Mercury in RetrogradeOct., 24, 2008, How Mercury in Retrograde Manifests as Benevolent Chaos (sometimes)note from 2/11/09 - the next mercury in retrograde period won't begin until May 7 of this year Mercury in retrograde has been having his way with me. In case you don't follow these things, mercury was retrograde from September 23rd to October 15th, but was still affecting us through the 20th or so. In my personal universe, computer snafus have been multiple and varied in this time, including two separate times when, after two hours work writing and transposing, the computer shut itself down and all was lost. Add to that job shifts, schedule changes, unexpected renegotiating of future plans, mounting financial pressure and communication issues coming up at home. It's been a bit chaotic. I know this is the kind of thing I should expect - that this is typical of how Mercury in retrograde sometimes manifests. But as I watched the debates and read the newspapers, this particular Mercury retrograde time felt especially strong. Hanuman, Mercury, and the WindThe planet Mercury is named after Mercury the messenger of Roman mythology, who flies with winged feet to deliver vital bits of information at lightening speed. Mercury is symbolic of the energy of the wind - the energy of things that move about unbound by worldly or physical limitations. In ancient Rome, Mercury was said to rule commerce and wealth - think of the mercurial nature of money. Mercury also rules travel, and in modern life, electronics and computers and the internet. When mercury goes retrograde all things and situations under its influence tend to go a little bit haywire.Does this sound topical at all? Like the havoc we've seen lately with the stock market, international trade? Many of the systems we have come rely on for the security of our homes, the ability to drive our cars around, even for food distribution, seem held together by mere data, floating about in the ether. And they certainly could be said to be going a bit haywire. In yoga, the wind is called Vayu, which is also the name of the god of the wind. Vayu has a son, the monkey god Hanuman, who is often depicted flying through the air in his famous leap of service to his king, Ram. In addition to his primary responsibility as the god of selfless service, Hanuman represents our own ethereal, or mercurial aspects - our breath, our pranic bodies, as well as our mind bodies, i.e. our intelligence. Our minds, when you think about it, were the first computers, the first internet technology - able to transmit us and our thoughts anywhere we might want to go, unhindered by the bounds of time and space. Our minds are also our only source of real wealth. Hanuman and Mercury have overlapping areas of purpose - they're like heavenly soul brothers. As for the havoc these two have brought me personally this last month, the truth is, I've felt myself in a kind of muddled paralysis in regards to this whole website business anyway. Unclear how to proceed. So I can't help but wonder if my computer snafus have been only a matter of the forces of circumstance (a la the wind and his twin henchmen) supporting my need to think develop my intention a little more. Like old uncles Hanuman and Mercury are handing back my homework, laughing and saying "Now, really, Alison, don't you think you can do better?" The astrologists agree that it is Pluto in Capricorn, not Mercury in retrograde, who is stirring up our massive and entrenched economic and political structures these days, but it can't be coincidence that the horror show began while Mercury's shadow side was on watch. Maybe there is a loving intention at play there, too. Maybe the greater intelligence of universe, the one that is the universe and all of us, is knocking over the house of cards we've built in order to show us that we can do better. I know for sure that we can always count on change. And that whatever way things go, if we're going to learn to ride the current of the wind with grace, like Mercury or Hanuman, it is going to be necessary for all of us to cultivate the art of going with the flow. How to practice with mercury in retrograde? Get grounded to balance vata - the energy of the wind in your own body. Stay aware of the steadiness at your core, but soften your edges, bend with the wind. In other words - ractice hip openers. Some of us will do Hanumanasana, the pose dedicated to Lord Hanuman, also known as the yoga splits. For others, simple forward bends, deep relaxation breathing, and meditation practice will do the job. I will try post new pages for the hips over the following days, weeks. But I am subject to the whim of the cosmos, and am learning not to make promises. back from Mercury in Retrograde to the yoga Poses Blog
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