Mercury Retrograde, The Ego, and the Jupiter-Mars Conjunction

Vol. 62 // 08-19-24

NOTE: I have written so much in this email that it cannot all fit in one—horoscopes will be sent in a second email!

Mercury went retrograde on August 5th and will remain retrograde through the 28th, meaning that for the majority of this month, we will be in a state of reflection. This retrograde will take place primarily in Leo, as it crossed back into Leo on August 14th. While retrogrades usually get more of a negative conversation about them, these periods are not the universe trying to hurt or upset you! Retrogrades, regardless of the planet, are periods of inner observation, reflection, pause, and integration—a retrograde, unlike direct motion, infuses the planet’s travel with feminine energy, inviting us to slow down, listen, and soften ourselves in the energy of whatever planet is retrograding. As I’ve said in previous newsletters, Mercury is the most common retrograde we’ll encounter, as it retraces its steps between three and four times a year! And although we use the phrase “traveling backward,” Mercury is not literally traveling backward, and neither is any other planetary body in retrograde. These events are merely an optical illusion from our perspective here on Earth, making the planets seem like they’ve reversed.

With that said, these periods are a symbolic time of pause and reflection, but the sign that they occur in, and more specifically, the house(s) they activate in our natal charts, describe to us the specific energetic themes and qualities about ourselves that we’re being asked to look at with greater attention. With this Mercury retrograde taking place in Virgo and Leo, this will be addressing our ego expression and personal discipline, as well as how we communicate our expectations and boundaries to others. I’ve been observing and analyzing this retrograde for a little bit now, and I think there are a handful of core things that we all may benefit from being aware of, and perhaps if we wish to reap some benefits from this time, put a bit more of our conscious awareness toward integrating.

RETURNING TO THE HEART
With Mercury stationing retrograde in Virgo, this review is initially having us return to our routines, personal discipline, and daily rituals, which may be having many of us find a new way of being to serve our needs better. With Venus in Virgo as well, and considering she and Mercury made a favorable conjunction at the beginning of Mercury’s retrograde, this has likely felt like a new wave of mental clarity for some of us, even though Mercury retrogrades can sometimes be described as a time of mental fog. This has supported us in remembering the pleasure that becomes accessible to us through discipline and structure. This could be a time in which we’re actually feeling quite invigorated to implement new daily structures, but when I say "structures,” I’m not only referring to the things that we may usually think of—work, chores, keeping up on our health and well-being—I’m also referring to play, leisure, fun, and the things that add excitement into life. Virgo can often be stereotyped to be solely focused on improvement, which is true, but this can often be translated in a rather one-dimensional way. We can often think of improvement as being more restrictive, working harder, and doing more, when in reality, this is merely a cultural expectation upheld in our society. And while integrating these things is favorable, this retrograde’s beginning in Virgo asks us to look at the feminine side of improving ourselves—softening, allowing, and making more space in our lives for stillness and rest.

We may be encountering an interesting experience in this; perhaps we are finding ourselves having more structure and discipline in the work-related tasks of life so that we can honor our restorative practices more intentionally. While this may benefit our work and productivity, we may be doing this with our attention set on creating more space for intentionally investing in restful hobbies. This will likely be carried on once Mercury moves back into Leo on the 15th, but will be inviting us to more specifically ask ourselves the question, “Is this fun for me?” With Mercury retracing its steps through Virgo, we’re observing the practicality of what brings us pleasure, specifically mental pleasure. We’re reviewing our eating habits, daily practices, self-care rituals, and work-life balance, asking ourselves, “Is this working in support of who I wish to be? Does this align with my priorities and values?” Because of this, we might find ourselves in quite a significant experimentation phase with many of the physical aspects of life—exercise, diet, responsibilities—all the daily throws of our everyday experiences.

As I said, once Mercury returns to Leo, this will shift from a mentality of what is pragmatic to what is fun. The earth signs operate from a mentality of what is practical and materially reasonable; their motivations to act will almost always be associated with a physical goal or desired outcome. They go to work because they want their money; they maintain eating habits to get their desired physique and feel physically good; they put the time and work in so they can get the result. Fire signs_, alternatively, do not need practical reasoning to motivate them to act—they just need the thrill of the experience. They act purely from the desire to experience whatever that action will provide them. If it ignites that spark of excitement within them, they’ll want to do it. Leo, specifically, is associated with the heart space, which means that this is a time for us to return to what lights us up—what makes us feel excited, happy, inspired, creative, and most connected to our inner child.

As we navigate the remainder of this retrograde through Virgo, we might find ourselves needing to consider how we can create the physical space for our inner child to come out and play in once Mercury moves back to Leo. We’re setting the scene now so that later we can delve into our heart spaces and return to that feeling of joy that urges us to act. Once Mercury moves back into Leo, we will likely be exploring our relationships with creativity, which may mean that we will have shortened attention spans and will want to pursue things that give us instant gratification. This is why this time before, with Mercury still in Virgo, is so valuable—we have space to consider how important discipline and structure are in our creative processes. This may be a time in which we understand that, although we may not always want to push through the more monotonous or boring parts of our lives, developing the mental stamina to stay dedicated to them allows the fun parts to be all the sweeter.

REVIEWING THE EGO AND AUTHENTIC EMBODIMENT
This will be a more prominent piece in this retrograde once Mercury re-enters Leo, although we may already be recognizing weak points in the ego that we feel especially defensive of due to our struggle to evolve them. I don’t say this to alarm or dishearten you, but the ego will almost inevitably be triggered during this retrograde, if it hasn’t already. The ego, we must remember, is the part of ourselves that craves a sense of safety and security the most and will do anything it can to maintain control over their experience. The ego is our stronghold—it is the energy that we instinctually go to to find confidence. This will manifest differently for each of us (your natal sun and the house it sits in will be important during this period!). See further below for details on when I’ll be going live on TikTok this week if you’d like to get a mini-reading from me to help decode how this might manifest for you. :)

While Mercury is still in Virgo, we may find ourselves being defensive and feeling more critical of what is “right” or “wrong,” or rather, who is right or wrong, if this comes up in a conflict with another party. There will be a tendency to take sides in this retrograde overall, so it’s advised for us to try to keep the bigger picture in mind throughout this period’s entirety. We may have experiences that trigger our pain points—the areas in which we have the most insecurity, discomfort, or dissatisfaction. This will require a bit of detachment from the experience if we wish to gather the benefits from this time—our initial thought may be to defend, speak our piece, and try to sway others to our side. However we may end up being triggered, it’s imperative to be mindful of why things get triggered—it’s not a personal attack from the universe, but rather, an opportunity to address our pain points by them coming to us, which leads me to the conversation about authentic embodiment that will be a core piece of this experience.

This retrograde points out there are a multitude of conversations to be had about personal development, authentic expression, values, morals, and character, but if those concepts are not implemented through embodiment, then they’re no more than substanceless air. We are reminded that it’s easy to say you believe something when the ego feels in its place of power, but there is something more meaningful in being able to honor that belief through your actions when the ego feels invalidated, exposed, and vulnerable. While we may have arguments, heated discussions, or uncomfortable confrontations through this retrograde, which will perhaps reveal what the ego wishes to keep hidden, we are asked to consider if and when such encounters arise how we can use those moments to put into practice the things that we’ve been learning about and saying we value so much.

This is a great time to assess how well we’ve connected with the concepts that we’ve been trying to learn more about in the months past—retrogrades are really simple and effective periods to figure out how well all of your inner work and self-development are being retained by your subconscious! As we move through this period, consider what values, concepts, qualities, and traits are most important to you—are you living in alignment with them? The ego may try to convince you that it is the authentic truth at times so that you can maintain your sense of control and confidence over the matters you encounter, so try to pause when you find yourself facing a conflict, roadblock, limiting belief, or inner feeling of dissatisfaction, and consider what inner force is driving your proverbial ship. Sometimes honoring the authentic self means doing the opposite of what we may naturally want, and this is where the ego will try to get you. Whether this is making a compromise with someone, placing your own wants on hold for something else to happen, restricting yourself for your own good, or some other situation of this sort, the ego may try to whine and complain to you that bypassing your own wants means you are not honoring yourself. The difference between the ego and the authentic self (the soul consciousness within each of us) is that the ego has to convince—it justifies why it’s right. The soul does not ramble, argue, or need to convince—it is a wise, soft tone, reminding us with a gentle, “There’s no need for me to make my case, you already know. I’m just here to affirm it.”

PERSPECTIVE, PERSONAL NARRATIVE, AND VALIDATION
The last piece of this retrograde that I will discuss before briefly pointing out some issues you may want to be aware of is how perspective is everything during this time. In general, during Leo season, we are more aware of our perspectives over the viewpoints of others, which can make us feel a little more self-interested and, at times, narrow-minded. With this in mind, this may be the biggest contributing factor to any friction we will encounter between ourselves and other parties. We are so “me, me, me!” focused at this time that we may easily forget that everyone else is feeling that way too! This is not a bad thing, as this can benefit our understanding of ourselves and our individuality—the “star power” within each of us. We may use this time of heightened self-interest to invest more in the needs we’ve been neglecting, whether they’re physical, emotional, mental, or spiritual. This can be a lovely time to be self-observant as well—to see ourselves from an outside perspective and understand ourselves from a different point of view.

This may be an insightful time to decode the personal narratives that we subconsciously abide by—the stories we’ve told ourselves about ourselves that shape how we think, act, and show up in the world. Perhaps you are recognizing stories that have been planted in your mind against your will, either because of your childhood environment or the social groups you frequently found yourself in in your youth, which are now impeding you from being the true you. We are exploring how we’ve been “performing” for those around us, a perceived person we think we should be, or an invisible audience, and may be coming to terms with parts of ourselves that are being repressed because of it. This can be an insightful time to ponder our self-concepts and identify why we’ve felt inclined to be the way we are. In exploring this, we may find that we are feeling a bit more sensitive to rejection or misunderstanding, as we may find that it’s difficult for us to feel fully accepted by others if we cannot be entirely relatable to them.

This retrograde asks us how devoted we can remain to our inner truth if the crowd is not there to applaud it—how devoted we can remain to it if the crowd were to, perhaps worse than no applause, ridicule, reject, or exile us. The ego represents our human nature, and on a biological, human level, we naturally crave community and belonging. Although we may try to live without it at times, we need others to agree with, celebrate, and support us—it’s only human. This retrograde does not intend to confront us with rejection but rather invites us to embrace the paradoxical nature of being your true self. We all want our true selves to be appreciated, but when we do so, we naturally gamble with the possibility of being misunderstood and cast out of the social group, yet simultaneously, when embodying the authentic self, we act as a beacon of light, drawing those who relate to our uniqueness toward us, and therefore, creating the community that is meant for us. We have to accept that we’re not for everyone to find the people we are for.

POTENTIAL ISSUES TO LOOK OUT FOR
Because retrogrades benefit more feminine energy activities (resting, reflecting, observing, listening, feeling, integrating), we may encounter some frustrations in our external realities. As Mercury retrogrades go, this will disrupt all the things in Mercury’s domain, at least in an external world sense—transportation, technology, writing, speaking, conversations, things we do with our hands, thresholds, documents, and anything else pertaining to thought exchange and short travels. Mercury is the messenger, so when it retrogrades, there can be higher chances for issues to be encountered with conversations—things can get lost in translation. When Mercury is direct, communication flows easily; it’s like a conversation being had between two people sitting across from one another. But when it turns retrograde, it can be like there’s a middleman being told each person’s thoughts, and he is the one to interpret what they’ve said and deliver it to the other—like a game of telephone, what was intended to be said may get warped. Due to this, and even more so because of the themes of this specific retrograde that I’ve discussed above, that “middle man” is probably going to be the ego. There could be a tendency to make otherwise civil conversations into unnecessarily dramatic exchanges just because of a tendency to shift blame and point the finger, even if there isn’t any blame for either party to shoulder.

Carrying on from that, we may have the tendency to speak out of turn or to say things that we don’t entirely mean, as Leo’s dramatic flair may be infused into our thought processes, but we may not have the tact to know what is productive to say and what is not. This contributes to the tendency for things to become unnecessarily dramatic, which is why keeping our thoughts—especially when in conflict or intense conversation with others—as concise and practical as possible. There’s a fine balance between sharing our truth and sharing it with how it will be received by others, which is encouraged for us to be mindful of throughout this retrograde. While we want to get our perspective out there, there may be a tendency to be selfish in conflicts where compromise is trying to be found. We will have to recognize that in more scenarios than not, we will likely have to give up a portion of what we want in order for peace to be found.

The biggest thing to remain aware of through this period is who is in the “driver’s seat” of your mind—is it your ego or authentic self? Who’s using the voice, leading the thought process, and shaping the mindset? Continuing to ask yourself this question during this retrograde may not only help you to understand how your ego tries to disguise itself as your soul, but also identify how your ego may be trying to warp your perception of your own potential to keep a grip on your actions. The ego is like a child, so it is not acting maliciously when it tries to keep you from evolving, but that does not mean we should let it run rampant with us. The ego yearns for control, so we must, like a parent, place restrictions on where we allow it to have power. When we do this, the ego can be a supportive aspect of ourselves that contributes to our growth, expansion, and alignment with our highest potential.

THE MARS-JUPITER CONJUNCTION IN GEMINI
Mars, the planet of action, drive, willpower, and our masculine urge, and Jupiter, the planet of belief systems, manifestation, higher learning, and wisdom, as well as blessings, good fortune, and expansion, only join together every two years or so to facilitate a breakthrough in the collective. The last one we experienced was in May 2022, when Mars met Jupiter in Aries. While these unions between Mars and Jupiter are not very frequent, they are powerful, and we will likely feel it through the 20th or so, even though it went exact yesterday afternoon. I also think it’s important to note that whenever we encounter annual or less-than-annual conjunctions of this sort, while they will have a day or two that they’re exactly unified at the same degree because they take a little longer to reach each other, the energetic presence of their conjunction will also last a bit longer than the one day that they’re unified. The energy doesn’t just appear and vanish! It’s more like a soft waxing and waning, similar to the moon. You may have started to feel this energy as soon as the 9th or 10th, and will likely continue to notice its presence shortly after the full moon in Aquarius on the 19th.

FIRST, AN UNALARMING WORD OF CAUTION
There tends to be a more negative or pessimistic conversation about this conjunction I’ve noticed, which is a bit disappointing, as I think this is some valuable energy and a call to be brave—to act without fear! That’s not to say we should act without thinking, as I think this can be where the negative conversation can come from. When Mars, our action energy, is united with Jupiter, the “anything is possible” planet, there’s potential for us to be a bit overzealous, which may lead us to think we’re invincible and not acting from a place of sound judgment. There can be a tendency toward overly excited action under this influence, but by being mindful of that inclination, we can channel it into productive directions, if we so choose! However, before we discuss the bulk of this conversation, I will just briefly share some other things to look out for. That invincibility that we all may feel can lead to some rash decisions being made, which does lead me to caution you when working with machinery, driving, exercising, or partaking in other things that involve great bursts of power (both mechanical and biological). Especially because this is happening in Gemini, there may be a tendency to bite off more than we can chew, overcommit ourselves to things, or think that we’re much more talented at multitasking than we actually are. When driving or operating machinery, take your time, and don’t try to do two things at once—there’s no rush!

Secondly, this may be a time in which our tongues are sharper than is usually characteristic for each of us, which may be magnified a bit by Mercury retrograde. Mars in Gemini, while witty, clever, and great at finding solutions, can be a bit spiteful if they allow themselves to get wrapped up in the dramas of life too much. And with Jupiter making anything it touches bigger, it’s best we stay aware of not just what we’re saying, but why we’re saying it as well. You don’t want to say anything that you don’t truly mean at this time, as it may come back to bite you a bit later, specifically once the Mercury retrograde is over and has returned to Virgo. That’s not to cause any paranoia within you, but just to remind you to stay connected to your heart’s intentions rather than allowing dramatic encounters to get the best of you. And if you find someone driving erratically and road raging, just let them get past you, and wish them safe travels, haha.

A BIT ON MARS IN GEMINI AND MERCURY RETROGRADE’S INFLUENCE
When Mars and Jupiter join together, it is a clear and obvious invitation from the universe to act on faith—to demonstrate your belief in your manifestations, dreams, desires, and wishes through your actions. Mars is the driving force within us that urges us to act; it is the masculine energy that can more prominently be seen in our 3D experiences, as it is the motivation that pushes us to act. Mars in transit can show us how we can help ourselves feel more motivated, get more things done, and channel our energy into productive directions. Its interactions with our natal Mars placements may add additional insight, but that is more in-depth than I have space for, haha. However, since Mars entered Gemini—on July 20th—we have likely felt ourselves inspired to act in multiple directions at once, which may have led us, thus far, to begin more projects than we’ve been able to finish. While we do have that tendency to spread ourselves too thin, we also have a strengthened mental capacity, as Gemini is governed by Mercury. Our minds likely have a bigger capacity for responsibilities under this influence, which can benefit our productivity if we’re able to streamline our thoughts long enough to see one project through to completion at a time. Like all planets in all signs, Mars receives both blessings and roadblocks by being in Gemini, but here’s what we can do to make the most of this transit, specifically through Mars’s conjunction with Jupiter.

As I was saying above, we may be inclined to spread ourselves too thin with Mars in Gemini, which may be highlighted a bit more with the conjunction with Jupiter, as Jupiter adds a sense of excitement and exuberance to our action energy. It’s as if this conjunction is saying to all of us, “There’s just so much to do; why don’t we try to do it all at once!?” Because this conjunction is occurring in a Mercury-ruled sign and is happening during a Mercury retrograde, we may want to interact with this energy differently than we would if Mercury were direct. These events happening simultaneously mean this is a terrific time for brainstorming, entertaining ideas, considering possibilities, and making lists. We might find ourselves having so many ideas at once that we want to get each of them started at the moment of their realization, but it may be more helpful and healthy for our inspirations’ well-being to simply write them down and save them for when Mercury turns direct again. The Mars-Jupiter conjunction brings us a heightened sense of belief in our potential and capabilities, which suggests that this can be a lovely time to entertain the possibility of beginning projects that we’ve previously felt unprepared for or incapable of accomplishing. What potential resides in one of your ideas that you have not yet pursued? What do you think could come of it if you were to give it a try? And if you’re meeting these questions with doubt or uncertainty, why not you?

IF THERE’S A TIME TO ACT ON FAITH, IT’S NOW
While this is an ideal time to think about and jot down new ideas, this is a call to action for things that you’ve reviewed over and over and over again. Mercury retrogrades can sometimes illuminate ideas that we have not yet acted on but have given a great deal of thought to multiple times in the past. It’s almost as if the retrograde says to us, “Remember this? It’s still there—how about now?” If there’s something coming to mind for you—something that you’ve considered beginning, taking action on, or deciding before—this is a supportive time for you to act, and you’re specifically being asked to do so in great faith in the “bigger plan” at play. It’s funny; this conjunction blesses things that have sat on the proverbial backburner for a while but asks us to be patient with new ideas. This Mars-Jupiter conjunction invites us to “put some skin in the game” in terms of our manifestations, as it’s urging us to physically invest in the things we’ve been saying we believe in but have perhaps not done much to act like it. Jupiter in Gemini has been teaching us about having faith in the unseen, even if we desperately want to have a little sliver of tangible evidence that what we energetically feel really is there. This has likely been a challenge that each of us has encountered in different ways, but the overarching message that Jupiter has really been trying to send is, “Have enough faith to act, even if you can’t see it right now.”

Jupiter strengthens the power of the mind in Gemini, which can be great for the beliefs we want to have but perhaps not so great for those we don’t want. Since it entered Gemini at the end of June, it’s been urging us to review our belief systems and become more aware of how our beliefs are participating in the creation of the realities we’re living. This conjunction highlights how, sometimes, one of the best ways to plant new beliefs into our minds is by taking an action that’s aligned with that belief! This is not to say we must do something drastic that completely defies reason, although some of us may feel inclined to do so. If you’ve been contemplating moving to a new city, maybe that action is booking a trip to visit one you’re interested in, but maybe it’s just researching potential places and making a list of what things are important to you! If you’ve been wanting a new job, maybe you end up quitting your current job, or perhaps you apply for a job you don’t think you’re qualified for. Whether your action is “big” or “small,” this conjunction encourages you to act in faith, meaning that it asks you to listen to your intuitive guidance and instincts (Mars governs instincts!) in whatever direction they’re leading you.

The thing about Jupiter is that it encourages us to do what seems unreasonable or impractical if it is where our intuitive compasses are pointing toward. Jupiter in a material or “human” sense can refer to grandeur, excess, over-ambitiousness, or big taste—appreciation of novelties and flashy experiences just for the attention they can garner. However, Jupiter is a highly spiritual planet and, in my opinion, can be more insightful when translated into energetic and non-material terms. When working with Jupiter, especially through this conjunction with Mars, the reason behind our motivation to act is everything. If you are acting out of spite, selfishness, vanity, or to appear impressive or someone to be envied, then your actions may be met with calamity, but if your actions are inspiration-breathed and intuitively led, you will likely find blessings will follow. I think Jupiter is one of the most favorable planets to consider for manifestation, as it describes how our belief systems put out an energetic frequency, which then aligns us with that frequency and attracts the things also on that frequency.

This conjunction happening with Mars may bring about some doubt, since Mars technically being a malefic (unfavorable influence) planet might infuse this with some resistance. But Mars is the warrior, and not just a warrior; it’s the brave leader on the front line. Similar to the warrior engaged in battle, we’re encouraged to allow our fear and doubt to be overridden by the call from within. A good warrior does not fight because they enjoy it, but because they have a duty to defend and protect those they love, and the same goes for us with our desires and manifestations. We must act in honor of our destinies, callings, dharma, whatever your name for it is—the thing you feel you must do, the thing you know you’re meant to experience—even in the face of mental blockages. This conjunction advocates for us to take charge of our beliefs, to not allow our beliefs to shape our actions, but rather our actions to shape our beliefs. With Jupiter in Gemini, we may have the perception that in order to believe it, we first want to see it, but Jupiter teaches us through this sign that the moment you truly believe it is when you’ll see it in your physical reality.

Our beliefs don’t lie. We can say we believe something, but if it’s not something that feels truly rooted in the foundation of your being—if you say you believe it but it doesn’t really make sense to you—then you actually may not believe it as much as you say you do. What we see in our realities is a direct reflection of what we believe we deserve and are capable of accomplishing. If you wish to further align yourself with a belief you’d like to have, this conjunction invites you to act in honor of it. Creating new beliefs that we truly believe and trust takes time, but taking actions in alignment with them can oftentimes help accelerate that process of their actualization, as the mind loves to see proof that the things you’re telling it are true. Don’t force yourself into spaces that you don’t feel safe in during this time, but if you feel that motivating force within you urging you to take a leap of faith, do something you don’t feel quite ready for, or act in a way that doesn’t make sense to your logical brain, and you can feel its truth in your core, don’t be afraid. See where it takes you.

PERSONAL READINGS AND TIKTOK LIVE EVENTS

Personal readings, discovery calls for 1:1 monthly astrology coaching, and other such offerings are still available, all of which you can book and learn more details about through the button below. I’d feel so honored to help you understand your chart better to support your growth and the chapter of life you’re in. <3

TIKTOK LIVE EVENTS FOR MINI READINGS!
I have hosted a handful of live events on TikTok in the past week, and I have found so much joy and fulfillment in them, so I’m making an effort to make them a part of my week more consistently. I have events scheduled for tomorrow, August 20th, and Thursday, August 22nd, both of which will be held between 2:00 pm and 5:00 pm HST (5:00-8:00 pm PST//8:00-11:00 pm EST), and a third event on Sunday, August 25th, between 10:00 am and 1:00 pm HST (1:00-4:00 pm PST//4:00-7:00 pm EST). If you’d like to stop by and say hello, ask a question about the current transits, or receive a mini reading from me, you can go to my TikTok through the button below and register so you’ll be notified once they start!

If you’re stopping by to get a mini reading, they’re $40 for 1 question—the reading lasts between 10-15 minutes. I’ll have more information on the steps to secure a spot in the live. :)