We all have that one area of our lives where we can’t seem to bridge our idealized version of things with actual reality. You know: like maybe you persistently believe you’ll be able to stretch time to fit all the things you want to do in a day, despite your unbroken track record of never doing so; or you repeatedly overlook potential partners’ honesty about themselves, instead concocting a dream-version of the person—and then feel shocked when they stay true to their flaws.
Maybe you always fall for the deal that seems too good to be true. Or, it continually surprises you when the comments you toss off without thinking on Facebook actually upset people who don’t understand “what you really meant.”
Those are just a few examples of the sort of thinking and situations you’ll want to beware of as we head into the weekend. What’s your unique twist on the theme? Write it down on a sticky note now and put it on your bathroom mirror so you don’t forget. Mercury and Neptune are coming to town, by way of Gemini and Pisces, and there’s a good chance all that air and water could fog up the mirror—i.e., your perception.
Mercury is currently slowing down in early Gemini, having entered the pre-retrograde shadow (or echo) phase earlier this week. If you noticed that a few telltale things such as your computer or communication went mildly wonky on Monday, that was your heads up: Mercury stations retrograde May 18.
This means that already the realms of thinking, communicating and technology (and commerce) aren’t quite up to the usual standards of agility and acuity Mercury in Gemini might normally represent. Mercury square Neptune, which is exact at 12:08 pm EDT May 9 (but is well in effect now), exacerbates things.
On a positive note, Mercury square Neptune (especially with Pisces involved) could be very useful for furthering any spiritual or mystical pursuits. If you’re a creative type, this aspect could really help you to imagine two (or more) ways your vision could take shape (Gemini and Pisces are both signs marked by duality).
The caveat is that you’ll still need to anchor yourself in tangible, real-world facts as you go. Fantasies and daydreams are a perfectly benign way to enjoy this aspect—as long as you stay aware of their ‘not real’ status.
Along similar lines, watch out for any inclinations to withhold details or the full picture of a situation from anybody (this includes withholding from yourself, i.e., denial). Secrets, deceptions and distortions of the truth are not going to serve you (or the other person) well. It might seem like the ‘kind’ thing in the short-run, but what goes around comes around when it comes to evasiveness. The last thing you want is to end up on the receiving end of delayed repercussions from your attempts to spin the truth now. And keep your antennae tuned for anyone else’s ‘almost honesty.’
Speaking of words: unintentionally confusing communication is very possible through the weekend, so take your time to formulate your thoughts. It’s a simple step easy to overlook (and it’s good practice for when Mercury retrogrades).
Our dreams guide us in shaping our life’s path, and rightfully so; but we still need to read the trail signs, check our compass and understand how the map correlates to what we encounter as we walk. That’s no reason to be afraid to hit the trail—it’s just a reason to stay alert.
