While that likely will inspire a loud cry of relief-filled Wohoo!s, I thought a potentially counter-intuitive exercise would be interesting.

Instead of just counting down the hours of Mercury retrograde, and bemoaning its presence (sometimes easy to do when technology/communication seems staunchly detracting rather than supportive), let’s look to the value that this time period does have. And if we have yet to connect to all that it can invoke for us, I propose today is a great day to do so.

So…

• Re-examine situations that have been unfolding in your life over the past few months to see whether you can gain a unique perspective from a different point of view.
• Re-envision a goal that you had had, seeing what refinements may be necessary for it to truly meet your needs.
• Re-write or re-edit something that you’ve been scribing.
• Re-consider whether all that resides in your closet truly serves you or whether you’re psychic load would be lightened (and other people’s lives enriched) by doing a bit of spring cleaning.

For other ways in which Mercury retrograde can be a boon, please see this post.

Astro-Atlas*
8:08 am: Moon (Cancer) sextile Mars (Virgo)
8:27 pm: Moon (Cancer) opposite Venus (Capricorn)

* all times are PST

* *Rewards through expressing our selves in a unique and road-less-traveled way
[Sun trine Uranus]

* *Connecting to a sense of deep will power and resolve
[Moon in Scorpio and Mars trining Pluto]

* *Releasing that which stands in our way of being in our truth
[We are in the shadow of tomorrow's Sagittarius Solar Eclipse]

* *Be very thoughtful in dialogues, fastidious in communications, and compassionate with ourselves and others if wires seem to be crossed or mixed messages sent/received.
[Mercury about to go retrograde]

Astro-Atlas*
2:15 am: Sun (Sagittarius) trine Uranus (Aries)
3:30 am: Moon (Scorpio) sextile Mars (Virgo)
3:35 am: Moon (Scorpio) sextile Pluto (Capricorn)
6:02 am: Mars (Virgo) trine Pluto (Capricorn)
11:21 pm: Mercury stations retrograde

* all times are PST

As a friendly reminder, Mercury goes retrograde in a few days. If you haven’t already begun to do so, back up your hard drive, make sure you’ve got extra batteries on hand, and try to ensure your technology and communications devices are in good working order. Also, it’s good to start communicating as if Mercury’s already retrograde–double check lists, touch base with people to ensure they understand what you’re expressing, and reread emails before you send them. It’s very worthwhile to be in due diligence mode.

Astro-Atlas*
3:04 am: Moon (Libra) square Pluto (Capricorn)

* all times are PST

Retrograde periods are times for reflection and heightened inner awareness. Since Mercury symbolizes communication, they way we learn, our siblings, and our neighborhood, this period can yield great insights in related areas of your life. Mercury retrograde lasts about three weeks and occurs three to four times per year; the last one took place August 2—26.

Mercury represents the bridges and channels that allow us to connect varied pieces of information in order to synthesize them into the whole of understanding. During Mercury retrograde periods, the inherent weaknesses of these conduits may be revealed. As such, this period is known for the breakdown of tools that help us to share information (such as phones, computers, and printers) and well as those that assist us as we move from place to place (such as cars, bikes, and buses); therefore, do what you can to make sure they are in good working order. With data and information transfer stressed, it’s a great time to ensure you’re backing up your hard drive, keeping track of whether you’re due for an oil change, or inventorying your supply of extra batteries necessary for the remote or your child’s favorite toy.

Any planetary retrograde reflects a period where the energy is focused more internally. Therefore, it’s a wonderful time to turn communication inward to seek insights and understanding. Meditation, journaling, and nondominant handwriting are great activities to do during Mercury retrograde to help you find the pieces of the puzzle and the teachings of wisdom that you seek.

While inner reflection is heightened, external communication may be stressed. Therefore, try to avoid misunderstandings by being extra diligent about the words you use, while also making sure to listen even more attentively than usual. Whether it be with writing or speaking, put a little extra effort into dotting your I’s and crossing your T’s. Be especially aware of this if you have to sign any binding contract during Mercury retrograde (putting off doing so if possible), as oftentimes all of the information you need to make a decision isn’t available or especially clear.

When you think of how to approach this period, just remember the first two letters of the word retrograde—“re”—and apply it to the activities you undertake. As such, Mercury retrograde periods are a great time to reassess, review, reanalyze, revisit, rethink, re-edit, and recommunicate.

During this retrograde period, Mercury travels from 20 degrees to 4 degrees Sagittarius. While everyone experiences the energies of Mercury retrograde, if you have planets or pivotal points (i.e., Ascendant/Descendant or Nadir/Midheaven) around or aspecting these degrees, it may impact you more intensely.

Mercury Retrograde Apothecary Suggestions

Nondominant handwriting: This exercise is easy to do and takes minimal time commitment. Just think of a question to which you seek an answer, something that you’ve been pondering. Then pick up a pen or pencil and place it in your nondominant hand (the left one for righties, and the right one for lefties) and write out the answer on paper. Write freely and don’t judge what may seem like chicken scratch. The beauty of this exercise is that by using our opposite hand we are able to able to access more of our subconcious mind and tap into our intuitive knowingness. What you compose on the paper should provide you with an insightful perspective on your question.

“Spring cleaning”: Mercury retrograde is a great time to literally clean your closets. That’s because our abilities to reassess, reevaluate, and reconsider are heightened. Cleaning closets can be wonderfully therapeutic: It provides a trip down memory lane and it also helps to unburden ourselves of things that no longer best serve us. If your closets don’t need to be cleaned, consider organizing your desk drawers or pantry shelves.

With Mercury and Venus now in Sagittarius, master herbalist Karyn Schwartz and I have got our sites set upon our next Astrological Wellness Salon.

Its focus is the upcoming Sagittarius Season (November 22 – December 21) and all that this adventurous, meaning-seeking, and journeying time has in store.

It’s scheduled for Thursday, November 17, 6:30pm-8:00pm  at SugarPill Apothecary.

We’re going to be discussing the major celestial alignments unfolding during this time. It should be a powerful gathering given that:

• We’ve got another Mercury retrograde cycle right around the corner [November 23 – December 13]
• We’re on the brink of two eclipses [Sagittarius Solar Eclipse on November 24 and Gemini Lunar Eclipse on December 10]
• Shake-it-up Uranus is turning direct on December 9

We’ll explore all of these—plus more—looking to see what these events may catalyze, how to constructively channel their energies, and which self-care suggestions are helpful for moving through their challenges. These will include dietary approaches, essential oils, flower essences, and lifestyle recommendations to help you galvanize a sense of physical, mental, and emotional well-being.

Every Salon attendee will receive a kit of self-care products that we’ve created for sale at SugarPill. [We’re working on the specifics of these products now; I will post again in the next week with the details of what Karyn is creating.] Plus you’ll receive a Sagittarius Season mini-workbook filled with astrological insights and wellness suggestions as well as reflective questions that can be used journal-esque during the month as an interactive learning tool.

We encourage you to pre-register as we want to ensure that there is enough space for everyone who wants to attend. Additionally, all the products are made to order for Wellness Salon attendees.

This event is part of a series of monthly Wellness Salons that we are offering at SugarPill Apothecary. Each Salon takes place on the 3rd Thursday of each month and will coincide with the debut of a new offering of new celestially-inspired self-care products.

If you’re in the Seattle area, I hope you’ll join us.

More details about the Sagittarius Season Wellness Salon:

Date: November 17, 2011

Time: 6:30 – 8:00 pm

Location: SugarPill Apothecary [900 E. PINE ST. SEATTLE, WA 98122]

Cost: $35, including a Planetary Apothecary kit of self-care products and mini-workbook.

To register, contact Karyn Schwartz at SugarPill Apothecary at 206.322.7455 or well(at)sugarpillseattle(dot)com.

If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to contact me at Stephanie(at)PlanetaryApothecary(dot)com.

November 10, 2011: Taurus Full Moon (exact at 12:16 pm PST)

During the Taurus Full Moon the question “Does this feel good?” takes high precedence, becoming a compass with which we can navigate the choices we make. We can use it to evaluate relationships and situations, reflecting upon whether they help us to feel safe, secure, and inherently appreciated and affirmed.

With the heightened sensuality that this Full Moon yields, we can also ask ourselves “Does this feel good?” from a physical perspective, allowing ourselves to further assess the foods, aromas, sounds, and kinesthetic experiences through which we find valuable nourishment. With both signs relating to between-the-sheets experiences–Taurus because of its affinity with sensual pleasures, Scorpio because of its alignment with our sexual nature–we may feel more drawn to express passions of the heart (et al.) today.

“Does this feel good?” is an especially relevant question given that Taurus likes comfort while Scorpio oftentimes finds regeneration inspired by discomfort. The Taurus Full Moon can provide an opportunity to help us identify how to strike a balance–to nourish ourselves without resting in stasis while inspiring our inner transformation in a compassionate, rather than ruthless, manner.

At this particular Full Moon there’s a strong infusion of Neptunian energy given that the mystical planet is still stationing, having turned direct yesterday. As such, we may find ourselves feeling even more deeply than we usually do, whether to our own or others’ joys or sorrows. We could find ourselves either extremely enchanted or disenchanted with someone or something. Keeping both our heart and eyes open to try to see things as clearly as possible is important, even though it can be challenging. After all, when Neptune beams strongly it gives us a proclivity to glamorizing people and situations (which oftentimes cannot live up to the idealistic projections that we place upon them).

This month’s Full Moon falls at 18 degrees of Scorpio (Sun) and Taurus (Moon). While everyone experiences the energies of a Full Moon, if you have planets or pivotal points (i.e., Ascendant/Descendant or Nadir/Midheaven) around this degree in Scorpio or Taurus or the other fixed signs—Leo and Aquarius—it may impact you more intensely.

Full Moon Apothecary Suggestions

Scorpio is associated with the genitals, reproductive system, urinary tract, and large intestine while Taurus is associated with the neck, throat, thyroid, and inner ears. Pay extra attention to these parts of the body and areas of health around the time of this Full Moon.

Aphrodisiac foods: Indulge in foods that tickle your senses. Some reputed aphrodisiacs include dark chocolate, oysters, artichokes, saffron, and asparagus. Even if they don’t end up lifting your libido, since these delicious foods are so nutrient-rich they’ll definitely elevate your health and wellness.

Sexy smells: Surround yourself with fragrant essential oils that inspire your passionate nature, using them in baths, body oils, or as a perfume. If you’re looking for new aromas to stoke your sensual nature and sex drive, consider ylang ylang, jasmine, sandalwood, and ginger.

November 23 – December 13, 2011: Mercury Retrograde

Retrograde periods are times for reflection and heightened inner awareness. Since Mercury symbolizes communication, they way we learn, our siblings, and our neighborhood, this period can yield great insights in related areas of your life. Mercury retrograde lasts about three weeks and occurs three to four times per year; the last one took place August 2—26.

Mercury represents the bridges and channels that allow us to connect varied pieces of information in order to synthesize them into the whole of understanding. During Mercury retrograde periods, the inherent weaknesses of these conduits may be revealed. As such, this period is known for the breakdown of tools that help us to share information (such as phones, computers, and printers) and well as those that assist us as we move from place to place (such as cars, bikes, and buses); therefore, do what you can to make sure they are in good working order. With data and information transfer stressed, it’s a great time to ensure you’re backing up your hard drive, keeping track of whether you’re due for an oil change, or inventorying your supply of extra batteries necessary for the remote or your child’s favorite toy.

Any planetary retrograde reflects a period where the energy is focused more internally. Therefore, it’s a wonderful time to turn communication inward to seek insights and understanding. Meditation, journaling, and nondominant handwriting are great activities to do during Mercury retrograde to help you find the pieces of the puzzle and the teachings of wisdom that you seek.

While inner reflection is heightened, external communication may be stressed. Therefore, try to avoid misunderstandings by being extra diligent about the words you use, while also making sure to listen even more attentively than usual. Whether it be with writing or speaking, put a little extra effort into dotting your I’s and crossing your T’s. Be especially aware of this if you have to sign any binding contract during Mercury retrograde (putting off doing so if possible), as oftentimes all of the information you need to make a decision isn’t available or especially clear.

When you think of how to approach this period, just remember the first two letters of the word retrograde—“re”—and apply it to the activities you undertake. As such, Mercury retrograde periods are a great time to reassess, review, reanalyze, revisit, rethink, re-edit, and recommunicate.

During this retrograde period, Mercury travels from 20 degrees to 4 degrees Sagittarius. While everyone experiences the energies of Mercury retrograde, if you have planets or pivotal points (i.e., Ascendant/Descendant or Nadir/Midheaven) around or aspecting these degrees, it may impact you more intensely.

Mercury Retrograde Apothecary Suggestions

Nondominant handwriting: This exercise is easy to do and takes minimal time commitment. Just think of a question to which you seek an answer, something that you’ve been pondering. Then pick up a pen or pencil and place it in your nondominant hand (the left one for righties, and the right one for lefties) and write out the answer on paper. Write freely and don’t judge what may seem like chicken scratch. The beauty of this exercise is that by using our opposite hand we are able to able to access more of our subconcious mind and tap into our intuitive knowingness. What you compose on the paper should provide you with an insightful perspective on your question.

“Spring cleaning”: Mercury retrograde is a great time to literally clean your closets. That’s because our abilities to reassess, reevaluate, and reconsider are heightened. Cleaning closets can be wonderfully therapeutic: It provides a trip down memory lane and it also helps to unburden ourselves of things that no longer best serve us. If your closets don’t need to be cleaned, consider organizing your desk drawers or pantry shelves.

November 24, 2011: Sagittarius New Moon Solar Eclipse (exact at 10:10 pm PST)

New Moons are auspicious monthly celestial events that usher in fresh cycles of creation. When they are also a Solar Eclipse–as today’s is–they hold additional power for manifestation. [Even if we can’t see an Eclipse in the sky where we live, these celestial events are renowned for being very powerful in the way in which they can impact our lives.]

A Solar Eclipse signifies a time for beginnings. As such it usually brings with it endings. That’s because in order for something to firmly root, so that it can flourish, space needs to be made. Therefore, while there is great focus on the initiation of the new, one usually can’t get away from the fact that something(s) may be inherently coming to a close at this point as well.

This Sagittarius Solar Eclipse marks an auspicious time to undertake a new project that can help us forge a greater understanding of the world around us. Expanding our horizons to embrace a different philosophical perspective—even just trying it on for size temporarily—can be incredibly valuable and uplifting.

We may find ourselves starting many sentences with the word Why. These may be questions that help us garner understanding or declarative statements with which we share our knowledgeable perspective with others. Relatedly, it’s a good time to give homage to those who have been our teachers or guides, who have lit the path for us so that we can travel it with more enlightenment. From this reflection we may also gain unexpected insights into how we have served as preceptors for others.

Solar Eclipses (as well as Lunar Eclipses) are often accompanied by identifiable life-changing events that manifest around the time of this celestial happening. And with this Eclipse harmoniously tied into Uranus, there may be a greater chance that these life-changing events seem to come out of nowhere.

The planet of innovation, Uranus sparks our need to further find our unique sense of individuality. It inspires within us the urge to do things differently, to undertake a personal [r]evolution in order to experience evolution. When Uranus is strong, as it is today, “expect the unexpected” is a good mantra to follow. By using that as a framework, and knowing that some unanticipated events may occur—but that we just can’t yet anticipate what they will be—we can we disappear some of the potential anxiety that can come from surprises we didn’t even conceptualize would occur. Additionally, by keeping our attention open to the out-of-the-blue novelties that occur, we may be more apt to perceive the value and lessons that they can offer us.

This month’s New Moon Solar Eclipse falls at 3 degrees of Sagittarius (Sun and Moon). While everyone experiences the energies of a New Moon, if you have planets or pivotal points (i.e., Ascendant/Descendant or Nadir/Midheaven) around this degree in Sagittarius or the other mutable signs—Gemini, Virgo, and Pisces—it may impact you more intensely.

New Moon Apothecary Suggestions

Sagittarius is associated with the liver, hips, buttocks, thighs, and sciatic nerve. Pay attention to these parts of the body and areas of health around the time of this New Moon.

Liver-supporting foods: As Sagittarius is the sign related to the liver, focusing on this important organ—vital for detoxification—is a great thing to do around the time of this New Moon. As New Moon signify beginnings, consider making changes in your diet today that will be of benefit in the future. Some liver-supporting foods to add include the Brassica vegetables (broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, kale, et al.), which feature sulfur-containing phytonutrients that ramp up detoxification enzymes. Also, limiting the amount of alcohol and additive-containing processed foods can be a boon for hepatic health as can incorporating more organic foods since these don’t contain the liver-challenging chemical residues that conventionally raised foods do.

Warrior II Yoga Pose: Even if you don’t do yoga, Warrior II is a great pose to practice today. It helps us to connect with the visionary spirit of the Sagittarian Archer who is looking into the future, visualizing goals that lie ahead right over the horizon. Plus, it helps to stretch and strengthen the Sagittarian-ruled muscles of the hips, thighs, and buttocks. For instructions on the Warrior II pose, see here.

With the Moon in fiery Sagittarius we are inclined to approach the day with an adventurous outlook. A sextile between gracious Venus and structured Saturn helps us to find further refinement and valuation of our relationships.  We’re in the tides of Mercury being opposite poetic Neptune (exact tomorrow) so if words don’t come easy or thoughts seem to readily slip away, don’t worry it’s not just you. Connect to your intuition and see how language can connect rather than separate.

1. Sharing

While at lunch with my mother and grandmother, I ordered a salad that had quinoa on it. This ancient seed-served-as-a-grain is part of my go-to culinary repertoire but was a bit foreign to them. After they tasted it and I told them of its virtues–including that it was a valuable protein source, and rich in magnesium and iron as well–they were very taken by it. So much so that later in the day my grandmother bought some at the market to make at home. That I could share something so delicious and health-promoting with my family and that they will now include it in their meals makes me so very happy.

2. Giving and receiving

I was delighted when my step-father asked me–without any provocation on my part–to read his astrology chart for him. It surprised me at first as I didn’t view him as someone who would be interested or open to it. That was part of what served as a huge inspiration to me, as it reminded me again not to hold limiting judgments of people–who they are or are not, what their inclinations are and what they are not–because then you see them a certain way rather than the way they really are. As for the reading, I felt honored to explore his life with him from an astrological perspective. I was touched by his appreciation and gratitude and feel that the insights I shared with him about upcoming themes for the year will be empowering and helpful to him. It was a beautiful experience I will remember for a very long time.

3. Friendship

I’m traveling this week, visiting my family in NJ and NY. Happily while I was in NYC earlier this week, I was also able to meet up with Jeanne S one morning. Jeanne is a friend and fellow canvolutionary also from Seattle. Even though we only saw each other for 20 minutes, that we made the effort and commitment to do so was really heartening and reflective, in my mind, of the appreciation that we have for one another.

4. Forgiveness

Did you ever have an experience where you feel like you’ve worked (and worked) on a personal issue so long that you think that you’ve worked it through, only to find out that it’s still “got” you? Well, this week I realized that I was still holding onto this  “I’ve-been-done-wrong story” for much too long and that the holding onto it was really what was doing me wrong, depleting my emotional vitality. And so once and for all (and I’ll spare you the details of how I got there) I let it go, fully and totally. And now I am free. And the sense of personal liberation that has come from that feels incredible, a pure gift that I (finally) gave to myself.

5. Clearing

I engaged my brother in a long overdue project. It was to clear away the the proverbially dusty souvenirs of our childhood (think grammar school yearbooks, baseball cards, and college textbooks) from the room in my mother’s house where we had left these things. We had left these things there for various reasons–some related to laziness, some related to not wanting to deal with the emotions we perceived they may have triggered. But in the thick of the Mercury retrograde station, we did it. And the room feels lighter, and so do we. I saw again how even if I let go of the physical representations of the past, the memories of my life before can still be alive and honored within me.

6. Accessibility

Over the past nine months, I have greatly minimized the amount of wheat that I eat since I found that it is a food to which I am sensitive. It’s easy to manage this way of eating when I am at home because of all the options I have scouted out. But when I travel it is more of a challenge since wheat is so ubiquitous in our customary fare. So suffice it to say that I was thrilled to be at “regular” restaurants with my family that featured gluten-free options. At one of my mom’s favorite Italian restaurants they had a gluten-free pasta on the menu while at the Neiman Marcus cafe that my mother and grandmother love–and took me to for lunch–they boldly highlight the gluten-free meals featured on their menu.

7. Serendipity

I stumbled upon a store in the West Village of NYC called The Bathroom. Among their wide array of beautiful personal care products, I found a kids line inspired by astrology called Zodiac Baby.  I had had this sense as I was passing by that I had to go into the store but was uncertain why. I realized upon seeing these products what the pull was. I had just been reflecting upon the Planetary Apothecary line of personal care and well-being products I am in the process of developing and seeing these zodiac-inspired bath products felt like a synchronistic affirmation of some sort.

8. Perseverance

This week’s post seemed more challenging to write than the previous two. The logistics of finding writing time between family activities during my visit, the working on other people’s computers, the technological challenges I had (hence the featuring of less photos ), and just being out of my regular writing routine seemed to be contributing factors to it feeling like a Herculean task to getting this piece complete (hello, Mercury retrograde). And yet it is so important to me to stick to my personal commitment to create it weekly that I pushed through and dedicated the extra time and energy that it required. It feels like another experience for me of hard-working Saturn transiting my 5th House of Self Expression–another opportunity I’ve had to see the requisite ingredients necessary for staying true to my dedication to bolstering my creativity.

What inspired your well-being this week? I encourage you to share your experiences and insights in the Comments section.

*** To learn more about the inspiration for Inspirations of Well-Being, see this post.

This advice goes for more than just your home. With the Moon in Scorpio and Mercury retrograde it’s also a good day to do some housekeeping of beliefs, patterns, and attitudes. Probe into things you may have been just accepting and see whether by purging them or doing what needs to to address them you will feel more liberated and your psyche and heart will feel more attended to.