Special Yoga brings the strength of Mercury for technology, deals, teaching, language, and ‘pivoting ideas’ and the strength of the Sun as if it is back in Leo. Only Vedic astrology has this special exchange yoga between ‘planets’, called Parivatna Yoga, which has each planet act as if it is in its own house.

This special yoga has Mercury act like it’s in Virgo and the Sun in Leo.  Keep reading to see the effects of the Saturn and Sun in opposition at the end of this post.

It was not until September 18 or 19 that we could start to feel the benefits of the special ‘exchange yoga’ between the Sun and Mercury. This exchange energy will support quick thinking, integrating a new approach to your work, relationships, and communications through Sept 30, 2023.

Exalted Mercury lasts longer with Mercury in Leo

When Mercury is in Virgo it is called ‘exalted’ or functions at its absolute best in the person’s life who is born with this or brings the talents to us when Mercury moves through Virgo.

Usually, Mercury moves through Virgo for only 3 weeks each year. This year, with the exchange of energies and special yoga with the Sun, brings the benefit of Mercury supporting business, launches, investing, learning, new ideas, technology, and communications for almost 5 weeks!

Keep in mind that Mercury will be in Virgo through Oct 18, but because we have the Annular Solar Eclipse on Oct 14, we will be able to use these Mercurial abilities in our lives through Oct 13. 

We have almost an entire month to forge forward with one or two important projects from Sept 17 – Oct 13. I explained this to the premium Conscious Calendars members in their special Vedic Astro Forecast videos in late August, so they could understand these energies and plan to use the entire month to their advantage for their spiritual businesses and stay aligned as Conscious Creators.

If you want to understand the energies of the next month, subscribe to Luna Monthly or Annual Orion Conscious Calendars and you will get the Astro Forecast videos and emails as a free bonus.

There are four phases of Mercury Retrograde. We entered the fourth phase on September 17, 2023. This last phase of Mercury Retrograde will continue through September 30, 2023.

Mercury went direct on September 16, one day after the New Moon. Then the Sun changed constellations on Sept 17.

In every Mercury retrograde, messages and communications can get confused, schedules change often and our ‘wires may feel a little crossed’.  Now that the planet of communication is clear and is a good distance from the Sun, it’s time to look for the resolution to some problems you might have been having. When Mercury went direct on September 16th, we entered the Fourth Phase of the Mercury Retrograde Cycle.

The last phase of Mercury Retrograde is when Mercury moves towards the point in the sky where it first retrograded. The Fourth Phase of the Mercury Retrograde Cycle brings integration and answers (link to a blog post about the fourth phase). See the image below to see the four phases of Mercury Retrograde or the anatomy of a Mercury retrograde.

When Mercury Retrograde began on August 24, 2023, you were thrust into the lessons and patterns to improve for this cycle. Mercury in Leo is in a fire sign.

Fire Signs and Passion

When Mercury retrogrades in a fire sign, you will want to re-engage with your personal passions. What do you love to do? What activities bring you joy, energy, engagement, and a feeling of being connected with yourself? For some of you, these activities will be done alone like painting, poetry, or reading books, for others, you’ll want a team experience.

The gift of Mercury retrograde in fire signs is that it shows where we are disconnected from what gives us energy and joy. We have to fall away to commit. The fourth phase is choosing what gives you energy, and clarity and managing your communications so that you are clearer. You might need to only communicate one idea at a time so that others can digest and respond to you.

The Fourth Phase of Mercury Retrograde starts when Mercury retraces its path in Leo

Fourth Phase of Mercury Retrograde Cycle – Integration and Answers

September 17th brings the last phase of Mercury retrograde. In this last phase, look for new information and answers to communication issues that began in late August. Look back to late August and see if you can observe a theme. Where do you need to improve communications?

Pay attention to the arising “aha moments” of clarity. These “ahas” can be realizing for the first time how someone feels about something that you had assumed, or understanding and connecting new knowledge to old ways of doing things.

This fourth phase is about discovering new answers to problems and having “aha” moments like “Oh, that is what you mean when you say _____ (you fill in the answer)?” or “I always thought you enjoyed or did not care for _______”.

New conclusions arise like you might discover a friend or partner does NOT enjoy something when you had always thought they did.  Clarity in communication naturally arises and you get to see things in a new light now.

In this fourth cycle, you get to edit all the many choices you discovered during Mercury Retrograde and it is time to choose your focus for the next three weeks.

Now, we are into true forward momentum aligned with the last phase of Mercury Retrograde.

New insights and hearing people in new ways pave the way for you to integrate the new way to be in a relationship or a co-worker, etc.

It’s also a time when you can claim clarity. And remember, you might need to slow down and only give ONE piece of information at a time because others may not understand complex communication.  Just because Mercury is direct does not mean that everyone can read your mind!

You still need to focus on how you package and deliver your message.

Saturn and Sun’s opposition

Sun and Saturn are opposite energies and can stoke conflicts and disasters when they are in opposition. The Saturn and Sun have been in opposition creating the environment for strife from mid-August through mid-September and continuing through end of September because of the special exchange yoga between Mercury and the Sun.

The Saturn-Sun opposition partially contributed to the Earthquakes in Morocco, and floods in Libya (they are not the full influence).  Saturn is retrograding in Aquarius directly across from the Sun in Leo from mid-August through September 30.

Socio-political conflicts and talks

And since this Mercury Retrograde overlapped with Saturn and Sun opposition, many long-brewing disagreements came to a head or leaders puffed their chests.

Consider, the China- U.S. relations with chip manufacturing and U.S. security concerns and the BRICS summit (a group of world economies Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa) as world leaders tried to have open dialogues about their conflicts of interest and how to garner more control with world markets.

Continue to build stamina and vitality – Sun acts like in Leo through September 30

The good news of the special Yoga with the Sun and Mercury is that the Sun supports building your energy, a focus on health, and increases the desire to exercise and to shine.

Mercury increases business luck and helps focus your mind through September 30

Mercury gains strength for tech, engineering, business acumen, increased mental drive, and capacity for eloquently communicating, learning, and teaching.

It’s a great time to map out your classes for the next year (which will be adjusted again in January because Jupiter will go direct.) Map and plan your programs, and communications, and improve your email systems, social media posts, and connections with your community. Express yourself!

It’s a strong time before the eclipses of October 2023 to get important projects planned and at least one project really rolling!

Join us for the Quarterly Class – See the next three months and understand how to finesse the end of your 2023

See the next three months of energy and understand:

• How to use the October Eclipses for a life and karmic upgrade!
• What are the top 3 things to know through the end of the year.
• Major shift in November brings clarity to a unique area of your life.
• Get a sneak peak into the first week of 2024.
• Finish your year with finesse. Tap into flow, be gentle in the turbulence zones.
• Focus your energy for success, increased revenue and deep healing with this info.