Questing for Soul
…On the speed of Hermes under this Full Moon
It seems as if there is an inverse correlation between the growth in technology and that of Soul. Perhaps it has something to do with the outsourcing of our innate capabilities into a machine (think: memory) or our ability to navigate our lives without the interference of information swarming our instincts, hindering our capacity to be guided by that inner beacon. With information tainted by algorithms, our attention captured by the blue light, and our time siphoned off by the endless stream of ‘great’ shows being released, what happens to soul in this process? Can we see it growing or does it wither?
Everything has soul. I’m not purporting that this computer I’m tapping on doesn’t, but what I am wondering is whether it helps to increase it or hinder it. All of these questions fit perfectly in Mercury’s domain.
At the moment, under this Full Moon blooming, Mercury is nearly at his maximum speed as he whips around the other side of the Sun. It’s the part of the cycle we often miss, especially in comparison to the amount of energy we give the opposite part, which is his retrograde. It’s a transitionary phase. Going from morning sky to evening sky is a process like editing with a deadline. So many of the ideas we have gathered up since the beginning of the cycle (May 21, 00º Gemini) are catching the winds like dandelion seeds. No longer are they needed and the ones which are strengthening our thesis, that are helping us summon more soul, are sinking in deeper roots, encouraging neurogenesis and our discernment to sharpen. When the messenger has the foot on the gas in this way, there is a hurriedness that can often make us forgetful, slightly naive, and eager for time to hurry up. Unfortunately, we can’t change time, only how we perceive it. Astrology can be helpful with this.
Anne Baring has this wonderful quote that skirts around the edges of what I feel is going on with Mercury cycles, she says, “Following the guidance and wisdom of the instinct is the royal road into the realm of soul.” The instinct here is not the fight or flight we also may be experiencing in this shaky moment, but the instinct of intellect. It’s a hermetic notion we’ve all had. It rings true when we are touched by it. It’s in your favorite book. When your ears prick up or your dash for the pen to write it down, it’s right there. We even experience it while speaking when all the right words fall into place, populating an idea that has come through. The instinct is a truth gauge; when it’s in the green, we are following the beam of Truth and when it’s red, we are probably watching the news or we’re on Twitter. Learning to trust this instinct is learning to trust Hermes.
I often talk about the magic found in Mercury cycles. There are three great (or thrice great) features to them:
1. If we pay attention at the beginning, during the retrograde, there are big Ideas hidden within the tricks
2. If we hold onto these big ideas throughout the entirety of the cycle, continuing to learn about them, they will change us
3. If we are committed to learning and have an open mind, no creative block, no propaganda, no meme virus can change the transmutation taking place.
…in other words, Mercury cycles are magic. They are hermetic in nature and in them, we are shown how to change our minds.
And so, while our feathered friend is traveling at such speeds around the midpoint of the cycle with emotions running high globally under this Full Moon, the challenge is to reflect on where we are at within this circle. It began on the 21st of May (00º Gemini) and will soon experience its second cazimi (July 16; 24º Cancer). We have until September 23rd when the next cycle begins to heat and distill and refine all this knowledge into something like wisdom. And in my opinion, our machines can actually help tremendously in this process by assisting us to track and trace all of it in a way like never before. So it does offer up some soul food after all.
Questions to walk with:
Is your mind bringing you closer to soul or further away?
Can you spot the theme of this Gemini-infused cycle?
…find where it began in your chart, where it is now, and learn to chat with the Magi. People may think you are crazy, but we won’t. This is normal here. This is what we do.
Eudaimonia,
Adam
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