Time after Time
Mercury opposite Neptune
I think a lot about time.
I don’t just mean that I think about the quality of time in the way that astrology so wonderfully illustrates; I think about why we experience time and how it serves us. And the more I observe my own sense of time passing, the more I notice that it is far from regularized. Some days I move freely like I have all the time in the world; other days I feel dragged through my schedule by the menacing melody of an endlessly ticking clock.
I have come to respect that there is a part of me that likes to organize time. This part likes to carve time up into neatly delineated portions with a clearly designated purpose - 60 minutes for a session, 30 minutes for a meeting, 45 minutes for yoga, 90 minutes for writing. I have also come to respect that there is a part of me that wants to surrender all plans to the scintillating spontaneity of the divine flow. This part likes to let go of any expectations about what order I do things in or how long they will take.
These past few days, I’ve found myself bouncing back and forth between these two parts and somehow feeling simultaneously exhilarated and exhausted. It’s like my brain is looking for a way to get along with itself.
In the sky, I see this tension playing out as left-brained Mercury in linear Virgo prepares to oppose right-brained Neptune in circular Pisces on Monday. Mercury in Virgo delights in determining the most effective way to get from A to B; Neptune in Pisces does not even see A or B as distinct places in the cosmic soup of our existence. Mercury in Virgo can veer into micromanaging territory when it feels out of control; Neptune in Pisces can float into fantasy when it feels bored with banality.
Oppositions put these energies at odds with one another, and I can’t help but chuckle as I picture these two planets trying to organize a road trip together. If they stayed solidly in their own lanes of perception, it would seem like an inevitably stressful series of high-stakes hijinks on the highway. But if their minds met with mutual respect, I imagine it might well end up as a perfect combination of carefully considered routes and cloud-chasing detours.
So if time is the vehicle that drives us through our own lives, how do we work with it in a way to invite this kind of seamless experience? First and foremost, we can stop saying that we don’t have enough of it. We can start to treat time like a loving friend that knows exactly when things need to be accomplished. We can make our plans and give them to our friend Time with full trust that it will all come together perfectly in ways we could not even begin to appreciate from where we stand now.
We can also work with time in more creative ways if we’re willing to let go of the expectations we have about how a process needs to unfold. Maybe there aren’t so many necessary steps between A and B; maybe A really is right on top of B and you can just let yourself have what you want right now. I’ve been playing with this quantum understanding of the nature of reality over the past few months, and I’ve been so surprised to see how much faster things move when I set my sights on something and then get out of my own way.
If you’d like to learn more, I’ll be sharing my time techniques in a session on Timeline Jumping next Wednesday, October 4 at 2:00 pm Pacific / 5:00 pm Eastern / 10:00 pm UK with my fantastically gifted friend and Integrated Energy Practitioner Robin.🧚 🕰️There will be a replay available if you can’t make it live, and I’m always an open book if you’ve got questions after. 📖 💕
Love,
Patrick
Free (for now) Weekly Forecast
It turns out making these forecasts is a lot of fun! I’m taking a Permanent Beta approach, so you’ll get to see my flubs as I find my words just like IRL. I don’t want you to think that I’m a perfectly polished astrology bot; I want you to know that I’m human and we all get to learn together. So here’s a preview of what’s to come for those who want to support my work:
Deep Change Circle with Pluto in Capricorn
Come join me on Friday, October 13 (bone chills already!) to move from Fear to Power with Pluto in Capricorn. And if you’re feeling open to share your birth details, I will celebrate your choice with live personal guidance.
I wonder if - like me - you are starting to feel the usually solid ground below your feet start to liquify, like the very foundations of our society just can't take the weight. From corrupt populist governments and shaky financial markets to unsustainable food cultivation and overzealous environmental exploitation, I cannot shake this deep discomfort that so much of what we have needs to go.
We will all feel the intensity of this build as Pluto grinds to a halt in the skies above us in the stalwart sign of Capricorn and prepares to close out its 15-year journey through that sign. Join me and learn how we can navigate this transition in the best interests of yourself and the planet we call home.
Love,
Patrick