Illusions mistaken for truth are the pavement under our feet. They are what we call civilization." Barbara Kingsolver, The Poisonwood Bible
Keep your eye on Mercury over the next few days. The tension builds, as he moves into position to confront the "establishment" on Monday. First off, the messenger takes on the cloak of authority in Capricorn starting tomorrow (December 5th, 12:24 pm EST). Mercury has something substantial to say here, and in the bosso profundo of natives like James Earl Jones. This kind of voice seems to rise out of the ancient wisdom of the Earth itself. The real world becomes a preoccupation,and things like the sustaining basics (food, water, air), wealth (currency values, precious metals), resources to live on, government, finances and business in general.
Pluto and Saturn are on a mission to re-shape core structures. That's why it seems as if the institutions that we consider foundational are under threat. At the same time, new visions are dancing (like sugarplums?) across the collective mindscape, inviting us to dream a new dream. Mercury's Monday engagement with these two cosmic heavyweights a challenge to think about what is, against the urgent pressure of what could be.
Already, the messenger has squared off with Uranus to provoke thoughts of rebellion. We are getting a taste of what's to come, when rebel Uranus takes on the fighting spirit of Aries in May of 2010. And Monday, there's a Mercury square to Saturn, and a conjunction to Pluto! Squares are unnerving, because they tend to bring situations to the breaking point. But the square can be the push through a quagmire, too. With Pluto's relentless pursuit of core truth, Mercury can probe deeply into what's dead weight in our current economic-societal structures.
Some possible themes for this showdown are:
- A day when earth citizens find their voice.
- Confronting the unfair co-opting of natural resources.
- Challenging laws that are inherently corrupt.
- Putting forth ideas for re-structuring that rattles those who fear change.
- Facing authoritarian agendas, especially veiled ones.
- Daring to face an abusive person in your life.
- Speaking up about an unjust situation at work.
Mercury in Capricorn helps us stay grounded in what's real, at a time when that's not easy. If we're rooted in the depth of the real (Pluto Capricorn), with a command of the facts, and an instinct for what's just (Saturn Libra), then Mercury's words take on monumental power. With your natural authority as a citizen with inherent rights, you're ready to speak up to re-shape your world.