venus mercury jupiter conjunctionMercury and Venus have been moving towards an exact conjunction over the past week, but today they align exactly.  On Wednesday May 11th the two will hook up with Jupiter as well, creating a triple conjunction of powerful magnitude.

Mercury represents communication and the transmission of information, but it also governs change and the fluidity of our experience.  Mercury is a bit of a shapeshifter, and in mythology Hermes/Mercury was the only god that could travel into the underworld to relay messages to Hades/Pluto from the other gods.

Venus and Jupiter are known as the “benefics,” with Venus often called the “lesser benefic” and Jupiter the “greater benefic.”   The combination of these two is considered to be very fortunate by many astrologers.  Venus enhances our ability to attract and refine, and Jupiter bestows confidence and faith which can assist us in expanding our sense of that which is possible so that possibilities become reality. This influence will remain in effect through May 15th or so.

The three planets align in the sign of Aries – the sign of fiery inspiration, motivation and courageous embrace of the unknown.  This triple conjunction brings with it an ability to break through barriers of all kinds since there is very little fear or hesitation to stand in the way of our ideals.

Fortunately Mars, the planet of assertive action, has moved out of its own sign of Aries into Taurus which adds a grounding and stabilizing effect to this expansive planetary dynamic.

Mercury and Venus will continue their dance together for the next few weeks, but they will move past Jupiter by the 16th when both Mercury and Venus move into Taurus and the connection with Jupiter is severed.   These are fast moving planets, and their influence usually lasts for just a few days.  But when two planets are aligned for three weeks like this, there is an intensification of energy that can inspire change.  You may feel that your life is moving too quickly but avoid resistance – remember Mercury is your ally here and will help you to integrate and transform.

In any case, there are great opportunities for skywatching over the next few days with the two brightest planets in the sky illuminating the usually elusive Mercury.

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