Sunday 3 April 2011

Mercury Retrograde

Little Mercury moved retrograde on the 30th March. This little planet is quite a powerful influence that so many of us often overlook. Mercury gives each of us an opportunity to focus on our thoughts, and in particular to explore how we think. How often do we berate ourselves? And how often do we congratulate ourselves? Hmm, see what I mean?!

It is all too natural for most of us to think in terms of negatives - ‘I can’t’, ‘yeah, but’, ‘life is hard’, ‘nothing is easy’, ‘I am fat/skinny/poor’ etc. As I have written before, the irony is that these thoughts of lack create more of the same in our lives. Like attracts like, so by thinking in a negative or restrictive way, we create that dynamic in our lives and keep it there. So, we get stuck in a hamster wheel of a self-fulfilling prophecy.

When life is tough and we are struggling, it can be hard to see above the parapet and even contemplate a thought process that can start to change the dynamic. Yet, until we start to think more creatively, it is often the case that we cannot change the dynamic. So, how do we escape the hamster wheel and start to live in a more life affirming way?

Intent. Simple as that.

Intention is one of the most powerful tools we have. It goes beyond believing to a place of knowing. Changing the energy of our thoughts and beliefs sounds simple, and may even sound a little ridiculous, but it works! See your life as you want it to be. Know it is coming to pass. Feel it. Intend it. Make it so. Try to intuit and feel the power behind these words to truly understand. It really goes beyond words, to a place of knowing, a place where intention means everything.

Change may not happen overnight, but it can happen. We need to start thinking positive, life affirming, life enhancing thoughts, changing our inner dialogues to something far more positive and believing in the power of our thoughts.

Retrograde phases of any planet internalises its energy; and by taking it within we can start to understand ourselves better. Mercury wants us to find fulfilment from within – to think about our lives, the world, and the way in which we live.

Mercury Retrograde can cause chaos with communications, contracts and other administrative issues – but try not to get too wrapped up in these – try to see the bigger picture instead. In any challenge or obstacle, look for a positive. Find things to be grateful for everyday. Very often that delay happens for a reason, it makes us stop or pause, re-think or reconsider our choices. So, welcome Mercury, embrace his blessing.

Mercury looks set to give each of us a much needed kick up the posterior to stop thinking in negative ways. He wants us to see the power that such thinking has in our lives. It is time to start thinking positively and creatively to affect change in our lives.

At the same time, there is a need to live consciously, to see the bigger picture. It is the perfect time to de-clutter the mind (space is good, even in the mind!!). We need to be quiet, to still the mind and allow the really important thoughts to float up to the surface for us to work with. It is time to let all that mental flotsam and jetsam go, and to focus on what’s truly important now...

There is a strong need to be both pragmatic and philosophical over the next few weeks. Maybe, just maybe Mercury is being our best friend by causing well-timed delays to allow us a little more thinking time?

So, try to see the positive. And by taking a more philosophical approach to obstacles and hiccups, hopefully we can each reach the end of this retrograde phase stronger than ever before.