The Girdle of Ishtar: Astrology for Everywoman by Jessica North-O'Connell

The Girdle of Ishtar: Astrology for Everywoman

A Mercurial Woman Welcomes Spring

(c) 2010, Jessica North-O'Connell

At last the time has come for us to say goodbye to winter! With the coming of Spring, our awareness is piqued by what is new, fresh and young.  A drive through the countryside reveals new life – calves and lambs following their mothers on rubbery legs; city parks boast trees budding in that so-new shade of green that make our eyes want to drink it in forever; many-hued flowers unfold in our gardens, and  birds' love calls sound all day long.  The Lady, again youthful and renewed, dances across her Earthly domain, and Earth celebrates in her wake – well, at least in the Northern Hemisphere....

Spring officially begins this year on Saturday, March 20, at approximately 10:45 a.m. Pacific Daylight Time, 12:45 p.m. CDT, and 1:45 p.m. EDT (yes, we've already lost that hour, haven't we? Seems it's getting earlier every year!).  Here in the Pacific Northwest, we saw blooms as early as mid-February and  snowfall as late as mid-March, forcing those precocious buds and blossoms to slow their progress – it ought to be an interesting summer....

Fiery Aries is the sign of Spring par excellence, with its unstoppable, forward-moving drive.  No dilettante, its affiliation with the planet Mars (energy, force, drive) ensures that the show will go on regardless, and sometimes without much forethought.  Mars represents personal drive, rather than action derived from personal will.  It's what gets you out of bed in the morning to face the day and “do what must be done,” rather than “following your bliss,” though most of us hope to achieve a blending of the two some day!  (It is interesting to note that the original Mars of Roman myth, for whom the month of March is named, was also a protector of cattle and god of Spring, nature and agriculture,[1] well-respected until the cruel Greek warrior god, Ares, was assimilated into his character.[2])

We enter the Spring with astrological Mars at the threshold of the sign Leo, also a Fire sign, signifying a readiness for action, perhaps even the theatrical and grandiose.  Mars in this placement wants to be noticed!

For the Eastern part of the continent, this expression is likely to take the form of physical presentation – dress and manner.  Mars in Leo imparts confidence, generosity and a style that draws attention.  Are you sending the right message?

We Westcoasters see that drive manifesting in our pursuit of more information, more knowledge or even a short trip to give us a different or grander perspective.  Nothing like a change of scene to get us thinking in new ways.

Overall, “new perspectives” is also a theme for the Easterners, though in a broader sense.  Be prepared for a season of new philosophical explorations, both mundane and spiritual, and expect sudden insights, though it may take a while to figure out exactly how to apply all of this in practical terms.  Take the time necessary for weighing pros and cons so you don't overlook something of true value or get bogged down in too much unnecessary detail.  You don't really have the patience for that right now, and you don't want to end up throwing out the proverbial baby with the bathwater.

Renew and celebrate your friendships with women, but this isn't the time to be borrowing money from them, as the state of shared  finances still fluctuates,  idealism often outweighing practicality.  Take those visions “under advisement” and work toward giving them a real foundation.  Most of the time, those promoting “get rich quick” schemes forget to tell you how much work it actually takes before you finally see results.  And, as always, remember to read the “fine print.”

This is also a season of transformation, especially in terms of health.  It's a good time to honor those resolutions you made to take better care of yourself. With motherly Cancer rising in this chart, you can use the energies of this Spring to “mother” yourself and look at those roots which gave rise to any questionable habits you currently entertain.  You can turn them around and even make them work on your behalf now.  Sign up for dance classes, drink more water, take more time with friends – you'll feel much better for it.  Guard your sexual health now as those fires of Spring inspire you.  Remember what Grandma used to say about “an ounce of prevention” being “worth a pound of cure.”

In the middle area of the continent, where Cancer is also the rising sign in the Spring Equinox chart, many of you will be turning a serious eye to house, home and family matters, as well as career issues.  This may be the season that some wishes come true with regard to your standing within your community or your career aspirations.  For some that may even entail relocating.  Do your research about your destination.  “All that glitters is not  gold”, and you may find yourself chasing illusions rather than basing your actions upon facts.  Perhaps it is wiser to rent a home before buying one. The house, or area, may look good on the surface but be fraught with problems that a bit of research could have disclosed, thus saving you grief and aggravation in the long run.  Listen to your instincts.

 For Westcoasters, this is a time to pay attention to your dream life, as you may now find some solid answers to those questions that arose over the course of the winter months.  Working with groups is beneficial, especially for the higher or greater good.  It makes you feel good also.  Expect transformations in partnerships, as what has been formerly hidden comes to the light of day (or Spring). Remember the story of Persephone and the intrigue that surrounded her supposed abduction.  Get all the facts before making final decisions.  As Airy Gemini is rising in this chart, you will want to look at things from all points of view, while also using the power of dreams as an aid to intuition.  With the new energies of Spring, what was hidden in the dark can now offer you an opportunity to turn things around to your advantage.  Negotiation is a great key to problem solving.

As you can probably tell, I'm pretty inspired by the coming of Spring, probably because I'm a late Spring baby, my renewed self feeding on the energy that the light-filled days afford.  While my friends are outside “catching the rays,” I can usually be found catching up on those tasks I couldn't face during the dreary days of winter.  Perhaps the increased light just suits the practical aspects of my Mercury-dominant nature....

Mercury is the planet closest to the Sun in our solar system; so close, in fact, that its presence is difficult to detect, visible as a bright body mainly during solar eclipses, at twilight or just before sunrise.  Because of this, Ancient Greek astronomers prior to the fourth century B.C.E. may have believed it to be two bodies, which they named Apollo, visible at sunrise, and Hermes, visible at sunset.[3]  We also know that even the Sumerians were aware of its presence, possibly calling it Enki, after their god of knowledge and wisdom or communication.[4]

The second smallest planet in our solar system (Pluto being the smallest, and now known as a “planetoid”), Mercury has an orbit (one trip around the sun) of approximately 88 Earth days, and a “day” lasting about 6 Earth months.  It has a large iron core, no satellites or moons,  no atmosphere, and a surface temperature greater than 400° Celsius during the “day” and as low as minus 200° Celsius at “night.”[5]   Aside from Pluto, Mercury has the most elliptical orbit, speeding up and slowing down, to within 46,000,000 km (27,600,000 miles) of the sun and as far away as 70,000,000 km (42,000,000 miles).[6]

Mercury was named for the Roman messenger god, counterpart to Greek Hermes, whose roles also included that of psychopomp (conductor of souls to the Underworld), god of commerce, (merchandise, mercantile, merchant), and patron of travellers, as well as rogues, thieves and con men.  The Romans considered him a god of the wind., and as Oneicopompus, the Greeks called him lord of dreams and visions.[7]  He is usually pictured with wings, wearing a winged hat and sandals and bearing the snake-entwined caduceus with which we are familiar through its modern-day association with the medical field.  He was also known as one of the trickster gods, and with good reason!

Astrologically, Mercury is the planet associated with the conscious, rational mind and the capacity to think, the ability to form opinions and ideas, knowledge and education, curiosity, youthfulness and, not surprisingly, communication. In the natal horoscope, the position of  Mercury indicates our style and method of communication, our intellectual interests, the way we deal with facts, the way we learn.  It is affiliated with the signs Gemini and Virgo (the Gemini aspect can be seen to represent the venturing out to explore the world, while the Virgo aspect represents analyzing the collected data and assimilating the  findings into a repertoire of life experiences).  The swiftness of both  mythical and astronomical Mercury is reflected metaphorically in those intellectual “lightning flashes” we sometimes experience.  Remember the light bulb over the heads of cartoon characters when they get a new idea?  That's a pretty good representation of Mercury at work.

Mercury's influence dominates the world of practicalities:  the shopping lists, appointments, newspapers, magazines, e-bites, and any other quicky-snack bits of information, though they're not always reliable (remember, the god is known as a trickster). Mercury reminds us to keep our wits about us, to question things, rather than take the world at face value; yet to keep an open mind, as “one thing can lead to another,” especially in the realm of ideas.  Mercury can gift us with a sense of childlike wonder, even overwhelm us with “too much information,” but just as easily help us make sense of our lives and our world.

Perhaps the trickster aspect of Mercury is nowhere more evident than during periods of retrograde motion.  Even people who have no astrological experience at all have been heard to utter “is it retrograde Mercury?” when things in their lives aren't running smoothly.

Mercury retrograde is a period, occurring four times a year, when from our Earthly vantage point, the planet appears to be moving backwards.  The way it was described to me is:  imagine you are in a car on the highway.  Ahead of you is another car.  Your car overtakes and passes the second car.  Looking out the window as you drive past, the second car appears to be moving backwards.  Of course, it isn't, your car is just overtaking it.  It's a matter of perspective.

So, why is Mercury retrograde so dreaded?  During retrograde periods, Murphy's Law seems to be in full effect; one can expect miscommunications and misunderstandings, delays, shipped items getting lost, baggage lost or misplaced while travelling (travel light!).  It's a good time to avoid signing contracts or trying to make agreements with other parties, as these can be fraught with setbacks, omissions and inaccuracies.  As with all retrogrades, though, it is a time of turning the attention inward – taking care of what's “closest to home” and perhaps doing a fair bit of ruminating.  Who knows?  You may emerge with ideas for the next “great Canadian (or American) novel!”

As “forewarned is forearmed,” here is a list of Mercury retrograde periods for 2010:

April 18  –  May 11

August 21 – Sept 12

Dec 11 – 29

Enjoy the lengthening days and the treasures that life brings to you.  “Think young,” be active and I'll see you at Beltane!

Jessica North-O'Connell is a founding Priestess of Thirteenth House Mystery School, Victoria, B.C., and Faerie Mound Covenstead, Lake Cowichan, B.C., on beautiful Vancouver Island. She has been a practitioner of astrology since 1978 and currently teaches a course at Rowan Tree School for beginners called The Girdle of Ishtar.