Be Clear, Play Well
by
Sarah Varcas
Mercury joins the Sun and Jupiter in Leo at 22:47 on 31st July GMT. It will remain there until 15th August. Remember, we are approaching a powerful Full Moon on 10th August, and remember also that Mars and Jupiter are squaring each other. Putting these two things together reminds us what a powerful time this is and its potential for clearing the air and the decks ready for the off!
So what does Mercury in Leo have to do with all this? Well, it can make us bold in our communication; encourage us to express our own perceptions of life and how we perceive the events that unfold around us. It provides an opportunity to unashamedly say it as we see it, regardless of anyone else’s view! If we’re still having trouble speaking up, Mercury in Leo may be just what we need!
If, however, we’re already very adept at telling it like it is, or at least, like we think it is, Mercury in Leo may cause us to overstep the mark and overlook the fact that everyone else is entitled to an opinion and airtime to express it, even those that drastically differ from our own! We may become too sure of ourselves, our perceptions and the message we have to share, so certain of its value to everyone else we fail to consider whether they feel the same way about it. Mercury in Leo can be the talker who never listens because they’re so busy talking about themselves, or the verbose proclaimer of their own opinions in the form of fact with little sensitivity to the subjectivity from which they operate.
Thankfully the Sun, ruler of Leo and therefore of Mercury’s transit through the sign of the lion, is in an alliance with Neptune which encourages us to look within before we express and to remember that motivation is often a complex beast such that we may not be acting from the clear inner space we at first believed. We may tell ourselves what we have to say is really important, but in fact we just keep talking to stop anyone else speaking truths we don’t want to hear. Or our own perception of events may be profoundly coloured by subconscious currents which we wilfully avoid confronting due to their challenging nature. Communication is not just about passing on information. It also acts as a shield, a weapon, a balm, a blessing: it has so many faces and this passage of Mercury through Leo offers an opportunity to observe all its roles and guises so that we can become more adept and skilful communicators.
While Mars and Jupiter continuing their challenge to speak the truth and deal with emotions as they arise, the Sun and Neptune remind us we must do so with sensitivity not bravado, and Mercury in Leo supports us to say our piece and then shut up. Together they conspire to facilitate significant communication in the coming weeks, and we would be wise to take note of what is said to us and by whom, as much as focusing on what we have to say to others. Communication, like relationships in general, is a two way street, and with the powerful energies building now it is vital that we keep both lanes open and flowing freely, not jammed up with too much of me and not enough you, too much fear and not enough openness or too much arrogance and not enough humility.
These are influential times and we are influential players within them. The Sun, Mercury and Jupiter in Leo urge us to play well!
Sarah Varcas
