At 9:56 pm PDT on August 4, Mercury goes retrograde at 5 Virgo, beginning our review of all things Virgo and Leo in our charts. Today we take a look at some primary factors in the coming retrograde.

An Overview of the Retrograde

The coming retrograde will give us a new look at recent signals and information that we sent or received in the house(s) where we have 22 Leo-5 Virgo. As with all Mercury retrograde periods, things from the past will be reviewed, re-examined, reevaluated, or understood differently. We can get a new look at how our imagination works, and may see some things about our subconscious mind or another’s subconscious mind and understand “inner life energies” from a new angle.

We’ll get new insights into all things related to our first decan Virgo and third decan Leo responses from now through late August, including another look at how we can see how the parts reveal the whole and how to arrange all the pieces in a given puzzle and how we can put our hearts into our initiatives and vise versa. This will play out in the house where we have the first decan of Virgo and the last decan of Leo in our chart. This spans the actional-material levels of “Characterization” and the individual-spiritual and social-emotional levels of “Release.”

This will be mostly great for planets we have in the first 5 degrees of the Earth and Water signs, and after August 14, the last decan of the Fire and Air signs. This will help us rethink parts of our lives from new early Virgo and late Leo perspectives in the houses where we have those signs, as well as where we have Gemini and Virgo.

Because our review begins at 5 Virgo, this will give us a “back to the future” look at what’s to come when Jupiter visits late Leo and early Virgo in October 2026 and August 2027. In any case, take a little more time to evaluate and plan things, coordinate things, discover things, give and receive information, and see things from multiple points of view.

Mercury is now ruled by itself while in Virgo, and the Sun while in Leo. So Mercury is definitely its picky and meticulous self in Virgo, and will be bathed in Leo and Virgo energies once it’s back in Leo, since the Sun will be in Leo and Virgo while Mercury’s in Leo.

Mercury in the first decan of Virgo is ruled by Mercury with a sub-influence of the Sun, Once it enters the 3rd decan of Leo, it’ll be ruled by Mars with an added dose of Mars. While Mercury is retrograde, it will continue to slow until the Inferior conjunction of Mercury and the Sun at 27 Leo on August 18, after which it begins to increase in speed, finally going stationary direct at 22 Leo on August 28. Once Mercury and the Sun make their Inferior conjunction, Mercury will again the planet which “leads the Light,” showing that a prerequisite to “enlightened action” at that time will involve “getting to work” in the mental or spiritual spheres.

The next 3 weeks will give us a new take on things which need expression or refining, and of course, that which must be reviewed and released, or researched and rehearsed to prepare us to move forward in September. Because of the “back to the future” quality of Mercury retrograde, we may also get glimpses of how the last 3 months have given us a new look at how we’ve seen “the relationship between the conscious and unconscious sides of life.”

This retrograde period offers us a chance to round out our Virgo and Leo functions in some important ways. Mercury retrograde is great for taking a new look at past actions, feelings, ideas, and people to come to a different perspective about how these impacted our lives since then. As per all retrogrades, we’re done with the initial approach where “the stone was thrown into the pond,” and now enter a time when the ripples will return to source in multiple ways.

A Bit More

In the next 3 weeks, we can see what life has prepared for us since the last Mercury retrograde in April 2024. The next 3 weeks are a good time to take a look at our position within the larger emergent future in motion since January and examine the life in our ideas to see if they are bringing us living experiences or dying directions. This is an other-oriented creative-expressive, as well as refining and shaping action focused retrograde.

While in Virgo, Mercury is in its own 1st house relative to its Virgo qualities, and in its own 4th house relative to its Gemini qualities. So Mercury in Virgo is natural to itself as well as grounded in its own practical attention to details and order which brings structure of its Gemini traits. Once it retrogrades back into Leo, it will be in its own 12th house relative to its Virgo qualities, and in its 3rd house relative to its Gemini qualities. So the time when it’s retrograde in Leo is great for examining our “Mercurial motive,” and seeing how our Mercury has functioned since the last time it was in Virgo.

I explain more about how Mercury functions in various signs in my pioneering work A New Look at Mercury Retrograde. Since it was retrograde in all three Earth signs last year and will retrograde in Fire during two of this year’s three retrogrades, if you want to know about Mercury retrograde in various signs and houses, as well as how it functions in worldly events, please get a copy. It’s both fun and informative, and will give you “a new look” at all things related to Mercury retrograde! (Just make sure you get the 2nd Edition with the award on the cover published by 5th Ray Publishing rather than the much older 1st Edition published by Weiser.)

Summing It Up

For all of us, the next several weeks offer glimpses of new perspectives, new identities, and a new way to use our imagination to visualize what we’re doing. This is giving us an opportunity to take a second look at our sense of rulership, service, creativity, and practical means to see what’s core and what’s peripheral, and how the parts reveal the whole. This is a prelude to a new way of expressing ourselves in late August.

So welcome to many things being reviewed or coming back up from your subconscious mind or your connection to the collective these next three weeks thanks to the retrograde. This one allows us to get a new look at how we’re using Virgo and Leo energies in our lives, and review how we’ve moved forward since April. As with all Mercury retrograde periods, this is a great time for new insights into how we’ve been guided to our Souls by what’s opened for us since the last retrograde.

Renewals, returns, reconnections, reunions, and a sense of responsibility for what our actions have led others to expect are promised by this retrograde, with new opportunities to appreciate someone or something due to the retrograde conjunction with Venus. Of course, more on this Mercury retrograde period will come over the next few days, including Sabian Symbols, Jones Pattern, aspects, and how it will impact all birthdays and signs!

Venus: Friendships, Soul Mates, and Twin Flames

Because Venus is conjunct Mercury in Virgo for the beginning of the RX period, She plays a big part is how and what Mercury appreciates while it’s RX in Virgo. In Virgo, she sees how to soften and balance the “rules and plans” indicated by Virgo, and can make this retrograde more pleasing and practical. In this chart She helps us with divine discernment, and as the first to move all the way through Virgo, She heralds the coming September oppositions to Saturn and Neptune.

If you would like to know more about how to use your inner Venus power to shape your relationships and make them better than they have been in the past, please get your copy of my book Venus: Friendships, Soul Mates, and Twin Flames. Venus helps us eliminate difficult relationships by helping us see our changing vanities and values so we can attract more ideal friendships and responses when dancing with the countless Soul Mates we encounter throughout life.

It was written for both astrologers and non-astrologers, and will help you understand why you have attracted what and who you did, and how all your relationships have led you to open your heart and mind to encourage your ideal expression in your interactions. Each time you read any section of this book you will find new insights about your power to steer your personal evolution and have more perfect relationships in the future. You will understand how to throw off all the attitudes which have held you back from finding your ideal friends and partners as you fulfill your destiny as an Eternal having human experiences!

To order your copy, go to the The Magic of Venus: Friendships, Soul Mates, and Twin Flames page on Amazon, or you can always go to your local bookstore which is even better! The ebook is available through Kindle. And if you would, please write a review on the Amazon site, since the more reviews, the bigger the boost on their site.

It is the most comprehensive book on Venus ever written, and explains the foundations of long term healthy relationships and friendships, why Soul Mates come into our lives, and how to know the difference between a Soul Mate and our Twin Flame. Even if you’re not looking for a partner, this book will explain why certain people with certain traits came into your life and what they taught you about yourself.

It has chapters on the qualities of each sign’s natural mate, the qualities of Venus in each sign, and when crucial choices and changes are made, affecting who we attract in the future. It was written for both astrologers and lay people, and as it has a thousand gems for better relationships, with self, others, and Source, please consider getting your copy by going to the link above! (And when you’re done, please leave a review on Amazon, since it helps the book and all other books on astrology as well!)

See you soon with the next installment on Mercury Retrograde, with the Sabian symbol, aspects, and more!

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