Your Mercury Retrograde Complete Survival Guide
Is Mercury retrograde as scary as it sounds? In this blog I’ll break down the what, the why, and how to know if it’s relevant for you!
Digital collage of Mercury
On April 21, 2023 Mercury will officially retrograde at 15 degrees of Taurus and end around May 15 when it goes direct at 5 degrees of Taurus. But what does that actually mean?
You've probably seen this on the internet before: someone has announced that Mercury retrograde is coming up, and you can tell they're absolutely terrified. Everything is panic and chaos. Mercury is coming in to ruin everything, burn our lives to the ground and leave nothing but ashes in its wake. And it's coming for you, so you better buckle up. But if you buy one lotion now, you'll get one 30% with this special Mercury retrograde discount, and that will help you weather this terrible astrological shitstorm that's about to go down over the next 3 to 4 weeks. Now you have two emotional support lotions you didn't need. 3 to 4 weeks pass and nothing noteworthy happens.
Mercury retrograde has become such a pop phenomenon that I even see ads on social media using it to sell products. Last Mercury retrograde I got an email for a discount on skincare products advertised for that reason. Except they usually say "Mercury is in retrograde," which doesn't make any sense linguistically. Retrograde is a state of motion; a description of the planet's movement, not a place. This is a personal pet peeve, but I digress...
Mercury retrograde has become so demonized by the Pop Astro world that the phrase sends people into a tizzy. As an astrologer, I find this take to be overdramatic and mostly the result of a lack of education on what "retrograde" actually means. The dreaded Mercury retrograde is about to be demystified.
To really understand what a retrograde is, let's talk about what is happening astronomically when Mercury is "retrograde".
The Astronomy of Mercury Retrograde
(Note: For the rest of this section, any time I refer to a "planet" I am not including the Sun and the Moon. Even though we may refer to them sometimes as planets in astrology, they are not planets in this context. "Planets"will refer to Mercury through Pluto.)
There are two types of motions we observe of planets in they sky - which we call primary and secondary motion.
Primary motion is what we observe of the Sun rising in the east and setting in the west. All celestial bodies ie stars, planets, the Moon, the Sun, etc follow this motion.
Secondary motion is the path the planets follow as they travel through the zodiac (remember, the zodiac is an imaginary projection onto the sky!), which is observed as movement from west to east. Primary motion and secondary motion are happening at the same time, but primary motion is much faster. However, secondary motion is also observable. Regardless of whether a planet is retrograde or direct, it will continue to follow primary motion. This is all happening because the Earth is rotating, and 24 hours, or one Earth day, is one rotation of the Earth on its axis.
Within secondary motion, or movement through the zodiac, planets can be described as being either direct - which is observed as moving west to east, or forward through the zodiac - or retrograde - moving east to west, or backwards through the zodiac. Again, it's important to note here that when I say planets, we are not including the Sun and the Moon, as they are not technically planets are therefore can not ever be retrograde. If the Sun or Moon are retrograde, something is VERY wrong. Like end of the world wrong.
Retrograde motion does not mean a planet is physically moving backwards through the sky. This is actually an optical illusion that we see all the time. If you've ever been in a car on the freeway and another car passes you at a faster speed than you're going, you can momentarily feel a sensation of moving backwards or being stationary, despite the fact that you and the other car are both moving forward. This is essentially what is happening when we say a planet is "retrograde."
In our solar system, all planets orbit the Sun. Mercury is the closest planet to the Sun, and therefore the fastest. It makes 3-4 laps around the Sun for every 1 lap the Earth can make. Each time Mercury passes the Earth, we observe this optical illusion where we perceive Mercury's motion change as it stalls in the sky and then appears to move backwards (ie "retrograde"). This is why Mercury "retrogrades" 3 to 4 times in one calendar year. Once Mercury has passed the Earth, we observe its motion as direct (or "prograde") once again.
The same applies to planets that are slower than the Earth. Earth makes about 2 laps around the Sun for every lap Mars makes, because we are physically closer to the Sun and have a faster speed than Mars. Therefore, every 2 years, we experience a Mars retrograde, where Mars appears to move backwards through the sky. This is because we are passing Mars on our journey around the Sun.
This works the other way around also. If we were on Mars and observing the motion of the Earth, we would see the Earth retrograde. But we would all know from our lived experience on Earth that Earth never actually moves backwards. It's an optical illusion.
The Astrology of Mercury Retrograde
Astrology is a divinatory art based on observable phenomenon in the sky from Earth, so it's coming from a geocentric perspective. Astrologers understand that Mercury is not literally moving backwards, but that doesn't mean it no longer holds any meaning even if the motion of retrograde is an illusion.
When we assess the strength of a planet in astrology, retrograde motion is a negative ding when assessing its strength, but it's one of the last considerations. This should be further reassurance that retrogrades aren't too serious, it's more like a temporary bummer. For context, Pluto spends about half of our year retrograde. That isn't to say Mercury retrogrades don't have their purpose, or ways they can be used constructively. If you can understand their purpose and power, you can use them to your advantage. It's just simply not the worst state a planet can be in.
There are other compromised conditions Mercury can be have, and I find people will often ask me "What's going on, Mercury isn't even retrograde?!" but it will feel similar to what they expect of a Mercury retrograde. Planetary relationships will always be the strongest indicator of how we experience a planet. For example, if Mercury is retrograde and making a strong aspect to the Moon, we will probably feel that retrograde potently for that time, because the Moon filters all planetary energies and is the direct filter to our experience on Earth. If the Moon is in aversion (ie not making an aspect) to Mercury, you might not feel the effects of Mercury at all. Another example of a time that can feel like a Mercury retrograde but isn't is if Mercury is receiving difficult aspects from one or both malefic planets (Mars and Saturn). This would feel the most difficult, like a very potent and powerful retrograde, and astrologically would be much worse for Mercury than just retrograding.
Mercury is traditionally the planet of currency, trade, transport, communications, medicine, language, math and numbers, exchange, and technology. People commonly talk about issues with their devices breaking or misfiring, WiFi connections, phone signals, etc during Mercury retrograde. This is because Mercury is the traditional signifier of technology, and any changes to it's condition that impact it negatively can signal similar things happening to us here. That doesn't mean Mercury retrograde is the only time you experience your dishwasher breaking or your phone randomly having no signal. But it could be a time where any technical issues we have come to light, or we become aware of some issues that need to be fixed.
Other common Mercury retrograde experiences are: forgetfulness, making unusual typos and errors you wouldn't normally make, sending messages meant for someone else to the wrong chat, plans set into place are canceled or rescheduled, and ex's start coming out of the woodworks to check in on you, or maybe you're the one waxing nostalgic for an ex (This one comes up up during Venus retrogrades too).
Mercury is a planet about fluctuation and adapting, and I feel that Mercury is keeping us on our toes and trying to keep us from getting too rigid, too set in our ways, and trying to remind us to not take life so seriously. Tech glitches are annoying and inconvenient, but it takes us out of our routines and forces a little perspective. I truly think the best way to handle these difficult situations is to laugh, shrug it off, and move on to finding a solution, or doing things a little differently. After all, one of Mercury's archetypes is the trickster.
Working with Mercury Retrograde
Mercury retrograde is considered a time to do all things "re" -- rethink, review, remember, redistribute, recover, realize, revisit, rewrite, redo, redevelop, recognize, reinvent, etc. . It's the opportunity to sit back and look at what's been going on and either plot a new course, fix a mistake, or correct something that isn't working. It's commonly said that one shouldn't start anything new, or sign contracts during Mercury retrograde because things that happen or are started are often reversed (another re- word). This is the time to research, revise, and reschedule before we make our big move. I think it's so lovely that this time is programmed into the universe for us. I often find that meetings and plans will end up getting canceled by the other party during Mercury retrogrades. What was that, Universe? Stay home and rest? You don't have to tell me twice! As an introvert this is pretty much my dream scenario.
How do I know if Mercury retrograde will be significant for me?
The people who are most impacted by Mercury retrogrades are going to be the following
1. You have Mercury activated through a major timing technique. Your astrologer may have told you it's your annual time lord, or is featuring prominently in your solar return chart.
2. Mercury will be retrograde in a part of your chart activated by profection/annual transfer.
Unless Mercury is specifically activated for you, you probably won't experience any serious effects of Mercury retrograde. It may not register for you at all! Or it will be so minimal that there is no major impact in your life whatsoever. Honorable mention to our Virgo rising and Gemini rising friends who may experience Mercury retrogrades potently as well, but activation by multiple timing techniques will be more powerful.
We will all experience the retrograde, but to varying degrees. The best way to know how a Mercury retrograde may impact you is to work with an experienced astrologer who can review with you how and if Mercury retrogrades will be significant for you in this current year.
If you're unsure if this is you right now, you can always book a reading with me here and we can explore this together!
Mitigating Mercury retrograde
The reality is that life goes on and we have to keep moving forward regardless of what the planets are doing. If you're really concerned about Mercury retrograde impacting you, there are some ways to work around it.
Avoid making significant plans or completing important tasks on Wednesdays or Saturday nights. Mercury rules Wednesdays and I've personally noticed that is often when things especially go awry during retrogrades. For example, my job's online system crashes pretty reliably at least once every Mercury retrograde and it is usually on a Wednesday. If you want to take it a step further you can avoid Mercury hours, but it just depends on what you're attempting to do.
Double check all your emails, texts, and messages for errors before you send them and make sure they are being sent to the correct people. Generally try to be extra mindful of what you say and how you're saying it.
Avoid times when Mercury is rising or culminating. You may need to check the chart of the moment to determine this, and an astrologer can help you find ideal times to complete tasks through the process of selecting an ideal time. This is a branch of astrology called electional astrology.
I am open for bookings currently on my website here and would be more than happy to discuss any concerns and upcoming transits that may be impacting the unfolding story of your life! If any of my offerings don't seem to fit what you're looking for, we can always figure something out together if you reach out to me at soulhealingwithmichelle@gmail.com.
If you're still feeling stressed about it, remember: You've already lived through dozens, perhaps hundreds of Mercury retrogrades since your birth and you're still here. Chances are you will survive many, many more.
Wishing you all the best!
Michelle
Understanding & Managing Eclipse Energetics (Spring 2024)
Welcome to Aries season, the Vernal Equinox, and what many consider the astrological new year! When the Sun enters into the sign of Aries in the tropical zodiac, it marks the official beginning of Spring. All the connotations of birth, emergence, and growth fully present!
This year, the Spring season also marks the first set of solar and lunar eclipses in 2024 (the second set will be in the Fall). Eclipses this Spring will be in the axis of Aries and Libra, because the Lunar Nodes are currently transiting through those signs tropically.
photo of an eclipse
About Eclipses
Eclipses are some of the oldest tracked astrological omens. One of the oldest records of eclipse omens is from the ancient Babylonian tablets called Enūma Anu Enlil. These tablets recorded all manner of celestial omens, including solar and lunar eclipses, lunar cycles, and weather patterns (THW 66).
20th tablet of Enūma Anu Enlil on eclipses omens, 7th century b.c.e.
Eclipses have been typically seen as a negative event in astrology. The Sun and Moon are the sources of light and life on Earth, so any disruption of them implied undesirable or unfortunate events. The Enūma Anu Enlil describes that during a lunar eclipse, the god of the Moon "mourns" and "cries" (THW 72).
As one of the oldest systems of prediction in the world, eclipses have tracked and been recorded for the majority of human history, so that we may understand and prepare for what is to come.
2024 Eclipses
Every year, we have a total of four eclipses, two solar and two lunar. Eclipses occur in pairs that span two weeks apart. So, there will be a solar and lunar eclipse within two weeks of each other and six months later, there will be another set of solar and lunar eclipses that occur within a two week interval.
Eclipses have been sorted into different categories of repetition that happen roughly every 18 years, which is called the Saros cycle. Therefore, every 18 years we have an eclipse where the Sun and Moon are roughly in about the same position. We can look back in intervals of 18 years to get an idea of what types of events were happening under the same eclipse series.
There are 19 different Saros series of eclipses. Each series started with a partial eclipse, and the original positions of the planets, Sun, and Moon in that eclipse provide some insight on themes of the following eclipses in that series. In 2024, eclipses occurring will be in Saros series 8.
-Lunar Penumbral Eclipse at 5' Libra: March 25 at 12:00:17 AM in PDT.
-Total Solar Eclipse at 19' Aries: April 8 at 11:20: 49 AM in PDT.
Both of these eclipses will be visible throughout much of the United States, which implies their impact and effect may be especially potent in this area of the world.
In Predictive Astrology: The Eagle and the Lark, Bernadette Brady gives a description of the energetic signature of the different eclipse series based on the placements of the original eclipse in the series. Saros series 8 North's first eclipse took place in the year 1501 and will complete in 2745.
The original eclipse was a Solar eclipse conjunct Saturn and squaring Uranus. According to Brady, hallmarks of this series are
"inventiveness and flashes of genius...the individual will have intuitive leaps, insights, good ideas, visions or vivid dreams. This new-found inspiration will pull the person away from his or her social life and relationship, thereby causing strain in the private life. This is a time when the person needs to be free, if only for a few weeks." (EAL 318-319)
The "flashes of genius" suggested here are very on par with typical expressions of Uranus, and I think this seems to correlate well with an important Uranus transit we are having shortly after this eclipse series, which is the Jupiter- Uranus conjunction. The exact conjunction will occur shortly after this eclipse series on April 20th, but the impact of their influence will last for a couple months before and after the exact moment.
Jupiter- Uranus conjunctions have historically been noted as moments where creative genius breaks through and incredible, ground breaking ideas are launched into the world. They occur roughly every 14 years, so this is a fairly uncommon alignment.
This eclipse period may be a beautiful time to marinate in your ideas and see if you're able to put together a new perspective, find new breakthrough ideas and epiphanies in the part of your chart where these eclipses will be hitting.
Themes by Rising Sign
Aries & Libra Risings: The Solar and Lunar eclipses will be occurring in your first house of self and seventh house of partners. Consider if there are identities that you're ready to release or take on, or people in your life you are ready to let go of, or making space for to enter. Pay close attention to dreams, visions, and insights you may have about yourself and partners during this time. Can you and they be a source of creative inspiration?
Taurus & Scorpio Risings: The Spring eclipses will be taking place in your sixth and twelfth house axis, which impacts themes of physical and mental health, pets and animals. It may be especially important for you to regard your health this year, and consider if the habits you keep are helping or harming your health. You may feel the need to take stock of your routines and decide if you need to add or let go of certain work outs, foods, and habits. What creative insights could you gain around your inner struggles and physical blocks?
Gemini & Sagittarius Risings: Eclipses will be occurring in your fifth and eleventh house axis of creative work, hopes and dreams. You may be feeling the stir of new inspirations or noticing the well is running dry. Are there certain hopes, dreams or ambitions that you can release that might be holding you back from unlocking your creative potential? Could you be relying more on your friends and social groups or are there people in your circle you're ready to let go of? Keep an eye out for an strokes of creative genius!
Cancer & Capricorn Risings: Eclipses will be taking place in your fourth and tenth house axis of home and career. There may be some changes and adjustments ahead! You may be feeling pulled to spend more time at home, or less time at home to focus more on your career and public reputation. What parts of work and career can you release that may be holding you back? Or are you feeling stuck and ready to burst out into the world?
Leo and Aquarius Risings: Eclipses will be occurring in your third and ninth house axis of education and spirituality. You may be feeling called to do more learning or research in areas that are of passionate interest for you, or feel a spiritual awakening that you're ready to explore. Are there any beliefs about the world or your community and family, that may be ready to release? How would it be to share more of your new beliefs with others?
Virgo and Pisces Risings: Eclipses will be taking place in your second and eighth house axis of money and finances. There may be some big, important purchases in your near future -- whether it's paying off debts or acquiring new possessions. Is there something holding you back financially, and can you let this go in order to find yourself meeting your financial goals? Pay attention to dreams and visions that point you towards new ways to achieving the financial freedom you're seeking.
Don't know your rising sign and want to get more personal insight on eclipses? Book an astrology consult!
Remediation:
Eclipses can feel exhausting. We all experience the world and our bodies differently, but I believe our bodies are all still connected to the Moon. The Moon's trials and tribulations are felt by us and through us. By following the Moon's movements with astrology, I've been able to gage how sensitive I am to the Moon's energetic ebb and flow.
I personally feel very physically affected about three days before an eclipse, and the feeling falls away once the eclipse passes. To me, this can show up as low energy and motivation, less appetite, heaviness and lethargy.
Here are some of the things I do that really help me when I feel the intensity of eclipse energy affecting me. If it feels good to you, you're welcome to try these too*:
Salt water bath. This is my number 1 tip, it helps me so much when I'm feeling the worst of eclipse side effects. Any type of cleansing and purifying rituals are helpful, but the inclusion of water and salts (both ruled by the Moon) can really help to soothe any physical effects. For me, taking a salt water bath will help me feel better for several hours and "take the edge off." (I got this tip from astrologer Sam Reynolds, thank you!) I typically use plain, unscented epsom salt, but sea salt or pink salts should also work.
If you don't have access to a natural body of water, or a bath tub, a salt water spray might be another alternative. You can make it yourself or buy one online. Many spiritual stores will also carry them.
Keep your blinds closed and curtains drawn. During an eclipse the Sun and Moon's energy is "corrupted", so some claim that avoiding direct light exposure can help lessen the effects and ward off the energy. However, life continues on, and sometimes being outside or in the light during an eclipse is unavoidable. You can also consider wearing hats or sunglasses outside, or covering yourself as much as possible. Light colors and especially white clothing can help.
Burn incense. I haven't tried this yet, but I am planning to try it this year and see how it goes! Certain incenses like camphor can supposedly lessen the impact or effect of the planet's energy on us, as well as clear negative energy in the home. I'm looking forward to trying this out and seeing if this is helpful.
Eclipses are an extraordinary phenomenon and people often make a point to go out and view them when they are visible, which their prerogative. Do whatever feels right for you!
May your eclipse season be restful and uneventful,
Michelle
Make it stand out
*All advice is for entertainment purposes only. I am not a doctor and this is not medical advice. If you have concerns regarding your health, please consult with a medical professional.
Make it stand out
EAL: Brady, Bernadette. Predictive Astrology: The Eagle and the Lark. Red Wheel/Weiser, LLC. San Francisco, CA. 1999.
THW: Rochberg, Francesca. The Heavenly Writing: Divination, Horoscopy, and Astronomy in Mesopotamian Culture. Cambridge University Press. New York, NY. 2004.
Temperament: Astrology & Personality
Learn about the 4 temperaments and how to calculate your own temperament with your birth chart!
What is Temperament?
Temperament in astrology is a fascinating concept to describe. It's sort of like personality, but not fully that. It involves your physical constitution, but also your emotional nature and attitudes. It can imply your decisions, preferences, and even your physical health. It can be used to track how a person develops their thoughts, changes their opinions and how their nature is evolving as they grow when used in a predictive setting. In relationship astrology, the temperaments of two people can be considered to determine if they are compatible romantically or otherwise. Really, what can't it do?
While our more modern definition of temperament tends to fall more into the category of personality traits and character, the traditional use of temperament was much more in line with practices like the Dosha system in Ayurveda and the elemental balance in Taoism and Traditional Chinese Medicine.
In fact, identifying a patient's temperament through their birth chart would have been the first step for any doctor or healer of the ancient world, and certainly was the procedure followed by Hippocrates himself (1). The ancients used temperament to assess what they called "complexion", which included an individual's physical, behavioral, psychological, and metabolic constitutions (2).
Ultimately, the goal of understanding temperament is to identify where our excesses lie so that we can counter these and create more balance and harmony within our inner environments, and therefore our lives (3). The Myers-Briggs Temperament Index, or MBTI (as in ENFJ, ITSP, etc.) personality types were also developed from the idea of temperament and Jungian psychology (4).
The Four Temperaments
("Les quatres complections de l'homme" - "the four complexions of man" [left to right]: choleric, sanguine, melancholic, phlegmatic) https://psychologia.co/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/four-temperaments.jpg
Understanding temperament in astrology starts with a philosophical understanding that the world is composed of four elements: fire, earth, air, and water. These elements are constructed from four basic qualities: hot, cold, dry, and wet. The combinations of these different opposing pairs create the constitution (or temperament) of the element. Therefore, Fire is composed of hotness and dryness. Earth is of coldness and dryness. Air is of hotness and wetness. Water is of coldness and wetness. Each of these elements was associated with a humor in the body -- Fire is choleric, Earth is melancholic, Air is sanguine, and Water is phlegmatic. These were associated with actual parts of the body, which allowed healers of the ancient world to use temperament as a diagnostic and preventative tool for their patients.
Sanguine
Sanguine is associated with the element of air and the bodily humor of blood. Sanguine is composed of hotness and wetness. It is associated with the Season of Spring, and the New Moon and first quarter Moon phase, so there is an element of birth, newness and beginnings that comes with sanguine temperament.
The nature of wetness is considered to be connecting, flowing and hotness as activating, expanding. These qualities combined allow sanguine temperaments to be very social, flexible, with an interest in connecting with others and sharing ideas, supportive, and charming.
There tends to be a joyfulness that is associated with this temperament. Note that both the benefic planets (Venus and Jupiter) have "sanguine"temperaments. Sanguine conditions were considered the ideal condition for fecundity or the growth of life, as life often thrives in a warm and wet environment. On the flip side, sanguine temperaments can be perceived as shallow and superficial because their interests tend to focus on breadth over depth (5).
The hotness here creates a personality that is upbeat and active, while the moistness allows them to be versatile and flexible. In reference to the liquidness of this temperament, Sanguines were said to be very sensitive and to cry easily as a way to release any inner feelings. Thus they were said not to hold on to anger, and were naturally happy and friendly. However, the extreme flexibility of sanguinity could lead to a lack of focus, discipline, and organization with a restless energy (6).
Aang from Avatar: The Last Airbender, is a good example of a classic sanguine -- joyful, optimistic, social, but struggles with discipline, focus, and structure. Another strong sanguine in the show is Ty Lee.
Choleric
Choler is associated with the element of fire, and the bodily humor of yellow bile (ie gallbladder). This humor was said to heat up the body, and increases action, movement, and speed of processing other humors.
Choler is composed of hotness and dryness and represents the season of Summer. We can see how the warmth of spring intensifies into the summer, which leads to more dryness than moisture as the Sun's light grows more intense. Choler is also associated with the second quarter, including Full Moon phase, perhaps because the Sun makes a harsh aspect to the Moon, and it takes on natural hot and dry temperament of the Sun (7).
The hotness of choler leads to some similarity to the sanguine temperament as they are still active and expansive, but the dryness is by nature separating and resistant. This leads to choleric temperaments described as easily angered, irritated, and impatient at their worst. At their best, choleric temperaments embody the best of the Sun and Mars, the two choleric planets -- ambitious, strong willed, and natural leaders.
Unlike sanguine temperaments, choleric temperaments dryness tend to cause them to be antisocial, generally dislike interacting with people, but they also do better with detail oriented tasks and projects. Choleric temperaments were considered to be the most favorable temperament traditionally as they tend to be naturally motivated and oriented for success (8).
Choler as a temperament is not very emotional. The dryness can result in a lack of sympathy for others, and the hotness with impatience. At its most excessive and unbalanced, choler can result in easily expressed aggression, rage, and cruelty. (9)
Azula from Avatar: The Last Airbender is a classic choleric personality - strong willed, motivated by achievement, easily angered, and disinterested in others. Toph is another example of a choleric personality in the show.
Melancholic
Melancholy is associated with the element of earth, and the bodily humor of black bile (aka Spleen). The function of black bile is to retain substances of the body, and give solidity and consistency to muscles, bones and bodily fluids. It also strengthens memory and sobriety (10).
Melancholy is composed of coldness and dryness and the season of Autumn. After the heat of Summer, the dryness remains and the air turns colder as the day's grow shorter and the Sun's light is weakened. Melancholy is associated with the waning third quarter Moon phase, where the Moon is now losing light as it heads back towards the Sun to renew its cycle. (11)
Melancholic temperaments are interested in learning and skill building, because of the condensing nature of coldness, but they can also be serious, or moody as a result of the dryness. Melancholic temperaments find success through hard work and persistence, which can cause them to feel that life is unfair as this isn't always true for other types.
They are more likely to compare themselves and their situation to others.
Melancholic types tend to be very methodical and detailed, even more so than choleric and are likely to succeed on their first attempts because they carefully weigh, measure, and evaluate before acting. Socially, they struggle with loneliness, and go about friendships in a very extreme way; they are either best friends or acquaintances without much room in the middle.
The melancholic temperament best represents the nature of Saturn and Mercury, who are described as cold and dry. (12) As the name suggests, melancholics are most susceptible to melancholy, depression, and pessimism. Melancholics tend to have difficulty crying and can retain their anger for a long time, letting it build into resentment.
Zuko from Avatar: The Last Airbender is a great melancholic example: strategic, determined, methodical, serious, and tends to feel like the world is working against him. Sokka is another character who has some strong melancholic characteristics.
Phlegmatic
Phlegm is associated with the element of water, and the humor of phlegm, which we refer to now as mucus and lymph. In the body, phlegm is responsible for regulating body temperature and lubrication (13).
Phlegm is composed of coldness and wetness and associated with Winter season. The coldness of Autumn becomes more extreme as the wetness increases from rain and snowfall, making the land more moist. The last quarter of the Moon is considered phlegmatic, this includes the crescent phase just before a new moon where the moon is losing the last of its light.
Water's essential nature seeks to fall down, as in waterfalls or rain fall, therefore phlegmatic temperaments were seen as harder to motivate because their momentum is already flowing in a particular direction. Phlegmatic temperaments can be reserved, shy, deep thinkers, contemplative and compassionate, very concerned about others. They tend to be the most emotionally motivated and driven of the four types.
Phelgmatics are very attached to familiar people and routines, so they don't have as much interest in meeting new people or going to new places and instead prefer to rely on their old familiar favorites. However, because of their wet nature, they will still be very personable and caring, and may be easier to get along with than a melancholic personality (14).
Despite being emotionally motivated, phlegmatics tend to not express their feelings very openly. They prefer to maintain inner stability and prioritize comfort, and can be excessively patient. In excess, they may find it difficult to display courage or determination in their actions and their emotional motivations can flow towards deceit and emotional manipulation(15).
Katara from Avatar: The Last Airbender displays phlegmatic traits as she is compassionate, patient, and the most emotionally motivated of the group. Uncle Iroh is also another great example of a phlegmatic character.
It's interesting to note that the humors also act to balance each other in their opposite pairings, for example choleric (ie hot and dry) humors increase heat and activity in the body, while phlegmatic (cold and wet) balances and cools the body by slowing it down. Sanguine (hot and wet) humors represent the liquids of the body, while the melancholic (cold and dry) humors represent the solid and viscous elements of the body. This further shows the importance of balance and why seeking balance is always the goal. We need all of these elements to achieve a healthy, functioning system, whether we are talking about a body, a construct, or a personality.
Katara from Avatar: The Last Airbender displays phlegmatic traits as she is compassionate, patient, and the most emotionally motivated of the group. Uncle Iroh is also another great example of a phlegmatic
It's interesting to note that the humors also act to balance each other in their opposite pairings, for example choleric (ie hot and dry) humors increase heat and activity in the body, while phlegmatic (cold and wet) balances and cools the body by slowing it down. Sanguine (hot and wet) humors represent the liquids of the body, while the melancholic (cold and dry) humors represent the solid and viscous elements of the body. This further shows the importance of balance and why seeking balance is always the goal. We need all of these elements to achieve a healthy, functioning system, whether we are talking about a body, a construct, or a personality.
Temperamental Make Up of the Planets
The planets also have their own temperamental makeup:
Saturn - cold and dry
Jupiter - hot and wet
Mars - hot and dry
Sun - hot and dry, but temperament also varies by season.
Venus - cold and wet
Mercury -slightly cold and dry
Moon - varies by phase
(Note: The outer planets (Uranus, Neptune & Pluto) do not have established temperaments and are not considered in this model.)
Calculating Temperament:
Like most things in astrology, there are many differing opinions for how to calculate a person's temperament from the birth chart. If you're familiar with any astrological history, then you'll hardly be surprised to find that most astrologers disagree over which formulas are most correct. I am going to use a model based on Ptolemy's method to calculate temperament (16 &17). You can use the following to attempt to calculate your own if you know your chart:
Ascendant sign
Planets in the 1st house (consider the planet's temperamental nature, not the sign)
Aspects to the Ascendant (use the sign the planet is in, using a relatively small orb)
Ruler of the Ascendant-- use the sign of the ruler
Moon sign
Moon phase
Moon aspects
Planets conjunct the Moon (use their nature)
Sun - use the quality of the season. (Optional —can be useful as a tie breaker if needed)
Ptolemy also considers the nature of any rising fixed stars, so you can also add this if you'd like to be extremely thorough.
Let's apply this with an example. We'll be using the natal chart of Albert Einstein, the famous theoretical physicist.
A superficial glance at his chart shows a Cancer rising and Sun in Pisces, both water signs. Some might see those two significations and run with the water element and say he would have been highly empathetic and sensitive person. However, the temperament might tell us a different (and more accurate) story.
natal chart of Albert Einstein - Cancer rising, Pisces Sun and Sagittarius Moon
Ascendant: Cancer (cold and wet)
Planets in the 1st House: none
Aspects to the Ascendant:
square to Venus in Aries (hot and dry)
Ruler of the Asc: Moon in Sagittarius (hot and dry)
Moon Sign: Sagittarius (hot and dry)
Moon phase: 3rd quarter (cold and dry)
Moon conjunction: none
Aspects to the Moon:
trine to Venus in Aries (hot and dry)
Sun's season: Winter (cold and wet)
When we tally all of this together, we see the following:
Hot: 4
Cold: 3
Wet: 2
Dry: 5
Therefore, we may draw the conclusion that Albert Einstein would have had a primarily choleric temperament because of the emphasis of hotness and dryness, but with more of an excess of dryness. In terms of personality, the emphasis on dryness tells us he may have been less social of a personality, more likely to keep to himself and prefer his own company because dryness tends to seek separation from others. The hotness suggests he would have been energetic and highly motivated especially with achievement.
With more of a balance between hot and cold, he may have tended slightly towards impatience and impulsiveness, but it would have been more tempered and therefore, less extreme. Overall we see someone who would have excelled at detailed work, analytical, strong willed, and preferred to work in isolation despite being capable of being amicable with others. This seems to correlate with accounts of people who knew him personally:
Einstein was, according to my mother, genuine and gentle but persistent and occasionally impatient. He was inquisitive. He didn't make small talk. He tried to understand things, and only spoke to ask a question or clarification. He never patronized or disrespected these two young women. And, according to my mom, when asked on the IRS tax forms for his occupation, Einstein wrote in "student". -Alfredo A. Sadun (18)
I love this quote because I think it really captures the willful nature of the choleric (listing "student" as his occupation) but also demonstrates the emphasis of dryness in a personality - interested in facts, not interested in small talk, only spoke to ask for clarification. These traits suggest the curiosity but also the separateness that an excess of dryness will create in a personality.
We might even suspect that an excess of dryness here would also cause someone who tended towards not just a preference to be alone but also loneliness. Einstein also famously had a problematic marital and family life, and his part in that may seem to align with the excess of dryness in temperament.
To say that he would have been "emotional and sensitive" based off his rising sign and Sun sign would seem to be incorrect. In fact, the opposite would be more true; he would have been detached and more likely to demonstrate a lack of sensitivity in personal relationships based on his temperament.
Conclusion
Temperament is one of many ways an astrologer can assess a chart and it has many applications. Although our innate, natal temperament never changes, every year on our birthday, we receive a new chart for the year. We call this the Solar Revolution or Solar Return chart, since we are tracking the return of the Sun to the same position and degree from when we were born. This new chart for the year will have it's own temperament, and this can be analyzed to track how our attitudes, impulses and behaviors are changing from year to year.
If you'd like to explore your temperament and how it may be shifting for you this year, I'd love to explore that with you in a Year Ahead reading!
This is a comprehensive Solar Return along with several other predictive techniques to assess the quality of the year, what events and themes may be occurring, and how your attitudes and personality are shifting in response. I utilized techniques of the Hellenistic and Medieval Islamicate tradition to get a thorough overview.
I look forward to working with you!
Michelle
Hypnosis Regression: What can this session offer you?
One of my original, but much less talked about offerings as a part of 'Soul Healing with Michelle' is the Hypnosis Regression reading. It is essentially what it sounds like -- I put the client into a hypnotic state and as a result we are able to have them 'regress' or go back to review current life experiences, past life memories, speak with guides or ancestors, or do other spiritual work that engages their own subconscious, whatever is most needed for the person in that moment. I'd like to talk about my journey into hypnosis regression, past lives, and how I came to do this work.
My Journey To This Work
This is a long and tangled story, that I'm still piecing together, but I think it's fair to say I always wanted to know there is more to life than what meets they eye. It was important for me to know there is something bigger than just what's in front of us, and that there is a world of unseen that happens around us. I was thinking about this throughout my childhood -- when I would hear voices in the wind, when I would get to explore nature, and as I felt more than I could explain. My grandfather was known to be a very spiritual person in addition to very religiously Jewish. I was too young to know this side of him, and he passed away before we could ever have a real conversation about these things. I only knew that he liked dragons and fantasy, like I did. When he passed away, several of his books came into our possession, I think because no one else wanted them. There were several religious books and books that explored Jewish mysticism.
At some point in my middle school years, I got curious and picked one of these books up. It was notable to me because it had one of my favorite prayers written on the cover:
The prayer on the book reads "The entire world is a narrow bridge but the main thing is not to fear"
Reincarnation and Judaism explored aspects and stories within Judaism that I'd never learned about before (and we certainly never learned in Hebrew school), like golems and dybbuks, for example. There was one particular page that I probably read hundreds of times that discussed the possibility of past lives. On that page, Pinson summarizes the findings of a Dr. Brian Weiss in his book titled Many Lives, Many Masters, which is essentially his work doing hypnosis therapy with his therapy patient and accidentally regressing her to several past lives that allow her to heal a variety of psychiatric diagnoses and live a happier life. I must have read over the page hundreds of times at 12 and 13 years old and I would have give anything to get my hands on a copy of Many Lives, Many Masters. But I was literally a child with no money of my own and no means to even find such a book (this was the very early days of internet). My parents had recently lost their jobs in the aftermath of 9-11, so finances were rough. Over the years, I would reread that page and wish with my whole heart and promise that one day, I would read that book.
Something incredibly happened 4-5 years later. I was in high school, and I was mostly too busy with schoolwork to spend time thinking about exploring past lives. My mom came back from a trip to Costco with a 3-book bundle in hand -- three books written by Dr. Brian Weiss, one of which was Many Lives, Many Masters. I was so shocked, but so ecstatic because this thing I had wanted for so long was real, in my hands, and apparently sold at Costco of all places. The fact that my mom even bought it was definitely some kind of divine intervention because it was so uncharacteristic of her. I dropped everything and tore through that book immediately. It was everything I wanted and needed it to be. And from that point on, I wanted nothing more than to be regressed by him, meet him, something. I read all 3 of the books in the pack, I loved them, and I wanted to immerse myself even more. However, I was just a high school student, again with no money or means, and I had to focus on school and getting into college, so this was all put on the back burner.
A few years later, I'm at university and I was somehow made aware that Dr. Brian Weiss was doing a past life group regression workshop in LA, which wasn't too far away from where I was. I desperately wanted to go. I had become really close with one of my roommates whose family lived nearby to the school, and especially her grandmother, who is the most amazing, warm, incredible person. She was someone who was very open and interested in spirituality -- she'd done my astrology chart, she'd taken me to the local spiritual stores, etc. I told her about the workshop, and she offered to attend it with me! So we spent this day in LA, me and my roommate's grandmother. The workshop was at a small Church. I don't remember it being very full. Overall, it was a great experience. I had several memories come through for me, and I did psychometry for the first time. This allowed me to dive in to the world of past life regression and realize I could do this on my own. I used to regress myself on the flight home from university when I would go visit because it was the perfect amount of time to put myself down and know I wouldn't be disturbed for an hour and fifteen minutes.
Later in university, I realized the school library might have a paranormal section and that I should check out their selection. For a school that was famous for churning out doctors and engineers (neither of which was my major), they did have a small paranormal section, most of the books were about a psychic named Edgar Cayce, who I'd never heard of before. The work was interesting so I read about him, and did my own internet research and learned about the ARE out in Virginia Beach, VA and thought maybe one day I'll be able to go there and learn more. At some point that I don't remember, I signed up for their email and mailing list. Over the next 10 years, I carried on with my life, and would dabble back with regressing myself here and there, if I was in the mood. Dr. Brian Weiss had another tour of regression workshops, and my parents actually wanted to come too. I got to meet him on the second tour and get all my books signed, which was really exciting. Meeting someone whose work has impacted you is always a strange moment, because you can't really convey how much their work means to you and you are also acutely aware that they are just a person and you don't want to make them uncomfortable or make it weird.
Skipping to 2020 -- the pandemic, lockdowns, etc. My work was open on and off starting in June 2020, but as county rules changed every month, sometimes we would be open and then get shut down for a few months, then try to reopen again, etc. It was exhausting, but I was really grateful for the down time because I had been burned out for so long. I saw online, either through email or facebook that there was going to be a Past Life Regression training course put on through the ARE. I decided I really wanted to do that, but I wanted to learn from the best. I wanted to learn from Dr. Brian Weiss. Upon further research and reflection on his age, I realized he was probably retired and wasn't teaching anymore. Disappointed, I decided I could settle for second best -- someone who was trained by Dr. Weiss. That ended up being Peter Woodbury, the instructor of the ARE course and the course I took that October to become certified in conducting a PLR session.
The decision to get certified in this discipline lead to a whole other string of events in my life, including traveling to Egypt with Peter in November 2022. There's something so beautiful about watching destiny unfold, and I love to look back at the journey. I was so eager and impatient for things to finally start when I was young. Seeing how they finally unfolded and how every moment was a sort of breadcrumb to the next is so fun to think about. I love the adventure of it all! I hope I continue to be pleasantly blessed and surprised. (It's also incredibly fun to track through astrology ;-))
Going Into A Hypnosis Session
There are a lot of ways you can learn about your past lives. There are plenty of psychics who will tell you about some of them. I've learned through this journey of exploring PLR that what I'm really interested in is "soul healing" and having someone tell me about a past life doesn't actually help me. What's actually helpful and healing is experiencing the catharsis within yourself, and moving through the feelings, the memory, the experience of that perceived moment. This is where things really click, where empathy and new understanding are formed, where something deeper happens and changes within us. When it comes from inside yourself, there's something that becomes more real for us, because it becomes part of our lived experience. We can empathize, not just sympathize.
A common and understandable question people might have is "What if all of it is made up?"
The short answer is "it doesn't matter".
The longer I do this work, the more I have realized it doesn't matter if it was real or not. It's not the point of the work. The point of the work is healing. Soul healing. And you can still experience that healing through an experience your brain completely made up. I believe that Spirit will show us what will be most helpful for us. That could be an actual past life. That could be the life of your ancestor who may or may not be you. That could be a made up fantasy world. Whether it was made up or not isn't the point. The point is, did it move you? Did you feel something, or gain a greater understanding of yourself or something in your life? That's where the healing happens. You can tell people all day long you were Cleopatra in a past life but I find (1) most people aren't going to care, and (2) when we make this about status, its a reflection of ego and not grace. If your goal going into a regression is to hear about how you were someone famous who did great things in a past life, you're probably going to be disappointed. Or it won't be as glamorous as you thought it would be.
The reason I call this offering "Hypnosis Regression" instead of "Past Life Regression" is because I can't guarantee you will experience a past life memory. If this is something you really want, and it's your intention going into the session, then you probably will have that experience. Ultimately you, your subconscious and your spirit team are in control here, so I have no say over what type of experience you will have. I've had clients who don't want to experience a past life memory and that's perfectly fine. You don't have to have that experience. Some clients just want a space to engage with their guides or want to see what will come up for them. The beauty of this session is it leaves space for all of that. You don't have to do anything that makes you uncomfortable!
Ultimately, this is a really beautiful offering that can be very emotional (it's normal to cry during!) and vulnerable, but deeply impactful and healing on a soul level. If you feel called to it, I would love to meet you for a session. Send in an intake form to get started with booking.
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