Nearly everyone now has heard of Mercury retrograde, thanks to the Internet.  This is a good thing for those of us who follow the planets, because it’s easier to explain why we would rather wait until Mercury is out of retrograde to sign that contract.  But because of the way we view the motion of the planets from Earth, all of the planets in our solar system and our astrological pantheon have retrograde cycles.  In fact, the outer planets (Uranus, Neptune and Pluto) are viewed in retrograde motion for approximately half the year.

So it’s not that shocking a situation that Neptune is turning retrograde on the 18th and will be retrograde until November 24th.  This happens every year, and Neptune is at a virtual standstill now as it prepares for its change of direction so its influence is quite potent.  Neptune is the planet that inspires us to explore our inner spirituality and our creative outlets. Any Neptune cycle can create some confusion in the outer world as we turn our attention away from practical matters, so preparing for this cycle by examining those pragmatic types of things now to be sure everything is in its proper place will be quite helpful.

The Neptune retrograde period is perfect for:

  • Reassessing your spiritual practice from the inside out, or if you don’t have one, consult with your inner voice to see whether your spiritual connection might need a boost.
  • Focus more on emotional inspiration to achieve your dreams rather than concrete goals while maintaining a smart approach to the day to day realities of life.  Neptune makes this more difficult, but it still must be done!
  • Use this Neptunian time to explore your creativity.  If you are a musician or other artist, spend more time with the expression of your art and maybe a little less time with technique.  This time is meant to nourish the right brain.
  • Carry a notebook and write down your inspirational thoughts.  You might be able to use them later.
  • Meditation of any kind.

In other planetary news this week, Mercury enters Cancer on the 12th and will remain there until June 28th.  Mercury is the planet of the mind and Cancer is a very emotional and sensitive sign ruled by the Moon, so expect your thinking to be less abstract and reasoned and more deeply connected to matters of the heart.  This is not a good planetary influence for negotiations or matters that require detailed thinking.

We also have a New Moon in Gemini on the 13th, and since Gemini is ruled by Mercury, this lunation will echo and magnify the emotional thinking of Mercury in Cancer.  Watch for more on the New Moon tomorrow.

Mars turns retrograde on the 26th, and I will be writing about that soon!

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