Astrology, Aquarians, and Mercury Retrograde

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Understanding as we do now that the apparent positions of the stars in the sky have little to do with their actual position in space, my left brain rejects astrology completely.  My right brain, however, has collected enough anecdotal evidence ... not to be convinced, but to take it into consideration in my overall world-view. 

When I was younger, I really didn't grasp the implications of the Aquarius personality type: humanitarian, progressive, creative, intellectual, compassionate, generous, science-minded, eccentric, impersonal and sometimes cold.  However as I've gotten older and understand it better, it seems to me that of the twelve astrological signs, there is no better fit for me. 

Further, over the years I have particularly studied the characters of other Aquarian women, and I have seen this personality type manifest consistently.  I've even observed a difference between early (January) Aquarians and late (February) Aquarians.  Consistent with the sign preceding Aquarius, the earth sign Capricorn, I feel that we January Aquarians are a little more grounded, while February Aquarians who are closer to the water sign Pisces tend to be more emotional. 

Finally, the fact that an overwhelming majority of my romantic relationships have been with Libra men is personally convincing, although it many not mean much to anyone else.  I do realize the fact that these relationships all tend to follow the same pattern has more to do with my personal dramas playing out again and again, rather than the month of my partner's births.  No doubt I tend to choose the same kind of man over and over.  But... why is that kind of man so often a Libra?

When I was younger and in an all-things-supernatural phase, I did some research into astrology while taking a course in astronomy.  My conclusion was that astrology is bunk.  And no, I don't follow my horoscope.  However, I can't help but use sun-signs as a frame of reference when I know a person's birthday.  I often find myself thinking "Of course my aunt is a tyrant; she's a Virgo" or "My mom and daughter are both Aries, naturally two fire-signs are going to fight."  I would be chagrined for people who respect my intellect to be privy to those thoughts.

I do believe unabashedly in the effects of the moon cycle, not necessarily in an astrological way.  If you study earth science and astronomy and really grasp exactly how the moon's gravity causes the tides, it seems obvious to me that in a real physical way, the moon's phases are going to have an affect on our human bodies.  We are descendants of creatures which crawled out of the ocean 450 million years ago, and even today our bodies are composed of about two-thirds saline.  Those are the facts to which my left brain clings in order to support this belief.  My right brain recalls the experience of being a young woman at the seashore and feeling, to the core of my being, the effects of the waxing, full and waning moon on my fertility cycle.  I wish I could explain that, but my words fail; I'm no poet.



These reflections were stirred up by a Journal entry about Mercury retrograde by Edges-to-Everything.  Mercury will be retrograde three times this year, and the current bout spans February 6 through February 28.  Here we are, nearly smack in the middle of that range, and this morning I woke up to news reports of the biggest ice storm of my lifetime.  (I'm in the southeastern US.)  It's anecdotal evidence, of course -- as are all personal experiences.

What is Mercury retrograde astronomically?  I remember asking my astronomy professor this, and his explanation left me with no doubt that it should be a meaningless event.  Normally Mercury appears to move through our sky in a predictable forward direction.  During retrograde, its path appears to make a dip or a loop, during which time you could say it appears to move backwards.  The key is that this is all about perspective.  There is absolutely nothing actually changing about the revolution or rotation of Mercury during those times.  It simply appears, from our vantage point on planet Earth, to be an irregularity.

What does Mercury retrograde signify in astrology?  Mercury the planet being named after the Greek god, it is ascribed influence over communication, travel, mechanical and electronic devices, and clear thinking.  So you can expect chaos in a wide variety of areas: computers and telephones on the fritz, car trouble, flight delays, arguments in which logic goes out the window.

As I mentioned, I don't keep up with astronomy, so I didn't know we were in a Mercury retrograde period before seeing Edges-to-Everything's journal.  But given recent events, and the weather forecast, I also can't say I am surprised.




What do you think?  I'm really interested in hearing others' views and experiences, if you'd like to leave us a comment.
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Adipose-Rex's avatar
Confirmation bias + vague claims + generally positive (or at least neutral) descriptions = 'evidence' for astrology.

Really, so much of astrology's claims about personalities is just "here's some positive things people want to think of themselves as." I can't understand why people don't realize they're being told just what they want to hear. I mean, you mention Aquarians are "creative AND intellectual." Wow, both left and right brain covered. As well as "compassionate" and "...impersonal." Covering all the bases there.

Is there anyone who does not think of themselves as or wants to be told they're compassionate or creative or intellectual?

Or just the fact that all objects have a gravitational force, and the things that surround us are going to have more influence than distant stars or constellations. Which were probably chosen arbitrarily; what actual science lets the fundamental basis of its knowledge stand for 3,000 years, independent of all the other advances in human knowledge and understanding? But it wasn't until a couple years ago that the 12 signs of the zodiac had a 13th one added.

You asked what people thought, there's my two cents.