Mercury is “stationary direct” today, meaning it has slowed down to a near stop before making its turn into forward motion tomorrow evening. Because astrology views planets from our perspective on earth, occasionally the planets appear to be moving backwards, and this is what we call “retrograde.”

My clients have heard me compare the effect that the movement of the planets have on us to a car (called transits) to a loud boombox that drives down your street. You start to hear the car as it rounds the corner, and that is when the energy of the planet enters your consciousness. You notice it but are not driven to make any changes to your life as a result. As the car gets closer and louder, and the windows start to shake, you start to pay attention. Then, if the planet does not retrograde, it just drives past the house and you settle back down into your daily life.

Frequently, though, the planet will retrograde and turn around and drive back past our house. The second time it drives by, we become very alert to its effect. We may go out and yell at the car, we might even call the police. We are definitely motivated to make a change. While it’s turning around, of course it slows down until it is nearly stopped and this is when we say the planet is “stationary” or “makes a station.”

When a planet is stationary, like Mercury is today and tomorrow before it turns direct (forward) again, its effect becomes pronounced. It’s like the car with the loud boombox, parked outside your house and booming away. Today and tomorrow we take a last look back at issues that require change before we look again to the future.