The pure impulse of dynamic creation is formless; and being formless, the creation it gives rise to can assume any and every form Cabala
The desire accomplished is sweet to the soul. The Bible
Speak of the devil and he appears. Arabic proverb
Plant the seed of desire in your mind and it forms a nucleus with power to attract to itself everything needed for its fulfillment. Robert Collier
When an idea exclusively occupies the mind, it is transformed into an actual physical or mental state. Sivananda
Determine that the thing can and shall be done, and then we shall find the way. Abraham Lincoln
Mercury is heading for it's retrograde period, set to do it's apparent backwards dance from September 7 until September 30, bringing all kinds of issues and events to the surface - things we need to deal with and some things that we'd perhaps rather not have to deal with.
This period can be wonderfully reviving, revising, re visioning, revamping, redoing, redirecting and can be a time of adjustments, making life easier, smoother and more efficient AFTER the retrograde period (not during when all hell can, and sometimes does, break loose!). When things go awry, it's usually because they need repairing or re visioning - and Mercury retrograde has well earned the phrase that I sometimes call it 'Mercury Wretchrograde' - a "wretch" (and sometimes a "wrench") it can certainly be. The thing to be mindful of is that Mercury won't clear it's shadow (the degrees that it's already passed over) until around October 15, so this really is a longer period than we might at first think.
It seems to me that the rewards often outweigh the difficulties that this period poses. The rewards are part of the re visioning, rewriting, rewiring even, of our lives, our realities and potentials.
If you're already feeling the effects of Mercury retrograde, it's no surprise as although the actual retrograde period starts on September 7, we're now in the shadow period which started around August 18. This means we're heading over the zodiacal degrees now that Mercury will be soon traversing backwards through the retrograde. Hence, the Symbols that are being highlighted now will be highlighted again in September and then again in October, so it pays to take notice of what's going on now as these things may require revising again in some way.
Now, Mercury goes retrograde on Libra 7: A Woman Feeding Chickens and Protecting Them From the Hawks, a degree that Mercury hangs around for around 4 days - from September 5 until September 9. This degree speaks about nurture, protection and guardianship. It's about being on the lookout for changes in the atmosphere, to be mindful of possible intrusions or intruders - without being worried or imagining things that aren't there, of course. It's a lovely degree unless it gets a little out of hand which can lead to imagining problems when there aren't any and attributing hurt and blame where it is not warranted. Having said that, it still pays to be watchful and certainly nurturing and protective in a way that gives those people, things or situations that you're guarding plenty of room and scope for freedom, expansion and self autonomy.
So, the major thrust of this retrograde Mercury is based around feeding, protecting and being a caretaker.
However, Mercury sits for quite some time on Libra 6: A Man Watches His Ideals Taking a Concrete Form Before His Inner Vision. Not only is Mercury transiting this degree for a number of days in September, it comes back for revisioning in mid October. Further, not only is Mercury transiting this degree, but the Sun and Venus pass over it as well. This is a fabulous degree that is very much about conscious manifestation, having one's ideas and ideals taking shape and the need to have positive, empowering and useful stories, images or plans in the forefront of your mind. Negative, dis empowering or harmful thoughts or messages are likely to bring difficult or bad results.
Below is my interpretation of this degree from my book 360 Degrees of Wisdom: Charting Your Destiny With the Sabian Oracle:
This is a good time to visualize your needs, wants, thoughts and feelings. In the situation facing you, what are the 'Ideals' that need to be made real? Something that we're learning in this new and exciting age of human progress is that conscious concrete manifestation is entirely possible, especially when we feel aligned to our core purpose.
When you decide what it is that you truly want, allowing the energy of it to be focused through the power of the mind will allow it to manifest. Here, something new is being formed, even if it is only in its preliminary stage or early days. If these 'Ideals' are really meant to be brought into 'Concrete Form', focusing intently on them will bring them into reality.
By doing this, you will make it possible for your creative ideas to be projected out into the real world. However, one must be truly thoughtful about what one wants to create. You may find that your hopes and dreams are not only brought into the light of reality, but are truly being put to the test.
Be careful what you wish for. The mind is very powerful, and, if your focus is not used correctly, difficult situations can emerge. Concentrate carefully on what it is that you want and 'Watch' what happens. Think positively as this Symbol can create wonderful magic in your life.
Keywords: Vivid confrontations with one's objectives. Creative visualizations. Imagining things. Meditations and affirmations. Ideas crystallized. Putting things out into the universe. Making things happen. Seeing things take shape and form. Clairvoyance. Film making. Writing and getting published. The power of manifestation. Solidification. Builders. Sculptures. Dreams.
The Caution: Being dissatisfied with what was thought to be the true ideal. Feeling that things are "written in stone" and canĂ¢€™t be changed. Calcified situations or emotions. Neurosis. Focusing on the negative thereby bringing the negative.
Another degree that brings to mind very interesting, useful and dynamic realizations and breakthroughs is the Karmic Condition (the degree before) the Watching Your Visions Take Concrete Form degree. It's Libra 5: A Man Teaching the True Inner Knowledge of the New World to His Students. This speaks about guidance and protection, being a guiding light for others, imparting knowledge, wisdom, looking for truth, seeking answers to complicated questions, listening and learning, turning to others to receive guidance, speaking one's truth, instinctual knowledge, pioneers on the path, teachers and students, secrets of the new age, etc.
There's more to say (there always is) - but suffice to say that this Mercury retrograde period is very much about the thoughts, aspirations, dreams, visions, desires, fears, insecurities, etc, that we allow to enter our mind and heart. We need to project a positive image on out onto the world as for certain it's going to reflect right back at us. We all have lessons we need to both learn and to share with others. Now's a great time for rewiring your possibilities, potentials, dreams and realizations! And, as this retrograde occurs in Libra, the issue of relating and relationships is likely to be in the foreground, but then it seems that this is where the great workshops of life really take place!
Check out Lynda's online Oracle at www.sabiansymbols.com and her blog atwww.sabiansymbols.typepad.com