On May 21st, 2022 Sun is conjunct Mercury at 0° Gemini.

Sun-Mercury conjunctions (when Mercury is retrograde) mark the beginning of a new Mercury cycle. This Mercury cycle happens at 0° Gemini so it’s particularly potent. 

0° of any sign is a very powerful degree, because it carries a raw, new beginning energy. And 0° Gemini is perhaps the most important degree for Mercury since Mercury rules Gemini.

If you have any Mercury projects in mind (writing, communication, travel, social media), this is a truly remarkable celestial opportunity to put them into motion.  

Mercury New Moon – Time To Start A New Project

Just like the Moon has cycles, Mercury has cycles, too. Every year we have approximately 3 Mercury cycles. A Mercury cycle lasts for approximately 116 days. 

Mercury Retrograde conjunct Sun is similar to a New Moon and it’s a time to start something new.

If New Moons (Moon conjunct Sun) are great to start an activity you can complete in one month’s time (or one lunar cycle)

… if Jupiter cycles (Jupiter conjunct Sun, happens once a year) are great for initiating a goal you can complete in one year… (one Jupiter cycle)

… Mercury cycles are great for starting projects you can complete in a 4-month time.

The duration of the cycle (approx. 4 months) is ideal to kick-start and complete medium-term projects.

The Four Phases Of A Mercury Cycle

There are four Mercury “phases” in a Mercury cycle:

Phase I – Observe and Insight: May 21st, 2022 – June 3rd, 2022

Phase I starts at Mercury’s inferior conjunction to the Sun and lasts until Mercury turns direct

In this phase, Mercury gains a clear sense of purpose, thanks to the encounter with the Sun. Sudden clarity can come at this phase. You can come up with new ideas or find new ways of doing things.

And although Phase I is not necessarily a time to take action (you want to wait for Phase II, when Mercury goes direct) this is a great time to do preparation work. If you plan to write an ebook for example, this is a great time to get inspired, brainstorm ideas and decide on a topic. 

Phase II – Prototype and Test: June 4th, 2022 – July 16th, 2022

From Mercury direct until Mercury’s superior conjunction to the Sun

Mercury is at its highest speed now – this is when we are capable of intense mental work. This is a good phase to kick off and work towards fulfilling the initiative you started in Phase I. 

Phase II is a good time to get creative and test different elements of your plan. Put your creator cap on and try different approaches. If we take our ebook writing example, this is a time to dump ideas from hand to paper, and do most of the writing. 

Phase III – Bring To Life: July 17th, 2022 – September 9th, 2022

From Mercury’s superior conjunction until Mercury turns retrograde

Mercury’s superior conjunction with the Sun marks a phase of culmination. Take what you initiated in Phase I and “prototyped” and “tested” in Phase II. Your project can now finally take shape and materialize.

Mercury is getting now a “reality check” from the Sun, who acts like a curator and synthesizes the good bits and pieces that have been produced in the previous phases.

Now is the time to “go live” with your project. In our writing example, now you can do the editing and publish your book. 

Phase IV – Analyze: September 10th, 2022 – September 22nd, 2022

From Mercury retrograde station until Mercury’s inferior conjunction to the Sun

Mercury’s fourth phase is contemplative and introspective. 

This last phase is a good time to “analyze” what you did in the first three phases and see how the outcome can lead to an even better outcome, to be initiated in the next Mercury cycle.

Your e-book is now published – this is a time to review what worked and what didn’t, in preparation for your next writing project. 

Mercury cycles last for almost 4 months. It is well known that the ideal timeline for a project is from 3 to 4 months. This is enough time to delve into a topic, do your research, test and build, and then analyze your outputs.

Anything that goes beyond 4 months loses momentum or becomes the point.2 version of the previous project.

You want to keep your projects within this timeframe. Do you have a goal that takes more than 4 months to complete? Large projects feel overwhelming and that’s the reason why we don’t complete them. The solution is to simply break your project down into 4-month mini-projects.

The 3-Step Process To Work With The Mercury Cycle

Take your time to focus on a project you want to undertake. Follow these 3 steps to identify your project and plan it according to the Mercury cycle: 

1) Consider your current priorities. These priorities should not require a long time to complete. Getting a master’s degree, building a house, or restoring your health will take longer than 4 months.

Similarly, your Mercury project should require enough time so you don’t complete it in a few days only – for example writing an article, or learning how to cook a new dish.

You want to identify something in between, a project you can complete in 3 to 4 months.

Examples of Mercury projects I use in my business are launching a podcast, writing an astrology course, or creating a marketing funnel. Examples of Mercury projects from the past are preparing for a presentation, hiring an employee or training for a run. 

2) For more guidance look in your natal chart to see in which house the Mercury-Sun conjunction falls in your chart.

For example, if it falls in your 2nd house you may want to start a project to generate a new source of income, if it falls in your 4th house you may want to do home improvement, if it’s in your 6th house you may want to start a new diet and so on.

3) After you have identified your project – split it into 4 different phases according to the 4 phases of the Mercury cycle.

Try to stick to the timeline. You want to spend 2 weeks for Phase I and Phase IV, and around 5 weeks for the Phase II and Phase III.

Subscribe to Astro Butterfly’s Weekly Newsletter

If you want to keep up with the future transits, subscribe to Astro Butterfly’s weekly newsletter. 

Join other 49.000+ subscribers:

Click here to subscribe

• Uncategorized