by Robert Wilkinson
Mercury is currently the most influential planet in the sky. Today we take a look at why.
As I mentioned a week ago in The New Moon in Gemini - What's Happening June and July 2010, Mercury is in Gemini, one of the two signs it "rules." This makes it a very powerful force at this time since it is in its home sign.
In astrology, there is something we call the "chain of rulerships," also known as the "chain of dispositors." This is an exercise where we track the final ruler (if there is one) of the planets. Right now, for example, Mars and Saturn are in Virgo, a sign ruled by Mercury. That makes Mercury the final dispositor for both Mars and Saturn. If we look at Venus, it is in Leo, the sign ruled by the Sun. The Sun is in Gemini, a sign ruled by Mercury. That makes Mercury the final dispositor for both Venus and the Sun as well.
Jupiter and Uranus are in Aries, a sign ruled by Mars. Mars is in Virgo, a sign ruled by Mercury. That makes Mercury the final dispositor for both Jupiter and Uranus. We can do the rest of the planets in the same way. This will continue to be the case until Mercury enters Cancer, a sign ruled by the Moon. At that time the chain of dispositors will not show as one planet, but rather as a chain of planets that all disposit each other since there will be no final dispositor.
Why is Mercury being the final dispositor important? Because it makes Mercury the bottom line to everything else going on. It makes Mercury's position and aspects more important than usual, since it is the backdrop to all the other planetary activity. This will last until it enters Cancer. After that we won't have a final dispositor until late July when the Sun enters Leo.
After that, we'll have the Sun disposing of everything that goes through Leo, though a few days later Mercury enters its home sign of Virgo, becoming the final dispositor of planets in Virgo. Then a few days after that in early August Venus will enter Libra, opening the possibility of there being 3 final dispositors for a short while. That spreads the backdrop across three contiguous signs simultaneously.
For now, let's get back to what Mercury is doing. Mercury just left the first half of Gemini, said to be the Scene of Discovery, and has now entered the Scene of Exteriorization where it will be until June 25 when it enters Cancer. So we've been discovering many new ideas, perceptions, and understanding the past since June 9, and will be externalizing those things from now through June 25.
According to the original notes on the Sabian Symbols, the keyword for the first half of Gemini is Zeal, and the second half is Restlessness. So I suppose we've just experienced zeal wherever the first half of Gemini is in our charts, and we can look forward to some restlessness which we should use to externalize whatever has aroused that zeal.
It's also in the second decan (third) of Gemini, said to be co-influenced by Venus and Mars. It will soon be in the third decan, said to be co-influenced by Saturn and the Sun. Each decan of Gemini has a built-in dilemma or conflict due to the combination of the modern and ancient planetary rulers of each decan. Right now shows us the polarization between values and desires, while in a few days we'll enter the polarization between Illumination and limits, pride and responsibility.
Significant aspects while Mercury is in Gemini include the current tredecile and coming trine to Neptune at the same time it squares Saturn. This opens new perspectives, a new sense of proportion, and the culmination of the old structures. Get in shape however you need to as things split into a myriad of forms, since the time around the Summer Solstice (June 21, 4:30 am PDT, 7:30 am EDT, 12:30 pm Greenwich) there will be major reorientations that could help us find others with whom we want to build a new society or better world.
Between now and then, take a look at what Mercury rules in your chart and what house it occupies, since that's the bottom line to everything that's happening in your life right now.
To learn more about the concept of Dispositors, please check out Astrology Class - Dispositors and Planetary Influence.
© Copyright 2010 Robert Wilkinson