If there’s one thing about astrology that everyone has heard of, it’s a Mercury retrograde. Heads up, the next one starts on Tuesday night and will run through June 3rd. If there’s one thing that Jupiter is renowned for, it’s largesse. One of everything simply won’t do for the planet of plenty. Fittingly, Jupiter will be sharing Tuesday night’s spotlight with Mercury as they both undergo important changes.
Mercury’s retrograde is the more difficult of the two events, and this one is shaping up to be more challenging than usual. For starters, it’s taking place in a year that will see four rather than the typical three Mercury retrogrades. In all four cases, Mercury is traversing earth and air signs. This time Mercury will begin the retrograde in early Gemini and travel back to late Taurus, bringing the matters that Gemini and Taurus rule into focus. Travel, technology and commerce are covered by Gemini, while raw materials, food and financial markets are Taurus topics. Given those sign placements and current events, it’s not hard to speculate about what could possibly go wrong during this one. Add a harsh Scorpio full Moon and eclipse on May 16th, one that squares restrictive Saturn, and, yeah, things could get ugly.
Of its many positive attributes, optimism and perspective are two of Jupiter’s greatest. If we zoom out, about six years, the notion that things have already been “ugly” isn’t hard to argue with. Since September of 2016 the giant, jovial planet has had to forge through the night side of the zodiac. While there’s nothing wrong with the Libra through Pisces trip per se, it’s a heavier place for a benefic planet to reside. For those who can whole-heartedly identify with a lived experience of journeying through a dark night of the soul during these past six years, the coming ingress is nothing short of a resurrection. Additionally, the bold effervescence of ever-ready Aries is well-suited to the eternal enthusiasm of similarly inexhaustible Jupiter. With the exception of a short trip back into Pisces, from October 28th to December 20th, Jupiter and Aries will be egging each other, and us, on though mid-May of 2023. During all the coming Mercury retrogrades, everything from mild inconveniences to the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune will come calling. They’ll be met with the dynamism, passion and irrepressible inspiration of Jupiter in Aries.