Mercury stations direct as I type this. That’s astrological parlance for you’re not crazy. The planet that influences our perception, cognition and communication just finished three weeks retrograding in the sign of Libra. I’m hard pressed to imagine a better moment to reflect, dissect and dissolve a multitude of imbalanced ways I'm prone to relate. Primarily with myself. Our minds correspond with the rays of the Sun in a most unique way during Mercury's rare stillness. If the Sun represents our essence, or life force energy, and the Sun is currently transiting the sign of Libra, it is illuminating what is essential to achieving balance, beauty and peace in our lives and in our world.

Pause and breathe deeply as you read again, the Sun is currently illuminating what is essential to achieve balance, beauty and peace in our lives and in our world. 

Where do you feel imbalance? Instability? Insecurity? Listen closely for the steps you can take that will achieve the balance you seek. The Sun’s essence goes through two filters before it reaches Earth. First Mercury, then Venus. The planet that represents the part of us that receives love and celebrates creative beauty just transited to zero degrees Virgo, a sign ruled by Mercury. Meanwhile Mercury begins its forward motion at zero degrees Libra, a sign ruled by Venus. We find ourselves in some version of realizing now is the time for the mind to bow in service to the heart. Trite as it may sound, it’s probably never sounded more relevant.

Virgo is clear, fastidious and humble (on a good day) and petty, critical and neurotic (on a bad day). Venus in this sign likes things a ‘certain’ way. With Jupiter, the Moon and Mars also in Virgo, we can’t help but be sensitive to what feels in alignment and what does not.

Neptune retrograde in Pisces opposes the planets in Virgo, forming a T-Square with Saturn in Sagittarius. The review of the last couple of months (the pain, magic, angst and beauty) has revealed that old habits die hard. And die they must. Neptune invites us to explore what needs to be dissolved and integrated to embody our most beautiful dream. Remembering... not my will, but thy will be done. Beyond any religious associations, consider thy will as the essence of the Sun that generates and cultivates life on this planet, expressing itself through us, in accordance with the planets that inform it’s every subtle frequency.

To track our stories, and those of the cosmos, we have that magical four letter word... time. The phrase Time is of the Essence came up for me recently. When I put the emphasis on “of”, my relationship with time shifted. It occurred to me that time is OF the Essence, just as I am of the essence. Thus, I am not separate from time. As my teacher Fred Mitouer oft reminded me, "don't be on time, be in time," the question that matters most seems to be...

“How am I going to play with this time?”

Given that a few planets were in Leo at the time, 'play' was naturally my verb of choice. Now those planets are in Virgo, inclining a more humble side of myself asks the question…

“How am I going to serve with this time?"

Hopefully we all tune in and find a good answer to that little ditty…