo’s big lessons is that people will not just accept you, they’ll admire you and be attracted to you if you accept the brilliance of potentiality which you have in your life.

We all have some…it’s just that many of us are terribly shy about accessing and ‘owning’ it at a manifested, incarnated level.

As the grand trine has now become two grand trines (Saturn-Neptune-Black Moon Lilith and Jupiter/Pallas-Chiron-North Node/Deucalion) our emotional drama deepens…thickens…becomes more universal, multi-lateral and potentially potent. we are asked to not just understand but accept and think through (Jupiter/Pallas) how what we really need to be (Chiron) isn’t (North Node/Deucalion) easy or necessarily comfortable.

 Call it a 'twist' on where we started into this process back in June-July...or just call it twisted. Or how you feel like you or your life is being twisted. But it is what we need to be and what we need to do… whatever strange (Chirotic) road that may lead us along… that’s what we need to do even though we feel all those tugs of (Saturn in Scorpio) fear about what we might be (Saturn-Neptune in Scorpio-and-Pisces) risking… and how others (Black Moon Lilith) might not like it or approve.

We need to be who we are. Despite what things ‘look like’ we need to rise above our own (Deucalion) trepidation to doing the thing which is spectacularly and righteously honest.

We need to accept our (Neptune in Pisces) Self, replete with glitches, fears and how all of life doesn’t match that dream (or dreamy) Leo image.

Part of why we have issues with Leo is because Leo is at the heart of what we might call the ‘individuation’ process. Leo asks that we use the achievements of others to realize that it does take investment of time, effort and dedication to get anywhere worthwhile… and that there are no ‘guarantees of success’ in this life. ‘Looking’ like a success or ‘fitting into an image’ (physical, financial, emotional or otherwise) is highly tempting in the Leo realm, and it’s highly tempted to think – especially during this August 8-23 Mercury-in-Leo passage that the ‘shiny’ appearance a.) means someone is shiny through and through…and b.) has any connection to viability. Plenty of people go around this world putting up a front or adopting a ‘look’ or working to ‘be’ this or ‘join’ that with the fervent (and very Leo) hope that by wearing the mask they will become the real deal.

This would be a time when many will try to do that. Mercury in Leo prompts such actions. It also can unmask them – or at least the impracticality or lack of real quality which prompts us to hold onto such things.

So as much as Mercury in Leo can be a fun time, it can also be a time of sobering revelations.

It can even be a time when we realize how much more potent our life stands become if we stop trying to be – or run (or hide) from others – and own up to the fact that the images or expectations others may have projected on us for their own Leo reasons (or which we may have projected for ourselves for our OWN) Leo reasons simply aren’t rational.

Or factual.

And how that’s probably not just okay, but the door to greater accomplishment… and personal happiness.
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