Mercury transits Libra from Aug 27 – Nov 2, 2015
Click here to learn about Mercury. Click here to learn about Libra.
In Mercury’s dream world, he lives full-time in Libra’s gorgeous house on the hill. Libra is a cardinal sign, a modality which Mercury does not experience in his rulership of mutable Gemini or Virgo. In the cardinal realm, Mercury enjoys relative peace and harmony - his words are softer, not so rushed.
Aspects of life which fall under the cardinal modality are basic in nature, but not lesser. I find cardinal energy to be profoundly familiar and comforting. I like to think of the modalities falling upon a spectrum, with mutable at one end and fixed at the other. In the middle we have cardinal, our proverbial compass rose. Libra is not only a cardinal sign, but she also falls right in the middle of the zodiac wheel. In so many ways, she represents compromise - meeting others halfway - pacification of the extremes. You can see why Mercury, master of communication, craves this medial approach to life.
Mercury is the first planet to enter Libra this season. I see this transit as a continuation of what has proven to be a lovely shift into Virgo. Libra and Virgo are very good friends. I like to imagine these two goddesses walking slowly through the garden every morning, speaking of light, meaning, justice, virtue. This changeover will be quite painless. However, the imbalanced Libra constantly seeks validation, unlike her earthy friend Virgo. Many Libras express a deep need to be surrounded / partnered with others at all times. This does not necessarily mean that Libras are weak or clingy. I think they’re just hard-wired as social creatures and feel purposeless when they’re not actively participating in the communal flow.
Libra and Virgo both have a habit of getting tangled up in the mind, but for different reasons. Mercury in Libra may manifest as acute indecision or over-compromise, bordering on unnecessary sacrifice. This is because the imbalanced Libra is too concerned with group opinion, vacillating wildly in an effort to remain loyal to all sides at once. Libra may appear superficial as a result. She is so afraid of offending others that she will attempt to please everyone at once by simply having no opinions at all or readily agreeing with everyone. This stems not only from fear of rocking the boat, but also from a genuine and precious ability to see the viewpoints of many people simultaneously.
Mercury transited Libra’s opposite sign (Aries) in April earlier this year. I recall this being a very angry time, but empowering as well. It wasn’t until Mercury rolled red-hot into Aries that I finally summoned the words to stand up for myself and leave my horrible job. Mercury in Aries has a sharp tongue and a bad habit of speaking before thinking. This is when we recreated the outward Self for greater authenticity - and now we fine tune with Libra. It’s no longer challenging to stay cool and collected in the face of aggression or turmoil. Libra gravitates towards peace and mindfulness, Aries towards war and mindlessness. With Mercury in Aries there’s no bullshit, small talk or beating around the bush. There is a real danger in offending others here - Aries needs to keep things raw because there is so much going on internally. The ram’s psyche is constantly imploding with color, noise, movement and ideas. He knows intuitively that not everything can or will be communicated properly. Enjoy this time now as we swing to the other end - equilibrium.
Libra, ruled by Venus, is associated with beauty, aesthetic and art. Libra enjoys a certain level of tastefulness in her immediate surroundings. I have also observed that Libras often love fashion and all things related to the cosmetic world. Libra’s style, whether in writing or clothing or manner of speech, is understated, simplistic and classy. As with Virgo, Mercury in Libra keeps it clean and straightforward – no frills, no gaudiness.
Mercury in Libra is calm, sensible and refined. When imbalanced, we might be submissive or insecure. Experiencing a new level of clarity in our relationships can feel so refreshing that we might cling to pleasantness and apparent stability to avoid reconciling opposition. Remember that it is possible to accommodate others while still respecting our own needs. Mercury in Libra asks us to confront friendship or partnership issues that have been suppressed or ignored. The challenge here is to remain assertive! A keyword for this transit is grace. We choose our words carefully now. Let’s examine our connection to others and the words we use to affect these relationships. Mercury in Libra asks: does my message aid or detract from the stream of communication? We must now put ourselves in many different pairs of shoes.
Mercury last transited Libra from Sep 2 – 27, 2014. Any themes/conflicts that predominated then will now resurface.
If you were born with Mercury in Libra, these next few weeks are your Mercury Return. If you don’t know your personal Mercury sign, click here. To learn more about how this transit affects you personally, please contact me for more insight.
Mantra: peace