Retrograde! But, Make It Fashion: Mercury
Welcome back, friends, and welcome to the fashion show... sort of.
SIDE NOTE HERE: Most of what you are about to read, below, will be repeated in each of the mini blogs about this series. I chose to do this because not everyone reads each individual blog and it is important to discuss some of the general information in each post. This way, if someone only reads one post, they still gain the benefit of the knowledge below. So, if you plan to read all the posts about this series, please forgive the repetition in some of them.
I call this mini illustration series: Retrograde, but Make it Fashion. It's a strange title for a strange idea. However, the origins of my idea for this series' concept does have a grounding in the logical world. I'm not completely in the clouds with this one... well, not entirely. lol
Last December, Venus was stationed retrograde and I had the idea for an illustration. Venus is the planet that governs pleasure, beauty, and attraction (among other things) in astrology. I was thinking a fun way to personify Venus was to transform her into a kind of Supermodel walking down the runway, or posing at the end of it, or just about to turn... I hadn't planned out all the details, because I ended up not working on it within the time frame of when Venus was in retrograde. So, I shelved the idea, until now. With so many planets currently in retrograde right now, I thought, "why don't I pull that Venus retrograde illustration idea out of the morgue and modify it to these other planets?" Thus the pursuit of making a little illustration series on the subject ensued.
I remember making a note on the Venus Illustration entry in my Idea Journal. The title was originally Venus, Sashay Away. It is a reference to the very popular drag competition show Ru Paul's Drag Race. Ru Paul, when she is eliminating a contestant, uses the signature phrase (modified/based on her hit song Supermodel) "Sashay, Away!" There's an animated GIF of it that I like to use sometimes and it ALWAYS gives me a private chuckle. I thought it an appropriate way to conceptualize a planet's astrological retrograde period.
I'm sure you have been asking this question to yourself (and to me) since you started reading this post. Probably you were wondering, in your mind, "what on earth is he even talking about." Well, funny you should think that. Our position and view here on earth have EVERYTHING to do with explaining what a retrograde is. A retrograde (or planetary retrograde) is when a planet seems to be moving backward in the sky from our perspective here on Earth. In reality: No, planets don’t actually move backward. It’s an optical illusion due to the speed of the Earth’s rotation. But what ancient people realized is that when a planet changes direction or shifts in speed, what it rules will see challenges or confusion in our lives during that specific time.
Astrology is a science that utilizes the placement of the planets to make insightful predictions about how life on Earth is going to develop. It has been around for centuries and that is why we have been able to notice patterns throughout time, refining itself, to figure out that when the planets move, something here on Earth will be affected. You may or may not believe in Astrology, or you might think that it's just a cute part of your daily morning news feed. You may only think it's an amusing thing to discuss on a first date. It isn't my job or inclination to convince you of its validity. I will, however, say this: The waves in our Ocean are created by the gravity of our orbiting moon. The powerful gravity of Jupiter is what protects asteroids and other debris from crashing constantly into Earth (Thank you, Jupiter.) These are both invisible forces. And if this is what they can do to large masses in this universe, what do you think these invisible forces are doing to us or the environment we live in. We are, after all, 70% water. What "waves" is our Moon producing within us? Something to think about. I will leave defending the merits of Astrology as a science to the Astrologers, themselves. I'm just a weekend tourist. They actually live in that building.
Let's get back to talking about the retrograde.
A planetary retrograde is broken down into 3 phases: Pre-Shadow, Retrograde, and Post-Shadow.
In the pre-shadow phase, when the planet starts to slow down from our viewpoint on Earth, we start to see problems crop up and realize some current situations might be on rocky ground. This can last for weeks or months prior, depending on which planet it is.
The actual retrograde phase is when you see the problems that started to announce themselves in the pre-shadow blow-up in front of you. This is when the planet is taking control and moving backward in the sky. In reality, new information regarding what the planet rules are emerging in our lives — something we probably had overlooked originally. The universe is bringing it out dramatically in your face now to show you that you must pay attention to this before you proceed.
The post-shadow phase is when the planet is finally moving forward in the sky again but is still gaining speed to catch up with where it originally fell behind. Once a planet moves past this point in the sky, life should move along much more easily. The post-shadow phase is especially important because it helps us to resolve whatever popped up during the previous two periods so that we are on a better track moving forward.
The Sun, the Moon, and the Earth (because we are standing on it) don't retrograde. Sun and Moon are referred to as "The Luminaries." All planets retrograde at different times depending on their distance from us in the Solar System. A simple rule of thumb that you can follow is: the closer the planet is to us, the shorter the retrograde. The further away it is from us, the longer the retrograde is. How this affects us depends on the planet, what phase of the retrograde it is in, and the zodiacal sign that it is transiting (retrograding/traveling) through. Not to get too specific, depending on what house the zodiac sign is placed in your chart can also determine how a particular plant's retrograde affects you personally.
Most of the time a planet transits through retrograde alone or with one or two other planets at a time. However, there are sometimes years when we get large clusters of planet retrogrades. 2022 is one of them. We have 8 of the 9 planets in retrograde this year. 6 are clustered together right now.
So, Let's talk about them, shall we. This illustration is devoted to Mercury.
Mercury will be retrograding through the sign of Virgo from September 9th - October 2nd, 2022. In astrology, Mercury is the planet of communication, technology, intellect, memory, and transportation. Your Mercury placement on your natal chart determines your relationship to these areas in your life. Mercury is the planet of the mind and it rules how we make sense of the world and our place in it. When Mercury is "direct" (when it is moving forward in the sky and is not in retrograde) Your relationship to these areas of your life is "normal." However, Mercury is currently retrograde in/through the sign of Virgo. Now, I know that that probably is speaking nonsense to many of you. So, let's look at what it specifically means.
It's such a buzz phrase in the zeitgeist now, but very few people, I'm sure, actually know what it means when they say," Mercury is in retrograde." When Mercury is in actual retrograde, what it means is when the planet travels backward, its power to positively influence these domains is stifled, leading to chaos and frustration most of the time. Anything regarding our communications with others, our technology, our memory of things, and our ability to get around will be disrupted. People often have arguments during a Mercury retrograde because they don't understand each other. The smooth channels of communication are in a period of disruption. Our phones tend to "bug out." We can't send messages or the messages we send don't send or the messages we send get misinterpreted. Our computer may decide to kill over or have some sort of critical existential issue(s). This also may mark a time when you have to make expensive repairs to your car, or you miss the train because it came early or late. You get the idea. A retrograde just disrupts the normal smooth influence that a planet has within its own domain.
But... There's another layer we need to add to this McNasty Retrograde sandwichoccurring. What zodiacal sign is this transit (planetary motion or interaction with another planet) occurring in? For this particular Mercury retrograde, Mercury is transiting through the sign of Virgo. Virgo is the mutable earth sign. Earth Signs deal with the physical world, what is concrete, and what is all the physical matter within and without ourselves. Mutable refers to its position in the life cycle. Cardinal signs are Origin, beginning of life, Fixed signs sustain life and Mutable signs transition life into death/rebirth of the next/new cycle. Virgo Season is usually our Harvest Season in the Western Hemisphere. It is when the leaves change color. It is when the Earth is preparing itself for death (winter.) Technically Libra Season is Autumn Season. However, this transition begins in Virgo Season, transitioning the Summer cycle into the Autumn Cycle.
So, what does it actually mean for Mercury to retrograde through Virgo? Well, let's look at what we do know. We now know what a retrograde is. We know what Mercury governs within our lives and we know what happens to those areas in our lives when Mercury is in retrograde. The Sign that a planet is transiting through just adds the "flavor" to the action. You can think of the zodiacal sign as the "seasoning" to Mercury's retrograde soup. We know what the ingredients are, but what is the overall flavor of it. Let's take a sip and taste to see. lol. Virgo energy is detail oriented and productive at its best. Virgo is "ruled" by the planet Mercury and its ruler is in retrograde. Wamp Wamp. A retrograde through this sign can feel especially disruptive. Virgo rules everything having to do with your day-to-day life, including your work, health, and routine. When Mercury retrogrades through Virgo, you could experience delays and missed deadlines on the job, or struggle with communication in your professional partnerships. Health issues may also pop up during this retrograde (especially issues you’ve had in the past that you thought had healed.) Because Mercury and Virgo are both associated with information, you can also expect plenty of misunderstandings with appointments and contracts during this retrograde, and feel a general lack of clarity in your life.
Not all is loss and ruin, however. Mercury Retrograde in Virgo is a great time to revisit projects that you left behind. Getting back into an exercise routine or reviving an old idea at work could set you up for real success once the retrograde ends. Retrogrades are generally periods of revisiting areas in our lives that need our attention. We usually are too busy zooming ahead that we often neglect or miss important cues and signs. Retrogrades are the universe's way of helping us out. it's that "You've missed your turn" sign on the highway of life and helps us understand what we need to review. If you have any interest in improving who you are as a person, then embracing these retrograde times can be a healthy way to weather their storm.
Before we go, let's talk a little bit about the art.
I explained the concept behind these odd but fun little illustrations. One of the things I wanted to pay homage to was the 1902 French film Le Voyage dans la Lune (A Trip to the Moon.) I have always been impressed and inspired by that iconic image of the moon with that face in it. I'm certain that this image has inspired so many other artists and each has paid tribute to this treasure of cinema history. In my case, conceptually, I wouldn't be able to center a face within my illustrated planets. They are in retrograde, and they are sashaying away from us. So we would only see their "dark sides of" or the back of their "heads" if you will. I still wanted to see a face on them in some way. I really wanted to superimpose the faces of real supermodels onto them. So, I came up with the idea of them looking back; serving us one last lewk before continuing on their retrograded ways.
I wanted to play with the proportions of head size because not all planets are equal (in size) and I wanted to convey that within this series. So some "heads" will appear large on their bodies. Some "heads" will appear small. These aesthetic choices are largely determined by the literal astronomical relation of planetary size to Earth and to each other. I should probably do a "police line-up" of them once they are all completed. lol.
I worked really hard to capture the texture and color of Mercury's planetary surface. I worked with reference illustrations based on astronomical research and findings for each planet. But the conceptual tie-ins for this illustration really come down to the clothes.
I wanted something "airy" for Mercury. The element of air in astrology has to deal with our minds and our thoughts. While Virgo is an Earth sign, it is ruled by a planet that deals with many "air" constructs. I wanted Mercury's outfit to "flow" and to "breathe." I wanted to find something loose yet fitted. What a contradiction, huh? But our mind is filled with similar contradictions and when we communicate with each other, such contradictions also appear. So I wanted something that also visually manifested and encompassed this idea as well. Mercury governs transportation, so I thought it would be clever to find her some resort wear to model down her retrograde runway. I stumbled upon this particular outfit. It is based on a piece by Bassike that was featured in their Fall 2022 collection runway show in Australia.
Let it be noted that interestingly enough, that show has another intriguing tie to the Mercury retrograde. Before the runway show, guests were asked/forced to surrender their cell phones for the duration of the show. This retraction of technology and disruption of possible information flow is exactly what a mercury Retrograde is about. It was done at a fashion show which is so very Mercury retrograde in Virgo. Virgo is a sign that exemplifies beauty and detail. The show itself was entitled "Pause." I felt like these were really interesting details that I didn't plan when I selected this outfit from a series of photos in my image reference research. The universe is funny, isn't it?
I chose this particular outfit out of the lineup because it screamed Mercury to me. It was resort wear, which was one of the defining characteristics that are important to my concept behind the illustration. It had a lot of details to replicate in my illustration. VERY Virgo energy. (Virgo is all about the details. They are often called the number crunchers or the accountants of the zodiac. Virgo is also an energy that radiates effortless beauty.) The pattern on the jumpsuit reminded me of microchip circuits but was more organic. It made me think that if we could see the "flow" of conversation and movements of information in the world, this is what it would look like. the fact that the legs end at the calf creates an outfit that is designed for movement. Mercury is the fastest planet in the solar system. She moves more than any of the others. This seemed to be the perfect outfit for her. I also just LOVE the colors of this garment.
One last detail of note is her earring. it is an upside-down icon for wi-fi reception. Upside down because... she is in retrograde.
That pretty much sums up this blog entry for Mercury and my little illustration of her. Stay tuned for the rest of this illustrated mini-series coming soon. Weather the Mercury retrograde as best as you can and look fabulous while doing it.
Until next time, friends...
Keep dreaming, keep sketching, keep thinking, keep laughing, and most important of all, keep making art.
*Some of the retrograde information cited from:
Here’s what a retrograde in astrology means and how it affects you by Kyle Thomas @ New York Post.
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