July 10, 2023 | by Daniel Giamario |
We haven’t checked in on Mercury for a while.
Now is a good time for a number of reasons:
- Mercury is slowly appearing just above the west/northwestern evening horizon, now at magnitude -0.9. Embedded in the current Taurus synodic overstory, from July 9-14 Mercury is in the second Guardian of The Threshold phase, defined as when it is 10-15degrees from the Sun. This is when Mercury welcomes journeyers from both their Underworld and Upper World experiences, having just been guarding the threshold between liminal and ordinary reality.
- On Monday, July 10, at 1:47pm PDT, Mercury is in exact opposition to Pluto: Mercury 29Cancer23 / Pluto 29Capricorn23. As Mercury itself is not undergoing an underworld journey but rather assisting others on such journeys, it is hard to imagine a more fitting aspect to understand and help others with their travails, having kept them safe, and welcoming them back with consciousness and the nourishment offered by the Cancer archetype.
- Mercury moves into Leo at 9:11pm PDT on Monday, Leo being the fourth sign Mercury traverses in this Taurus overstory that began May 14, 2023. Now we have the addition of a strong-willed and action-oriented Mercury – representing our perception, cognition and communication – to the grounded, thoroughly tactile Taurean overstory. Mercury will soon begin the Hermes shapeshifting and trickster phase of the synod until stationing retrograde on August 23, in Virgo.
- On Tuesday, July 11, at 7:00am PDT, Mercury squares the nodal axis: Mercury at 0Leo18, the Moon’s Nodes are 0Taurus18 / 0Scorpio18. The Lunar Nodes then enter the Aries/Libra axis on July 17. I consider a planet’s square or conjunction with the Nodes to be quite significant. The square – as “crisis in action”- compels a forced change in orientation. Mercury in Leo is alerting the nodal axis that a major change in thinking and perception may occur soon, whether you like it or not.
- Looking ahead, as Mercury in Leo gains evening star altitude, it will close in on Venus and Mars. Mercury joins them on July 20, during the auspicious eighth Venus Gate of expanded awareness by intent, alongside the sixth challenge of Mars, before his descent into the underworld on September 30.
For more on the Mercury Synodic Cycle, please click here! You will be redirected to the recording after creating a FREE account on our private and secure TOTAMS Community Forum.
Venus/Mars Highlights
Mars enters Virgo, exactly conjunct Regulus, at 4:40am PDT on Monday, July 10. He can be found just slightly above Regulus, a mere 0.7 degrees away at their closest.
Venus, at her brightest of -4.7 magnitude, greatly outshines Mars which has faded to a mere 1.7, even dimmer than Regulus, at 1.4. They remain close in their quasi-conjunction, only slowly separating from their closest of 3.6degrees back on July 1.
The greater significance, meaning and intent of this Venus-Mars evening star union, known as the “Great Saga” will be deeply explored at our Highlight Seminar on July 19. Register at (free for TOTAMS Premium Members. Basic Members receive 50% off): https://turningoftheages.com/event/venus-and-mars-cycles-and-the-great-saga-2/