photo © 2006 mikael altemark | more info (via: Wylio)
Jeffrey: Mercury has been in the process of a long conjunction with Jupiter. Mercury had its first conjunction with the planet of expansion on March 15. It is now moving retrograde to conjoin Jupiter again, and when it goes “direct” (or apparently forward-moving again) it will conjoin Jupiter a third time. On Monday April 11 Mercury is having its second conjunction with Jupiter.
One way I often look at this “three strikes” kind of transit is that the first conjunction (with the faster planet going direct) is kind of like an introduction to a problem, and then when it goes backwards and hits the second time it’s like we’re given a couple of possible solutions or avenues of exploration. Given that Mercury is the planet of thought and communication and Jupiter is the planet of higher philosophy and expansive theories, Michelle, what do you see going on with this long transit of these two planets connecting with each other?
Michelle: Whenever we put Mercury and Jupiter together, we just make everything way bigger—including ideas and the things we say. This is about really big talk, big promises, and also being able to see the bigger picture, because Mercury rules our thinking and Jupiter is really big on pattern recognition. What I find to be really beneficial about Mercury and Jupiter in this union is that it helps to promote an “I can do anything” attitude, which is important for people who are really struggling with their self-confidence. At the same time, that “I can do anything” attitude can be magnified, leading to a little too much bravado. And we have a lot of that bravado energy already in effect because of the huge number of planets in Aries right now.
Jeffrey: During the first Mercury-Jupiter conjunction there’s the sense of, “I can do anything.” During the second conjunction—when Mercury’s retrograde—there may be a sense of, “Oh, you know, I flubbed. I actually can’t do anything, there are limitations, and I’m starting to see the consequences of my hubris.”
Michelle: It’s the second pass of the conjunction that offers that chance to reflect and go inwards. It’s really prudent to bear in mind the following when we have Mercury and Jupiter together like this: If you’re making really strong and bold statements about who you are or what you can do, the other person or persons are going to expect you to make good on your word, so don’t be promising the world if you know you can’t deliver so much as a pizza. Because your reputation is at stake when you overextend yourself or when you fudge the facts.
Jeffrey: The final conjunction after Mercury goes direct again will be May 11. This third time around, we would have learned our lessons and maybe will speak with more confidence but with a sense of humility.