As September begins, Mercury will have only been in direct motion for a couple of days. We still may feel the retrograde influence until the shadow period of Mercury retrograde ends on September 12. The shadow period is the time between a planet turning direct and passing back over the degree at which it went retrograde. This is kind of like experiencing a planetary rerun. Once Mercury passes back over and then surpasses the degree at which it turned retrograde, we can expect to go back to business as usual in terms of all matters communication centered and technological. This is the time to move forward again.
That said, Pluto probably didn’t get the memo from Mercury. On the same day that Mercury goes direct, Pluto goes back for its last pass into Capricorn in this century. The retrograde motion of a slow-moving outer planet usually affects society more than it affects individuals unless the movement has an impact on their natal chart. Those born around January 19 and January 23 have been feeling this aspect the most. The same is true for those with a planet in late Capricorn or early Aquarius. In fact, all of these individuals have been under a lot of pressure since December 25, 2020 when Jupiter and Saturn met at 0 degrees of Aquarius.
Since then, Pluto has moved across the zero-degree Aquarius point several times and is about to make its last pass. This adds emphasis to the themes of Aquarius vs. Capricorn. Capricorn in invested in maintaining tradition and the status quo. Aquarius is interested in expanding the boundaries of society and redefining human potential. How our society handles this depends on us. But once Pluto goes forward again into Aquarius on November 20th and stays there, society will be at a turning point. The choice is cling to the past or to change and grow. Aquarius demands change and growth. Otherwise, it may painful transition.
Let me provide an example. When Pluto was last in Aquarius, our country was engaged in a revolution that had been initiated near the end of Pluto in Capricorn. However, it was in the spirit of egalitarian oriented Aquarius that our forward-thinking Founding Fathers wrote: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” Our fight for personal freedom eventually resulted in a very civilized treaty with England, the country we rebelled against, and eventually a peaceful transfer of presidential power at the end of Washington’s two term tenure.
France, on the other hand, endured a protracted revolution that resulted in execution of the royal family and the invention of the guillotine. Political upheaval in France continued for years. In 1797, when Pluto moved into Pisces, Washington voluntarily relinquished the presidency. However, France was still unstable. Within a few years Napoleon seized the crown and made himself Emperor triggering the Napoleonic Wars. While both England and the United States continued to thrive after the American Revolution, France had a more difficult time until the Napoleonic Wars ended in 1815, at which time Pluto was now moving up and back between Aquarius and Pisces. France never regained the political power it enjoyed before the French Revolution.
But back to more mundane matters… the time around the Lunar eclipse on September 17 may be tense. We’ll need to stay calm and focused on constructive progress with our personal projects. This energy will continue through the time around the Equinox. When the Sun moves into Libra on September 23, balance and keeping lines of communication, as well as one’s mind, open will be important.