March 11, 2019 at 3:50 am EDT Mercury retrogrades back into Purva Bhadrapada for 34 days. Mercury spends over a month in this Nakshatra. Purva Bhadrapada is a fierce Nakshatra related to the vehicle of fire (the motivation, impulse, essence that gives rise to fire rather than the actual fire itself). Purva Bhadrapada is associated with universal goals, especially those that require the metaphorical fire of purification to nourish evolution that often involves a sacrifice. This retrograde cycle of Mercury is happening in both Bhadrapada Nakshatras. Mercury was in Purva Bhadrapada earlier this year (Feb 18 – 28, 2019). Then Mercury was Uttara Bhadrapada (Feb 28 – March 11) where he stationed retrograde on March 5. Mercury is in Purva Bhadrapada from March 11 – April 14, where he will station direct on March 28th. Mercury will be in Uttara Bhadrapada once again from April 14 – 25, 2019). This gives us a theme of working with sacred primordial fire (Purva Bhadrapada) and the depths of primordial water (Uttara Bhadrapada), light (Purva) and darkness (Uttara) with things related to Mercury from February 18 – April 25, 2019. While Mercury is retrograde, it is an excellent time to turn your thought process inward to tap into your own sacred fire and the watery depths of your being. Examine your thoughts and communications. Are they dark or light? Are they overly impulsive or emotional? Is there something you need to let go of or purify for your highest good or so you can prepare to go forward in a more direct way when Mercury stations direct? Mercury is associated with duality and multiplicity. Are there too many irons in your fire to tend to any of them well? This is the time to make the necessary revisions.
March 14, 2019 at 21:48 Mercury conjoins the Sun in Purva Bhadrapada Nakshatra. This is the inferior conjunction when Mercury is retrograde between the Sun and Earth. All planets are always closest to Earth (same side of the Sun) when retrograde. While Mercury is combust when conjunct the sun, there is a period of “cazimi” in traditional Western Astrology that occurs when a planet is within 17 minutes of orb from the Sun. The cazimi period is when the planet is said to be “in the heart of the Sun” and at this time the energy of the Sun becomes infused in the planet, empowering it with radiant life force, rather than combusting or burning up the planet, leaving it in a weakened state. The cazimi is a powerful time for things related to the planet. Mercury’s cazimi lasts from March 14 at 6:21 pm EDT – March 15 at 1:23 am EDT which is a powerful time for things related to communications and commerce. Other than this “Sweet spot” of cazimi, Mercury is weakened for things related to communications and commerce until Mercury’s combustion ends at 8:00 am EDT on March 19th when the orb between the Sun and Mercury is 8.5 degrees.