First Quarter Moon and the Midpoint of Mercury Retrograde: Insight and Adjustment

Ten of Wands Tarot Card from the Shadowscapes tarot deck;
​art by Stephanie Pui-Mun Law

"This dryad bears the weight of what seems to be a miniature world upon her back.  Her branches are weighted down, bent beneath the heavy structures.  The support and welfare of the beings who inhabit those towers are hers to nourish with the flow of life's sap through her branches and leaves.  Their souls are the songs that spiral up through the foliage from her heart.  But the gray cold seeps into her roots, and it is a hard burden to bear.  She pushes and strains upwards, reaches toward the sun for that fire that can help to sustain through dark times. "

"The fires of the wands are burning low and it may seem that there are only embers left fro the great roaring furnace that was.  So many demands and dependencies!  She struggles and tries to keep her head uplifted to hold to that center of creativity and nourishment."

"Overextending, taking on far too much, burdened with overwhelming responsibility, being held accountable, doing things the hard way.  Perhaps those little beings who live among her branches do not need the constant watchfulness and nourishment that she believes must be her duty.  And yet it is given freely, the burden is taken on willingly, and she knows she has the strength within to bear it and flourish."

~From the Shadowscapes Companion tarot book by Stephanie Pui-Mun Law and Barbara Moore

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We have arrived at the first quarter moon, where the moon makes a waning square to the sun at the halfway between the new moon and the full moon.  The moon's waning period is known as a time of building and taking action, and a square aspect is a challenge, so the first quarter moon is sometimes referred to as a "crisis in action".  It's a checkpoint where we can take stock of our intentions set forth at the new moon as we build toward the realization or culmination that will be provided at the full moon.  

On January 14th, Mercury reached the midpoint of its retrograde cycle, where the planet of communication, appearing to move backward and therefore in reflective mode, made a conjunction to the sun, the light of consciousness.  This should have provided energetic space for a realization of some sort, having to do with a way of thinking or communicating, or maybe something held within your consciousness from the past that it might be time to release in order to move forward and create anew.  Mercury will remain retrograde until January 25th, but now we will be working from the point of realization that the conjunction with the sun should've provided to tie up any loose ends in preparation for the Messenger's impending direct motion.  

In 2016, a major theme is grounding our dreams and visions in reality, and this is not always an easy task.  After we turned our awareness to what we truly wanted to create, and became conscious of what bliss might mean to us and look like in our lives, then we set intentions.  (I used the Solstice to set the larger intentions.)  With every new moon, we can then set smaller intentions in alignment with the overarching ones and use each lunar cycle to fine tune our actions, release what is no longer needed, and adjust our belief and thought patterns.  The first quarter moon is a mini-checkpoint in this visioning and actioning process and Mercury retrograde is asking us to reevaluate our thinking and communication.  These planetary transits can bring up life situations that show us where we must change, where we must let go, where we must stand strong, and where we must have discipline.  As all of this is being asked of us it can feel like a heavy burden, like you are carrying the weight of the world.  But, the energies presented, if taken advantage of, can help move you on your path toward your goal.  Take stock now and see if you can identify anything in your life, or especially within yourself, that is blocking you from your dreams.  

Just like the lovely dryad depicted in the Ten of Wands, you have the strength within to flourish, to thrive, even under the pressure of everyday burdens, as you hold your gaze on the light that is your vision for your life and steadily grow towards it.  Just like the dryad carries her burden with willing grace, the grace with which you meet your challenges lies within.  How you experience your journey is a choice you make, and the universe is giving you an opportunity to review the inner landscape that ultimately creates your experience of life.