A child is playing alone on the beach. It’s late and the sun is about to set, the shadows getting longer and longer. The hypnotic rhythm of the wind and the sea has made him lose track of time. A wave of fear runs through his body as he suddenly wakes up from the dream-like state that has rock him for too long.
Mercury, the god with the appearance of a young boy, is slowing down as he approaches his first stationary point at 5° 29′ Cancer. This year it is going to form with its stations an elemental triangle of water through Pisces, Cancer and Scorpio. This means that the usual significations of Mercury retrograde for 2020 are going to be about feelings and emotions.
In late February, the energy of Pisces made the mind (Mercury) escape in a world of fantasy and nostalgia. The traits of Cancer instead is going to take us back to everything that makes us feel safe—our family, our home, and so on. But not without some issues because as we know Mercury retrograde comes with delays, misunderstandings and second thoughts. Generally speaking we are going to face some safety issues: family drama, crossed boundaries (even theft), financial security issues, and so on.
If you want to deepen what this transit is going to be like in your specific case just check 5° Cancer in your Natal Chart. The house pointed out by that degree represents the area of life affected by the transit. Just apply the general meaning of “safety issues” in regards of that house significations.
Sextiles with Uranus and a Square with Mars
During this cycle, Mercury is going to make two kinds of aspects: sextiles with Uranus in Taurus and a square with Mars in Aries. Retracing our steps back to our safety zone is going to be assisted (sextile) by freedom, means and technology (Uranus). However, the square with Mars clearly points out that the Mercury retrograde issues are going to be more challenging than usual (square with a malefic).
We are going to talk about Mars in Aries in another article, since it’s going to stay in the sign for 6 months. Being dignified Mars is not as bad, nevertheless is a force to be reckoned with. It brings challenges, excess of fire energy, quarrels and a go-getter attitude which is in contrast with the withdrawal tendency of Mercury.
I am going to put some useful dates below. As you can see we are in the middle of the shadow period and honestly I am already experiencing some classics: train delays, wrong turns, forgotten phones, rescheduled appointments and friends visiting that were supposed to be already here.
Pre-Shadow
- 06/02: Mercury entering shadow zone at 5° Cancer
- 06/05: Mercury at 9° Cancer Sextile Uranus at 9° Taurus
Retrograde
- 06/17: Mercury turning retrograde at 14° 45′ Cancer
- 06/30: Mercury at 10° Cancer Sextile Uranus at 10° Taurus
- 06/30: Mercury conjunct Sun at 10° Cancer
- 07/08: Mercury at 7° Cancer Square Mars at 7° Aries
Post-Shadow
- 07/12: Mercury turning direct at 5° Cancer
- 07/22: Mercury at 11° Cancer Sextile Uranus at 11° Taurus
- 07/26: Mercury leaving 15° Cancer exiting shadow zone
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I consider myself a free researcher in western spiritual disciplines, in particular Rudolf Steiner’s Anthroposophy and the Neoplatonic Hermetic tradition. I have a three-year training in Astrology at the CIDA delegation of Trieste, the Italian Center for Astrological Disciplines. I graduated in Computer Engineering from the University of Trieste.
