Orionids 2014

 Constellation Gemini (at left) and Orion (on the right). Image generated

using Stellarium astronomical software in night mode.

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No sooner do the Draconids end but another meteor shower begins. Of course, being as its Mercury retrograde (even in the lives of well-intentioned astrologers - by which I mean me), hardly had I slept off the previous post (link: Part 2 of 3 on this month’s solar eclipse) when my calendar glared at me, causing me to recognize that in writing said previous post I had left out one almost literally star-spangled fact - that second meteor shower thing.

The Orionid meteor shower began yesterday, October 16th. And as I take to typing this reminder it also strikes me how, considering that the radiant (apparent origin point) for the Orionids lies between constellation Orion and nearby Gemini, there would/will be a lot of Gemini ‘sparking of the mind’ in the works and all goings on...not to mention at least a bit of Orion-like hunting and searching.

For what? For whatever our mind is bent on. And in that process, the idea of sudden realizations, recognitions, surprises, inspirations, notifications...and yes, reminders - they would all seem very much in keeping with the moment.

Given the notion we were just talking about (in that previous post) about how the current eclipse (in Scorpio) is only half of what is going on and how there is a distinct measure of Gemini in the eclipse works, to have this meteor shower seems...well, rather poignant (if not pointed). And the intrigue just gets deeper when we add in the idea that it's also Mercury (ruler of Gemini) retrograde.

So not only are we under a normal-and-standard Mercury retrograde auspice for thinking things through and catching up with what's needed, wanted and best for moving forward once Mercury goes direct again (an event which will occur on October 25th, UT/+0) - but we are also moving forward with (and) falling back on something which, like as not, has existed or has been in the works for several years at least.

And now we add in the Orionids...all those little 'sparks' of thought or insight or inspiration. Does the fact that Mercury has now retrograded out of Scorpio and back into Libra mean what gets ‘sparked’ will be about others? Maybe, but not necessarily. What is likely however, is that given Mercury’s current retrograde, most of what occurs to us now and during the days ahead will be more about informing ourselves than anything which is going to be broadcast for general consumption.

Well, at least for now. Once Mercury goes direct, given that the Orionids will still be in progress (though they will have tapered off by then) it doesn't seem unlikely that the 'standard' teaching with regards to Mercury station direct - that things which have been stalled will begin to move, how that which seems lost just may get found and how things which have gotten held up or ignored (by others, surely!) or which have otherwise gone off-track will either begin getting in gear and back on track.

Or you’ll come to understand why they’re not.

You may even find out why you’re fortunate that things didn’t go as planned.

Yes, unbeknownst to us, the universe is unfolding as it should - in spite of the fact we don’t always like where the creases fall.

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More detailed/astro-technical information on the Orionids is included in the 2010 commentary on this meteor shower, the blog post for which you can link to here.  
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