Mercury enters its “home” sign of Virgo on July 25! Mercury is the planet of communication, quick thinking, and movement, and in earthy Virgo, we’re provided the chance to solidify plans that we’ve been thinking on and organizing all year long. Mercury’s time in Virgo may get complicated, as it goes retrograde August 12, then slips back into Leo as its retrograde progresses on August 31, finally going direct again September 5 and re-entering Virgo September 9. Phew! It looks like we’ll be dealing with a lot of reoccurring themes — I’m hearing the line “it’s a repeat” from the song “Throw Away Your Television” by the Red Hot Chili Peppers. We have a lunar and solar eclipse coming up too, reinforcing the fact that we’ll be working through “past” stuff in the weeks to come — make the best of it and keep in mind that you’ve worked hard for your happy present, and nothing can take it away from you if you! Looking at the corresponding tarot cards for Mercury (I – The Magician) and Virgo (IX – The Hermit) we see opposites back-to-back: the sunny, smiling Magician with all laid out and ready to share, and The Hermit reserved and in the shadows, watching, thinking, and learning, keeping her lantern close until she’s ready to come forward with her own light to share.

The following reading is a look at how the energy of this first round of Mercury in Virgo will play out! This one-card reading is an example of what’s included in the $35 Planetary Transit Readings tier on my Patreon page, which also included a one-card Monthly kick-off reading, a 5-card reading every time the Sun sign changes, and 3-card readings at the New and Full moons. For this reading I drew from Tarot Mucha, Astrological Oracle Cards, and the Nature-Speak Oracle. I laid out a little crystal grid using black onyx for groundedness and protection through this potentially bumpy Mercury transit, aquamarine for connecting your heart and your voice for clear and well-thought-out communication, agatized coral for personal power through understanding your own patterns and how to use them to your best advantage, and chevron amethyst for zappy connection between your intuition and your Higher Consciousness. The immediate message that came through is to make the most of the rest of the summer! Autumn is looming, but it’s not here yet!

Oracle Cards: Mercury + Autumn – Harvest and sow reversed

The Astrological Oracle was one of my first decks, along with Tarot Mucha, and it loves to play with me! I laughed out loud when it gave me “Mercury” in a reading about Mercury in Virgo energies. Haha! But look at the orange through both cards: it’s not time to be “finished” with the ambitious creative work you’re in the midst of — there is much work still to be done. That’s appropriate, though, as Summer is far from over: imagine what your current line of thinking will have drawn to you by the time Autumn is here!

Tarot Card: 4 of Wands reversed

Yes, you wish you were a little further along in all the good things that are going on around you — but it’s pretty hard to maintain a frown amongst it all as well! The 4 of Wands is one of a few “irreversible” cards in the tarot deck — it’s shining energy promises good things to come, if they aren’t here already. You’re doing “good,” and all you need to do now is keep making connections, knowing both that you’re in control, but also that you’ve put the power into other people’s hands for now, and can trust that they will make you proud. Remain buoyant even as your mind races with excitement at all the new possibilities on the horizon — things are very much in the process of coming together. Do what you can to enjoy the fun and opportunity to relax while it lasts!

The energy of the New Moon this past Sunday has you all fired up and ready to jump into action. Appropriate, because this very Virgoan nervous energy is preparing you for a huge change, finding you taking on extremely propitious new responsibilities in a brand new position, one you’ve worked towards for a long, long time. You may even be starting to waver as new choices come up and decisions need to be made — trust in your vision. Stay true to it, knowing you are making it real right now! No, it’s not time to celebrate fully just yet — there’s work to be done, and more importantly, people to seek in order to see your personal success-vision into reality. You are almost there!

Decks used:

Astrological Oracle Cards. LWB: Lunaea Weatherstone. Artwork: Antonella Castelli. Torino, Italy: Lo Scarabeo, 2012. © Lo Scarabeo Italy.

Tarot Mucha. LWB: Lunaea Weatherstone. Artwork: Giulia F. Massaglia. Torino, Italy: Lo Scarabeo, 2014. © Lo Scarabeo Italy.

The Nature-Speak Oracle. Ted Andrews. Jackson, TN: Dragonhawk Publishing, 2006.