Back to the Future; Mercury goes Retrograde in Aquarius

Philosopher William James first coined the phrase “stream of consciousness” to describe the full range of thoughts that we can be aware of at any given time. He called it a stream, observing that thoughts tended to flow from one to another and another.

Here we are at the end of the first month of 2021, and Mercury, the god of thought, is decidedly reversing the stream’s current, in Aquarius, the sign of awareness, foresight and future.

Are we going back to the future?

In a sense, maybe.

As we go about our days we are immersed in many droplets of rich subjective life. Moments when something speaks to us, moments when we feel good or bad, moments that we share, moments that we rush, moments that we savor.

With winged-sandals, Mercury, God of thought swiftly weaves facts out of these moments. Facts that may be recalled in the future about what happened in the past. The facts are what survives, the feelings are fleeting, and disappear like the Moon. Facts weave and connect into the mysterious network of memory. Awaiting a reason to resurface, and be reflected on. Once reflected on, feelings may arise again, and feel like those original feelings, but they are still new, and based on these facts.

As Mercury moves retrograde, the stream of consciousness goes back on itself. It’s like using one of those now obsolete microfiche machines in libraries, where newspapers can be flashed through in search of that pertinent piece of information. Thought goes back on itself, in search of something.

Mercury has been in Aquarius since the beginning of the year leaving many Aquarian-esque facts weaved into our neural networks. Aquarian-esque; existential, pertaining to future, off the beaten path and in question of some basic assumptions.

You found something in these weavings, what was it?

Maybe you will find a fact worthy of reflection. By reflecting on these resurfaced facts, perhaps you will better shape your future! Time flows just like the trickster. Maybe you can manage to go back to the future!

Mercury will be retrograde for the rest of Aquarius Season. The Trickster God will go direct on February 20th, two days after the start of Pisces Season, and remain in Aquarius until March 15th.

Happy Astro Pondering!

Astro art by Johnnie Day Durand.

https://www.happyastropondering.com/

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The Promise of Tomorrow; Aquarius Season Begins

Tomorrow, tomorrow. I love ya, tomorrow,  it’s only a day away… that a new president steps into office. It was only a day ago that we gave tribute Martin Luther King, a great leader who believed in the promise of tomorrow.

Aquarius Season has begun.  The promise of tomorrow.  The creative life of the future that is always accessible in the present moment.  A shift in perspective.  A shift in momentum.  A whole lot of shaking going on.

The word future stems from the latin root fu which means “to grow” or “become”.  This puts the magic of the future more directly in the body, and renders it less of an abstraction.  The warm glow of optimism that floods the body would be Annie’s sun of tomorrow.  As the 5th dimension sings: Let the sun shine in.

To put the emphasis on growing and becoming is to welcome all experience as a learning tool.  The current buzzword for this is growth mindset, but Goethe would have called it bildung; education from life experience.

Aquarius is the water bearer.  An air sign that refers to water.  Experience that refers to feeling. Experience ultimately is subjectivity, the feelings that arise in each moment, the emotions that arise in us and signal what is good or bad for our survival and flourishing.

Aquarius is the evaporated air (thoughts) of our water (feelings), as they descend into the past, making facts from which we will reflect on in the future.  These “facts” will inform our behavior through the subconscious mind.  Wouldn’t it be best to oversee what “facts” make it into the fabric of our being?  

Aquarius has the solution with its gift of awareness and foresight.  Awareness can dawn (there’s that inner sun again) on you in any moment and cause a shift, or a rift, in the steady sea of the subconscious mind.  Writer and philosopher Colin Wilson would call this steady sea the robot,  an evolutionary life-hack that allows us to drive a car or type without much thinking after we’ve learned it.  The robot steps in and does it for you, freeing you to tend to other thoughts, or do other things.  The problem is the robot becomes over active, and in its tendency to take over, it also de-values the moment, by making it overly familiar.

Although it is associated with technology, Aquarius is weary of over-mechanization.  The robotic mindset stands in opposition to the urge to be free.  The awakening of that urge, is awareness, Aquarius’ first step.

Though associated with technology, Aquarius is not robotic!

The next step is to tie in the future through foresight.  It’s not enough just to be aware of the moment, there must be a commitment to cultivation.  There must be a reverence for the fleeting shimmer of water (real feeling) that is active only in the present moment.  This is the sunlight dancing on the water, sparkling in the snow, shimmering in the heart.  The joy and freedom of becoming and growing. 

The evaporated facts that come from shimmering water are quite different from the evaporated facts of stagnant water. They are healthy with electricity, supportive of the life urge to flourish. Knowing this is Aquarius’ foresight, a path for cultivation.

Aquarius reveres the water that it bears, listening to it and cultivating it. 

The promise of future lives moment to moment! 

All art by Johnnie Day Durand

https://www.happyastropondering.com/

The Moon is a matrix of silver and salt

Did you know that the subconscious controls 95 percent of your behavior and only 5 percent is under conscious control?

Better get to know those woods!  The dark forest is your subconscious.  Plenty of fertile ground, so plant mindfully.

The Moon represents the subconscious.  It’s symbolism provides clues as to how to best navigate this terrain.

The first clue is: the subconscious can only operate in the present moment.

NOW is where the moonlight lives

Children are better at living in the present moment.

The Greek goddess most associated with the Moon is Artemis, twin sister of the sun god, Apollo.

She is a huntress who lives alone in the woods and runs along the hillsides at night.  She loves and protects the forest (the subconscious).

 

Listen to the full podcast episode here —->     MOON PODCAST