May 6 - Mercury turns retrograde - 2° Gemini (back to 22° Taurus)

Mercury retrograde provides the opportunity to adjust our thoughts, attitudes and decisions about our issues and adjust our new direction as we move into 2009. The adjustments of Mercury retrograde typically occur three times a year (four in 2009) and become similar to a course correction during the flight from one destination to another. The adjustments that occur during Mercury retrograde typically have a theme that occurs all year long, shown by the elements of the signs affected. In 2009 the adjustments that are slated to occur during the retrogrades begin in air signs and return back to earth signs. Thus these Mercury retrogrades take our ideas, decisions and attitudes about specific events and utilize the information to put new processes, contracts,and the like into place.

Mercury retrogrades have a cycle** in which the retrogrades have an exactness of covering the same signs, the same degrees and approximately on the same calendar days. This exactness is seldom thought about Mercury retrograde, with the seemingly chaotic and confusing situations we experience during the retrogrades. The exact Mercury retrogrades we will experience in 2009 were the exact same signs, same degrees and approximately the same calendar days of 1930. This cycle** is seldom talked about in the astrology world, but is the cause of major course corrections for humanity. We can look back at history of 1930 to see the impact of Mercury retrogrades covering the same time frames, the same signs and the same degrees. We are coming to an important time as was experienced in 1930. For instance, the President of the U.S. in 1930 was Herbert Hoover, who had a birthday of August 10th, and the U.S. President in 2009 is Barack Obama, born August 4th, both having Sun in Leo. Few people are old enough to recount the transition of that time, but it becomes history repeating itself to give us a chance to grow as humanity, as a society and to make a difference. The Planet of Mars follows this same cycle and the sequence of Mars retrogrades are similar as well. Mercury rules ideas and attitudes and Mars brings these ideas and attitudes into action. The phrase "thoughts become things" certainly brings home the combined energy of these two planetary connections. With 2009 being an ELEVEN year (in numerology - more see below), Mars retrograde in Leo at the end of 2009 opens the door for visionary leadership to bring forward a higher level of opportunities.

The purpose of Mercury retrograde is to review and revise our life and our connection with reality. The timing of this universe is geared toward the Sun as it moves through the zodiac. Mercury has an orbit that at times gets ahead of the Sun allowing us to look into the future toward new and innovative ideas. However, we cannot continue in that vein until we come back to the present designated by the Sun and put our new ideas into manifestation. During the time that Mercury jumps ahead, we ultimately have to bring the ideas back into the present to test and evaluate to see how they fit into our life. As Mercury retrogrades back into the present, the connection with the Sun happens as we test drive our ideas and re-align with reality and the natural timing of the universe.

The Mercury retrogrades that are occurring in 2009 provide the opportunities for us to make mental adjustments about decisions we have as our goals, aspirations that are our focus during the ELEVEN year of 2009. Because we are making decisions to bring forward the visionary awareness into our new journey, new endeavors, new goals, the events during the Mercury retrograde time frames help us to veer away from the past and take bold steps into our new future. . These adjustments will be very necessary as they allow us to make major changes, emphasizing our bold and innovative choices. The ELEVEN year brings forward the opportunity to utilize the "master" qualities from a Divine perspective of leadership, visionary purpose, and Divine intent. The ELEVEN reduces to the TWO (1+1=2) which provides the basic energy for the year of relating to people, places and things. However, with the opportunities available to bring forward the Divine path available for those AWARE of the ELEVEN, the journey through 2009 provides a pathway lit by Divine opportunities.

Mercury Retrogrades for 2009

In 2009, Mercury retrogrades four times, starting the retrograde in air signs then going back into earth signs. The change in mental attitudes, information and perceptions are going to go back to review the earth aspects, which means that we will be changing and adjusting our thinking and re-organizing an important area of our life. Because 2009 is universally an ELEVEN / TWO year (in numerology), this Mercury retrograde process becomes important in the major adjustments as we move into relationships and shifting our journey with others coming and others going. Partnerships in different areas of our lives become the theme and the area of adjustments all the way through 2009. Important to our new journey are those that share a common path, we can walk along the road together toward specific goals, accomplishments and purpose. Mercury retrograde provides the opportunity to adjust our thoughts, attitudes and communications about our direction. The adjustments that are slated to occur in 2009 are in air signs and then changing to only earth signs; Aquarius/Capricorn (in Jan/Feb), Gemini/Taurus (in May), and Libra/Virgo (in Sept), At the end of 2009 with Mercury retrograde occurs from December 26th through January 15th and is completely in the earth sign of Capricorn. This transitions into the remaining retrogrades of 2010 to impact only the earth signs of Taurus, Virgo and Capricorn.

The same signs, the same degrees and the approximate same calendar days occurred in 1930, as Mercury retrogrades have a cycle**. We often think of Mercury retrograde as random, chaotic and confusing. However, there is an exactness with these Mercury retrogrades, repeating the same signs, degrees and calendar days every cycle. The; other planets are in their own cycle and orbit, but the similarity with history repeating itself, gives humanity a chance to repeat the same mistakes or to revise the course corrections as an improvement along the way. Looking back at the four Mercury retrogrades of 1930 allows us to see the events that are now cycliing back around to experience, change and improve. Through this "exactness" of the Mercury retrograde cycle, we can see the cosmic course correction opportunity.

The fact that the retrogrades impact both air and earth signs of the zodiac focuses on the outer world and accomplishments, but also in the air sign issues of mental attributes, attitudes and information. The fact is that these areas of Career, Money and Health are changing as we retrograde back to deal with specific earth issues. Our attitude toward Career, Money and Health are very important and very key to the retrograde phases of 2009. Our thoughts, attitudes and communications are changing and we are adjusting the focus in our life about these areas, to bring important building blocks to the earth signs, and our mental attitude surrounding these building blocks may adjust the approach and people that we talk with about these areas. The energy that we share with others will impact our relationships and the different people we align with create different scenarios as we move forward. We can begin to see how we share our ideas with others and that during a Mercury retrograde, and especially in 2009, we will be adjusting specific aspects of our life and adjusting our thoughts, attitudes and communication about the specific areas of career, money and health.

The Mercury retrogrades occurring this year provide the opportunities for us to bring forward new and different ideas and talk with others that are also interested in pursuing these new directions. With 2009 being am ELEVEN / TWO year, we can bet that the mercury retrogrades will have a huge impact on our ideas, communication and the relationships we have been building. A whole new innovative movement will occur, turning our world into a new and different direction. Our thoughts, ideas and relationships are geared toward the Jupiter, Neptune, Chiron issues of Humanity. Inventions, innovative designs and major idea changes will come about to make major adjustments during this time. The changes, revisions and adjustments that occur during these Mercury retrograde time frames will have a major impact in events of humanity, relationships with others as strong, inventions and bold new ideas are being born.

Because Mercury itself rules the AIR sign of Gemini and the analytical part of Virgo, we will be adjust everything related to thoughts, concepts, ideas, and communication. When Mercury retrogrades, we find that many parts of our life are being revised. Often these revisions can be a surprise or throw us back a step. However, these revisions which occur during a Mercury retrograde, are a "course correction" and provide a stop gap measure until we can review situations. During this time of revision, change is compounded and confusion is created by our reactions to the ever-changing situations. Thus anything started during this time will ultimately be taken back or even revised further, making for a high-frustration time. This will be especially true with changing our minds, reviewing new ideas and our communication being improved and honed so not to be mis-understood.

The best mode to be in during a Mercury retrograde is one of "non-reaction", and with air signs being impacts, things will be changing continually during a Mercury retrograde Treat the time period as a time of gathering information, yet because the information will be in constant change it would be like trying to comb your hair in a wind storm. Best to wait until the changes stop before attempting to make things orderly. Therefore, just let the winds of situations blow around you without reacting. Once Mercury turns direct, take a look at the information that is still around at that time and go about putting everything in order, while maintaining the fine art of flexibility.

Below is the Summary List of the Mercury Retrogrades coming up in 2009, as well as a more detailed look at each of the Mercury Retrogrades occurring in 2009, starting with the one that begins in early Jan 2009 is available by purchasing the Alpha Life Trends 2009 Calendar or by Mercury Retrograde OnLine News.

Mercury turns retrograde January 11th, 2009 8 Aquarius - 12:39 pm EST
Mercury turns direct February 1st, 2009 at 21 Capricorn - 3:04 am EST

Mercury turns retrograde May 7th, 2009 at 2 Gemini- 12:55 am EST
Mercury turns direct May 30th, 2009 at 22 Taurus - 9:18 pm EST

Mercury turns retrograde September 7th, 2009 at 6 Libra - 12:39 am EST
Mercury turns direct September 29th, 2009 at 21 Virgo - 9:03 am

Mercury turns retrograde December 26th, 2009 at 21 Capricorn - 10:32 am EST
Mercury turns direct January 15th, 2010 at 5 Capricorn - 12:48 pm EST

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