Mercury in the heart of the Sun - 21 July decoded – from science to symbol

The solar system and the movements of the planets in distinct cyclic patterns have fascinated humanity since the dawn of life on earth. The waxing and waning of the Moon and it’s concomitant or synchronistic effects on the ocean tides, is an obvious example of the correlation between one observable phenomena in the sky and another on the Earth. Astronomers and shamans of all cultures have keenly plotted the movements of the heavenly bodies, having seen the significance of their timing in relation to life events and this extends to the planets in our solar system as well as the backdrop of the fixed stars in their iconic constellations.

Mercury’s turn to shine
Today is the turn of Mercury to be in the limelight, as it makes it’s transit across the face of the Sun from our viewpoint on Earth. Being the closest to the Sun, The planet Mercury, named after the Winged Messenger of the gods, has the fastest orbit around the Sun, completing a full circle in only 88 days. However, because earth is also moving and curiously Mercury’s orbit is elliptical or stretched out and not exactly circular, the planet appears from our point of view to sometimes be moving forwards and sometimes backwards in relation to both the Sun and the backdrop of the constellations, from our point of observation on Earth. This is the result of having fixed and movable parts in our cosmic clock. It may be likened to two moving trains passing each other at differing speeds while the landscape remains motionless in the background. Perceptions can be deceiving when they’re all relative.

Inferior conjunction today
As a result of these relative movements, Mercury make six transits of the Sun annually, three while it is behind the Sun and moving forward or direct (so-called superior conjunctions), and three while it is in front of the Sun (inferior or interior conjunctions). The Inferior conjunctions take place when Mercury is going retrograde, or appears to be moving backwards through the constellations of the zodiac, from our relative point of view on Earth, and toady is the day of just such an inferior conjunction. In other words, for a few hours The Earth, Mercury and the Sun are in alignment, so that with a telescope one can see the planet as a little dot crossing over the face of the might fireball that is the source of life on Earth.

Timing is everything
Simultaneously Mercury is at its closest position to the Earth today (perigee) but because of being in line with the much brighter Sun, it is invisible to the naked eye, despite appearing at its largest, due to being relatively close. These cycles are all predictable and moving like clockwork in the solar system. In ancient times and even up until the Middle Ages and Renaissance, it was the priests and shamans who were the record keepers, astronomers astrologers and alchemists, who observed the cycles of the cosmos and interpreted them according to the symptoms they saw occurring in correlation to the cosmic event. In this way they could time the planting or harvesting of crops as well as other more subtle events in human life. Correlation does not imply causation obviously but still there are patterns that can be observed.

The Bridge
When we look at the symbolism of Mercury, we can see in its glyph or logo, the crescent of receptivity on top of the circle of spirit, which is above the cross of matter. Mercury, as the archetypal Winged Messenger of the gods represents the bridge between matter and spirit, who is portrayed as the eternal youth or hermaphroditic divine child. Another name for Mercury is “psychopomp” or guide of the souls between the realms, the bridge between heaven and earth, conscious and unconscious, dreaming and waking. I can’t help but be reminded of the Corpus Callosum which is the bridge in the brain that connects the left and right hemispheres. It is crucial for coordination and complex brain functions. Curiously those born without it can be autistic, but occasionally it also leads to a rare case of high-functioning genius, where the autistic person has strong verbal skills and a disproportionately high IQ level.

Combust
Ironically the ancients may not have been aware of this medical condition, but they did attribute the alignment of Mercury with the sun, to be a time when Mercury is debilitated. Because of the blazing rays of the Sun, Mercury becomes invisible to view when so close, and is termed “combust”. Mercury symbolically represents, in the astrological horoscope, your mental capacity and style of expression. So for a week or so leading up to the exact alignment and a week thereafter, the “combust” nature of Mercury is said to symbolize a time of mental difficulty, where thinking may be obscured. This is when the planet is within an 8 degree orb of the Sun, as it has been this past week and will be this coming week. This is besides the fact that we are in a Mercury retrograde phase of the cycle.

In the heart of the Sun
However, that being said, there is a brief moment, lasting only a few hours, when Mercury is exactly conjunct the Sun, within an orb of just 17 minutes of arc (with 60 minutes making up one degree), when magic happens. This is called Merury Cazimi, or “in the heart of the Sun”. It is a time where genius can manifest, or where one can be in alignment, where heaven and earth are bridged, and union occurs. And that moment is occurring today, providing the window of opportunity for the entire planet to tap in to the magic of awakened consciousness, if they have that focus or intention.

Crypto traders ruled by Mercury
Being the actual start of Mercury’s cycle, this moment is the time, like a new moon, to plant the seeds of intention for the coming cycle of the next few months, particularly in the field of communication, ideas and mental work, like writing, publishing or trading. Traditionally Mercury is also the god of traders, so those involved in cryptocurrency trading, investing in Bitcoin, buying the dips, all know about the importance of timing your entries and exits for optimum profit. Mercury can be a trickster when debilitated or influenced by difficult planets, just like a person who gets into the wrong crowd can be negatively influenced. But conversely Mercury can be the guide and bridge to heightened consciousness, when at its best in the horoscope. Similarly the cycles of Bitcoin’s price fluctuations may be correlated to Mercury’s retrograde and direct motions back and forth in the sky, from our point of view on Earth. This is just an idea I’m exploring and holds no weight yet, other than in my own mind. So let’s see...

A time of rebirth
The Mercury conjunction with the Sun today, is a time of rebirth, so to speak. When the planet is Cazimi (from the Latin and originally Arabic) meaning “in the heart”, it is symbolically purified, with all the dross or impurities burned off. During the past few days, since 7 July, Mercury has been in retrograde motion and will continue thus until 2 August, another particularly crucial and valuable day of stationary appearance in the sky before going direct again. This retrograde time now is more conducive to introspection, inner guidance and intuition. We can use this time to go back and redo or correct any work, resolve old issues or reconnect with those from whom we have become disconnected. Even in our own minds, we can also see this particular day of the exact conjunction, as a time to strengthen the corpus callosum, the bridge that helps us reconnect within ourselves to the diverse aspects of our personality, to facilitate union between our own hemispheres, our male and female sides, logical versus intuitive. The reconnecting can thus take place internally and externally. As above so below.

The divine guide seated on the throne at the heart of the Sun
Today we may have the opportunity to symbolically access the inner guide, to fine tune our intuition, hear the inner voice of wisdom, with Mercury being at its closest point to Earth. This represents the innermost “sanctum sanctorum” the most sacred place in the temple where one can gain communion with the divine. So today is a particularly opportune moment for going within to find guidance. We all have access to the answers, sometimes appearing externally via others but also available within each one of us if we take the opportunity to become still and receptive to that inner guidance. It can appear in profound dreams, or as a message from the unconscious which is a reservoir of vast volumes information. Forces deeper than mere intellect can operate now as archetypes spring to the fore. The psychologist Carl Jung called our intuition the “anima” or “animus” - the muse of poets and writers. Here ego consciousness is able to connect with the collective unconscious, the vast storehouse of treasured wisdom, via the bridge.

Conclusion
So whether your guidance is for making better Bitcoin trades, based on insightful technical analysis, or for healing a rift within your own psyche, or between you and someone else, or ultimately between you and your higher self, today is the opportunity to access the required guidance. And with that guidance, the healing can occur, the recoup of the loss, the reunion of split off psychic energy, the rebirth of rejuvenated consciousness and the revelations of the inspired writer, developer or coder. It’s all available to you on whatever level you wish to interpret the code. Often the answers are hiding in plain sight, right in front of our noses.