KNOWLEDGE IS A TOOL, NOT THE ANSWER
Word Of The Week
Sagacious
adjective
having or showing keen mental discernment and good judgment; shrewd
I don’t think I’m alone in saying that Mercury retrograde this time around felt pretty tangible. I’m not sure if the post eclipse shadow had an influence, or it was simply the fact that most of the retrograde happened in the sign of already chaotic Gemini, but either way it’s been an interesting few weeks, to say the least. As Mercury stations direct in Taurus on the 3rd, get ready to lift what has fallen back up to its feet. The time to move forward with projects that have been stalled is now. Pay attention to anything you started around the last full moon/solar eclipse in Sagittarius on December 4th 2021; the full moon in Sagittarius on June 14th will be a progress marker, and can help you decide how to move forward. Mercury stationing direct will bring more clarity on the direction you wish to take things, while Saturn stationing retrograde the next day will challenge your commitment to the project in question. Keep in mind that Saturn will be retrograde until October, so you have some time to consider just how committed you are. Depending on where Taurus and Aquarius are located in your chart, this could mean commitment to a business idea, creative endeavor, romantic relationship, community project, new job, furthered education, etc. As Taurus and Aquarius are fixed signs, the fixed rising signs (Taurus, Scorpio, Leo, Aquarius) will be feeling the intensity of these transits the strongest– but with the nodes and eclipses in Taurus and Scorpio, they’re probably used to massive shake-ups by now.
Like I always say, the only thing we truly have control over is our perspective. When things feel overwhelming, or stagnant, or chaotic, or scary, the only thing we can do to help ourselves is try to nurture the emotions, give them space, and find the positive. I love astrology because it helps me find the lesson in the hardest times. I use the archetypes symbolized by the planets as a tool for introspection and reflection. For example, over the last few weeks, this business (Stars, Etc) started to feel a little stagnant and lifeless. I felt like nothing was moving and was anxious it was all going to fall apart. For a moment I got carried away by these feelings, but when I remembered Mercury was in retrograde, I was able to flip it all into a lesson. Instead of continuing to wallow, I intended to listen to what this was all trying to teach me. I found that I needed to slow down, be more intentional, organized, and focus on the details more than the big picture. Now that the Mercury retrograde nears an end, I feel confident that my work is moving forward at the pace it’s meant to. It’s not that astrology makes situations easier, it’s just nice to have a tool for objective introspection when things go awry. It also reminds me that no matter how bad things get, there’s always good things on the way.
And that brings me to another topic I’ve been meaning to write about. It’s becoming increasingly popular to seek explanations for our problems. While I believe there is an importance to getting to the root of things and comfort in understanding, I also think the line between feeling seen and excusing behavior is very thin. Self-diagnosis is becoming more and more common, as are personality assessments, social-media-therapists, and astrology. The thing that all of these (honestly beautiful) tools have in common is a promise of finding answers, explanations, and reasons. There is an incredibly beneficial way to use these gifts that are becoming widely accessible, but I’ve noticed an increasing danger as well. When we use tools like astrology as an explanation for our behavior, oftentimes we stop there. The next step is completely ignored, and it’s arguably the most important one. After we understand where our problem originates, the next step is to actively work toward healing it. Too often do I hear comments blaming certain harmful behavior on an astrological placement or transit. It’s missing the entire point of modern astrology.
When we can understand the psychological reasons behind our behavior, we can more clearly see the path forward in correcting it. This step is crucial in our growth. Don’t get me wrong, it’s fun to dive into personalities and see which boxes I check and where, but we have a responsibility to ourselves and the people we love to go further. Astrology is not the reason the world keeps spinning, but it certainly talks about it. My Aries moon is not the reason I can be impulsive, irritable, aggressive, and unpredictable, but it certainly addresses it. When I use astrology to look at that side of myself, I’m able to see myself more clearly from all angles and understand that there is also a healthy side to an Aries moon; which is passionate, loving, playful, strong and creative. Instead of continuing hurtful behavior that my Aries moon might illustrate, I can now recognize these patterns when they arise and also recognize their opposite; understanding that if I am demonstrating an unhealthy side of an Aries moon I am also perfectly capable of demonstrating the other side. Astrology was never meant to help people feel justified in their unhealthy patterns. The same is true for social media psychology, personality tests, etc.
When I created Stars, Etc, I committed to nurturing a business dedicated to introspection and growth. I began this journey in the middle of my own healing process and it’s been absolutely magical to watch it grow alongside me. I’m writing this to you just as much as I’m putting into words my personal reflection. As Mercury stations direct and we prepare for a lengthy Saturn retrograde, may we remember this together, and always commit to trying our best.
LOVE, JENNA
