Quote of the week

“If the doors of perception were cleansed, everything would appear to man as it is, infinite.“

― William Blake

Mercury is in the process of exiting the purifying flames of the Sun, having been restored and now re-imagining a new outlook for the short term. The first half of this week sees Mercury  make an opposition to Pluto, as if it’s processing all of the shadow content that was unearthed from last week’s Full Moon. Maybe you have some new realisations about what came up for you, now that you’re seeing this from Mercury’s perspective on the other side of the Sun. Use this perspective shift to help bring more understanding to any painful thoughts or shadows that came up last week. Consider this to be the cosmic ‘second opinion’ and enjoy a more informed mental state. 

On this point, now that Mercury is on the evening side of the Sun, it’s quite possible that you’re now viewing things with a greater level of maturity, understanding, patience and compassion. Mercury will also change signs and move into the sign of Leo, echoing the mental shifts that are occurring this week. So, if last week brought up some thoughts or emotions that were intense or confronting for you, perhaps this week you may be able to re-engage with them with greater clarity, wisdom and renewed energy.

Check to see where Gemini and Virgo are located in your natal chart – you should start to feel more clear and objective about your path and projects in these areas and ready to revitalise these parts of your life again. In general though, you may notice that your brain functions improve (ie. objectivity, ideas, diminishing the mental drain) and you may feel the urge to want to go out into the world more than you have been lately.

With Mercury currently in the fast lane, this clarity and revival couldn’t be more welcomed. Those areas of life ruled by Mercury will be rearing to get going, especially since Mercury is entering Leo (19 July), a fire sign which has much to do with action, inspiration, elevation and energy. Venus also enters Cancer (18 July) this week, suggesting that changes are being initiated. Furthermore, as soon as Mercury enters Leo, it will make a trine to Jupiter in Aries (24 July), the hottest sign of the zodiac. Together, this pair will offer you a boost to get things moving and flowing with inspiration and creativity. Mercury Jupiter trines can help you to expand the ideas of the mind, into the world at large. It offers good sense and acumen, optimism and a fast flow of incoming ideas that align to both daily practice and philosophical principles. Make sure you record any great ideas down, as the swift moving nature of Mercury right now in a fire sign trine could see these ideas dissipate as quickly as they emerge. Some of the greatest thoughts and ideas emerge with a positive Mercury Jupiter aspect as this one.

Aries will also host the Third Quarter Moon this week (21 July) in the midst of the Mercury Jupiter trine. What this suggests is that any action being initiated under the fiery inspiration of the Mercury Jupiter trine could be connected to letting go of the things that are snuffing out the fires within. The quick-thinking and determined Aries energy of the Third Quarter Moon will help you to release from these sufferings with the least amount of consideration and attachment. Onwards and upwards, like the symbol of the flame that can purify and transform matter into ether. With all the emotional dredging that has come up in the past week of the Capricorn Full Moon, I’m sure you’ll find things to release this week. In addition, this lunation will be passing through a Stationing Chiron – the body that represents deep emotional wounds, feelings of abandonment / rejection and feelings of inadequacy. This week will be a good time to consciously release some of these binds that trap you into anger, frustration and resentment. At the very least, try and do a physical purge of the home environment by cleaning, clearing out cupboards and cleansing with fire. Physical activity and exercise is a ‘fire’ way to cleanse the body. Here’s a simple fire ceremony to inspire you with some action… 

Simple fire ceremony 

This is a little practice to help you release and cleanse on this Third Quarter Moon, coming off the very intense Full Moon in Capricorn last week. 

It’s always important to remember that any intense lunation like the one last week, doesn’t happen independently. It’s part of a cyclic process that emits residual effects throughout the cycle. Therefore, as with all waning moon phases like the Third Quarter Moon in week, we should focus on releasing and unbinding the unwanted dross from the earlier half of its cycle, during the waning phase. That the Third Quarter Moon is in the fire sign of Aries, connected by other aspects in fire signs, suggests that the element of fire would be an appropriate means to assist in our purging works.

What you’ll need:

• Candle / fire
• Skewers / paper
• Crucible / fire proof vessel

1. If using paper, write down anything that you want to unbind yourself from, in particular, think of the issues, events and thoughts that came up for you around the Full Moon in Capricorn. If using a skewer, rub it between your hands vigorously while mentally thinking of the issues, events and thoughts that came up for you around the Full Moon last week. Feel the heat in your hands transmit these thoughts into the skewer.
2. Hold the stick / paper to the flame and watch it alight. As the paper / skewer are taken over by the flames, imagine the thoughts within the paper / flame being purified into love. You can scry the flame for any symbolic messages that appear.
3. When you can no longer hold the paper / stick, drop it into the crucible.
4. Take the ashes to the crossroads and scatter them there.

This is also a great activity to do with children – just get extra long sticks or have the crucible close to them. Great as a little remedy after a bad day or something upsetting that they can learn to shift within themselves.

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See you next Sunday for the next installment of planetary news.

Shu xx