#hillbilly hocuspocus

                              First let's look at Mercury in Scorpio, and Mercury Retrograde in Scorpio. 

          Mercury may flaunt a dualistic nature, able to osculate between ideas, and persona, but that fails to match the intensity of the Scorpio, symbolized by not one, not two, but 8 different faceted symbols. Mercury in Scorpio brings out the dualistic nature of each of these 8 symbols: lizard, snake, scorpion, eagle, spider, the wolf,  phoenix, and the rabbit. Each have their positive, and negative qualities, and all will be on display in those you meet, and congregate with while Mercury is in Scorpio. As Mercury rules our communications, and thoughts, you may have more morbid conversations, and thoughts than usual. Dark images will find their way to you, through media, personal messages, and society, you will feel an urge into the abyss. Discussions may revolve around death, mysteries, the occult, psychology/mental health, regeneration/rebirth, and sex. You may find your thoughts are more obsessive about such topics than usual, and your usual obsessive thinking, could become more compulsive. Keep an eye on obsessive thinking now, as it could become detrimental to your mental health, and well being. Now may be a time when you feel comfortable talking about sex with others, and exploring the darker sides of your own sexuality. Especially in the area of "talking dirty". Remember! Mercury rules our communications!

                 Mercury will enter the shadow on the 11th, and fully retrograde on the 31st, in celebration of Halloween here in the U.S. Any planet beginning to retrograde goes through a "shadow" period. "Entering/Exiting the Shadow" means that the planet is preparing, entering the energy field per say, of fully stationing retrograde. During retrograde, a planet doesn't actually move backwards, but slows down it's orbit making it appear to move backwards from our POV on Earth. During the "shadow period" you get a taste, or a clue as to what the current retrograde cycle has in store for you. It then will find a way to re-peat itself during retrograde, amplifying the energy, and then softer once more as the planet "exits the shadow". 

                 As Mercury Retrogrades in Scorpio, and during these shadow periods we will experience set backs, delays, and internalization's in regards to everything Scorpionic in our personal spheres. This could manifest in many different ways. On the one hand Halloween in the U.S means Trick-or-Treat. You may have travel delays, or roadblocks in regards to taking your kids out that evening. You may find an issue with their costumes, your own costume, or anything new purchased at this time. The longer you wait to buy a costume now, the better the chances of it ripping, tearing, or somehow being wrong the night when you need it. You may also want to be very vigilant about checking your kids candy this year, as Mercury is the trickster, and tricks will be more prevalent than treats this year. If you plan to meet up with anyone on that night, or for party's this year, you will want to double check your directions, and make sure everyone's phone's are charged, and even have a backup plan if you were to get lost from one another. These are some of the ways Mercury will be playing tricks on us all this year. 

           Other ways Mercury Retrograde in Scorpio could effect you this spooky season involve all of our personal lives. As Scorpio is known for it's mystery, and secrets, you may now uncover a secret with a very dark nature. It may be something intense, that you cannot clearly see a way around. While it is difficult to swim in the deep depths of Scorpio, you will be transformed from having uncovered such mysteries. These secrets could involve the occult, sex, death, inheritance, and other peoples money. It is in the nature of Scorpio to want to seek revenge, or become obsessive once such information has come to the light. It would be ill advised to seek any form of revenge during a Mercury Retrograde, as it will need to be re-done, or will not turn out how you hoped.  I also advise against letting any jealousy which comes to the light take you over, as it will lead you into more trouble than it's worth.

                    This ties in Venus also stationed in Scorpio. 

                    Venus is the planet of relationships, love, pleasure, beauty, and the archetype of the divine feminine. While in Scorpio, Venus is stirring up the vixen within us all. You may feel intense sensuality, sexuality and intimacy brewing within', and being mirrored by the social atmosphere. While Venus loves to take in all of life's pleasures, it is important also to maintain some form of harmony, and balance. Take care not to become so engulfed by your desires that you let the scales become unbalanced. Watch for manipulative, and controlling behavior with this transit. The desire for pleasure, and the crossed wires of Mercury Retrograde could easily turn the vixen you just met, into a succubus. 

                                 I hope that you find ways to enjoy the spooky season, and roll with the punches of Mercury & Venus in Scorpio. While it may take you some extra time to get to the Halloween Party, there will be plenty of tricks-and-treats to go around for all of those brave enough to slink through Scorpios shadows with a light heart.

There are a couple of other astrological influences which will effect the landing as we head into this unexplored terrain. Mercury will station retrograde at 29º Pisces at 1.20pm EST on March 5th, the day prior to Uranus's entry into Taurus, and there will also be a New Moon in Pisces at 15º. It's important to note, all of this Pisces energy will likely add a touch of surreal, and a dream like fog over everything. On the one hand the retrograde of Mercury will have you rethinking your plans, and probably feeling like going inward no matter how much change is happening outside of your cerebral fantasy world. If Uranus shifting into Taurus hits you heavy in the first few days, this Mercury shift may be the cherry on top of a horrible situation. Mercury Retrograde is notorious for being a thorn in one's side, causing chaos, playing pranks, tricking us, and having a laugh. Take extra time in planning any travel now, and DO NOT BUY ANY NEW ELECTRONICS until at least March 28th. Often when we make commitments to new things, plans, contracts, ideas, or work, we end up having to come back and re-do it when it's done during a Mercury Retrograde. Better to save yourself the trouble before hand. Those born with Natal Mercury Retrograde in their birth charts however, will see progress in communication, talking more about their dreams, being in the right place at the right time, ect.

The New Moon on the other hand could have you feeling a MAJOR re-birth on the horizon. If you have significant Taurus, or Pisces placements, are a fixed zodiac sign (Taurus, Leo, Aquarius, Scorpio), are the adventurous type, or you just feel done with everything you've been doing for awhile, NOW is the time to act, to change your life in significant ways! Regardless of the Mercury Retrograde, it might be worth a re-do if it meant you could come out of it all with a re-newed since of livelihood, love of life, and perspective. New Moons are always a time of new beginnings, planting seeds, and new ideas! We may feel bombarded with many new ideas, and way's of seeing even the mundane suddenly, that we are confused about which option to pursue. You may have so many ideas you can't remember, so it may be best to keep around a small journal to jot them down before they dissolve. Remember that every great thing you ever saw, and every experience you ever enjoyed, was once a dream, or an idea. Keep the faith, and have patience as you plant these seeds!

Back to Uranus's Entry into Taurus... this will effect us all, not only on an individual level, but on a planetary level. Ruled by Venus, the perpetrator of beauty, and love, Taurus can be slow, but steady, in smelling the roses. Taurus is the ruler of the 2nd House. This means Taurus effects everything we value, our possessions, money, all things material, expenses, desires, career, and our food. Taurus is known for effecting the Earth, or in a Natal Chart, one's relationship with grounding. Uranus is the planet which effects all things electric, and our technology. Uranus boasts themes of revolution, liberation, freedom, shocks, surprises, the unpredictable, the eccentric, change, innovation, the future, science, chaos, and humanity as a whole.

Put these two together, and what'daya get? Take the information above and apply it to the house Uranus will be visiting for a better picture of the kind of unexpected shocks, surprises, and jolts that will begin to become prevalent in your life. Look below for your Sun Sign for more information! Or message the shop for a Natal Chart Reading specifically for this transit, and how it will effect you over the next 7 years!

Aries (March 21 – April 19) 

 Uranus will enter your 2nd House 

The themes that will come up involve your values, your possessions, money, the price you pay, the price you ask, all things material, expenses, desires, career, your neck, and throat, what is yours, how secure you are, how stable you are, your physical world, what brings you pleasure, self-worth, things that bring you comfort, working on coming out of your comfort zone, or creating one, your resources, your personal talents, promises, getting a grip, defense/ammunition, and your personal strength, examining your relationship with the natural world (nature), lack of/working on - themes of patience, practicality, finding something to reach for, reliability, solidity, interest/attention- to art and music.

Gemstone/Crystal for this transit: Citrine- Natural Citrine is a premier stone of manifestation, imagination, and personal will. Carrying the power of the sun, it is warm and comforting, energizing and life giving. It stimulates the chakras like the sunlight of spring, clearing the mind and stirring the soul to action. Called The Merchant's Stone for its properties of increase in the cashbox, sparkling yellow Citrine not only assists in acquiring wealth, but helps in maintaining it. It is a stone of abundance and manifestation, attracting wealth and prosperity, success and all things good. It also encourages generosity and sharing good fortune. Citrine assists in all fast money ventures, and is especially helpful in financial speculation and for commercial success. Carry one in the purse or wallet to attract money and stop excessive outflow.

Taurus (April 20 - May 20) 

Uranus will enter your 1st House 

The themes that will come up involve your personality, appearance, ego, early childhood memories, who you are becoming and will become, both internally and externally, your personality and presentation to the world, your essential qualities, approach to life, demeanor and basic sensibilities, the head, the face, your existence, the self, finding your individuality, self-pride, and identity, examining aggression in yourself/others, working on impatience, learning to assert yourself differently, learning to lead/asking who is the leader, examining your competitive side, becoming more outspoken, examining the energy you have/what you give it to, taking more risks, and going on more adventures, time lines speeding up (sometimes out of your comfort zone).

Gemstone/Crystal for this transit: Blue Calcite - can aid you in accepting yourself, even your imperfections. The light blue rays are excellent for recovery efforts from addiction or destructive behavior patterns. They aid in curbing tempers and helping us become more tranquil and composed. Their rays are potent and they can aid us in changing our lives to become more optimistic and confident. They are also helpful in dealing with grief, letting go of the past, and easing feelings of guilt.

Gemini (May 21 - June 20) 

Uranus will enter your 12th House 

The themes that will come up involve your subconscious mind/thoughts, hidden enemies, the unconscious, your self-undoings, imprisonment, hidden psychological problems, your weaknesses, your karma, past lives/future lives, your dreams, your sleeping patterns, psychic phenomena, clairvoyance, paranormal activities, unconscious abilities, self-sacrifice and suffering, secret charity, behind the scenes activities, illegal jobs, illegal affairs, confidential documents, secrets, all large animals, monasteries, asylums, hospitals, prisons, rehabilitation centers and every institution that imposes limitations, the feet, toes, and lymphatic system, working on becoming more adaptable, compassion, working through confusion/becoming more confused then usual, examining your own escapist tendencies, and those of other around you, taking time for reflection/meditation/yoga more often, shyness, intuition, sympathy, and the meaning of unconditional love.

Gemstone/Crystal for this transit: Blue Apatite- can be used as a dream stone to access the subconscious for creative problem solving, as well as for exploring other lives and karmic patterns.It is a particularly strong stone to use in past-life or alternate-life work, because of its ability to access the energy levels where the Akashic records and an individual's soul patterns exist.

Cancer (June 21 - July 22) 

Uranus will enter your 11th House 

 The themes that will come up involve your friends, groups, how you interact with organized patterns of people, and how you blend into collective structures, memberships, learning more about your own individual uniqueness, experiencing freedom, liberation, and revolution or feeling a lack of these things, forming more of your own opinions, learning to be more outspoken, examining the fairness/injustices in our society, the immediate results that come from your career, social status, Step-children and adopted children, humanitarian causes, donations and volunteering through financial aid, volunteering through work, hopes, dreams, and wishes, aid through connections, opening of gates or even economic support from strong friends, the calves, shins, and ankles, learning when to be attached to something/detachment, revolution, rebellion, humanity as a whole, science, technology, moments of genius, visions of the future/experiencing futuristic worlds/places, and free thinking. As these themes seem to contradict one another, you will ironically be examining the paradoxes that reside in our shared reality.

Gemstone/Crystal for this transit: Lapis Lazuli- Beautiful blue lapis lazuli is excellent for improved communications between friends. This gemstone encourages honest, well-thought-out communication. It will make it easier to speak from the heart, with compassion and understanding. Lapis lazuli also has the ability to give you a deep self-awareness that can help you see where you might be able to improve in order to be a better friend.

Leo (July 23 - August 22)

 Uranus will enter your 10th House 

The themes that will come up involve your career, how you appear in the eyes of your community, your public standing and rank in society, becoming an authority figure of some kind, occupation, your dream job, governmental institutes, your dominant parent, how you appear in the eyes of the people that surround you, your reputation, the opinion of those who observe you, how you will be remembered when you die, judgement, who has the power, how can you get the power, becoming a mentor for other people, guiding them with your influence, your legacy, and the karma you will leave behind, examining themes of impersonal determination to achieve (in yourself/others), your personal ambition, self-control, personal achievements, examining ways in which you may be narrow minded, and dealing with perceptions of narrow mindedness in others, authority figures of all kinds, organization, starting a business, or examining themes of business becoming prominent in your life, examining ways in which you have become callous/the perceived callousness of society, how you can provide for yourself, ways in which you/society are conservative/conventional, depression, discipline, hard work, the elderly in general/ideas of growing old, your personal societal status, way's in which you/society are miserly, traditions, things you've become a master at/working with masters of trade, and perceptions/concepts of "time".

Gemstone/Crystal for this transit: Black Tourmaline- Black Tourmaline is an excellent grounding crystal for meditation and healing, one of the very best protective stones, Black Tourmaline soothes panic attacks, especially those caused by dark or confined spaces, or in places where the atmosphere is frightening, blocks other people from throwing negative energy at you or attempting to harm your reputation, and will help ground you so that you can accomplish the business you need to get done.

Virgo (August 23 - September 22)

Uranus will enter your 9th House

The themes that will come up involve philosophy, higher Knowledge, expansion, whether it is knowledge, traveling or the spreading of ideas, abstract ways of thinking, luck, writing and publishing, teachers, professors, anything foreign to you, foreign culture, religion, language or social structure, import/export business, second spouse's, one's/someone's third child, grandchildren, in-law relatives, the law; advocates, jury and all people that work in the law department, religion, priests, gurus, spiritual people, perception of the Universe, God or gods, or even our denial of a higher existence, the meaning of your own existence, profound life-changing spiritual events, cults, the hips, thighs, and buttocks, what are your aspirations, how do you acquire knowledge, concepts about the transference of knowledge/facts/wisdom, examining your personal morals/having them tested, how strong is your personal optimism, talking to more people (especially those far away), playing practical jokes/having them played on you, examining preaching (what it is to you, how do you preach, ect.), expanding in size body wise, idea wise, or luck wise, finding a quest worth taking, examining how you are reckless, or where you could be more reckless, seeking something, finding humor in situations, being more spontaneous/having more spontaneous ideas, going back to college/taking up a new class, and finding ways to be more versatile.

Gemstone/Crystal for this transit: Amethyst- Amethyst will increase your spiritual awareness and transmutes unhelpful energy into energy that is beneficial to you. It is a high vibe crystal that also calms and soothes, bringing about peace, love and happiness. Use amethyst to provide protection to your psychic energy and spiritual communication.

Libra (September 23 - October 22) 

 Uranus will enter your 8th House 

The themes that will come up involve birth, re-birth, death, deaths of other close people, near-death experiences, occupations connected with death such as undertaker and everything connected with the realm of the dead, other people's money, sex, taboos, inheritances (both material and spiritual), legacies, wills, the occult world, conscious magick, mysticism, the mysteries of life and existence, taxes, debt, loans, credit, spouse’s resources, "letting go" of things/people which no longer serve you, sacrifice for evolution, paying back of negative karma, compassion's, obsessions, jealousy, manipulation, hate and other feelings related to our shadow side, shadow work, and the genitals, examining your own emotional power, finding your true passions, and your personal depths, becoming more observant, who has control, how can you gain control, what role does control play in your everyday life, themes of possessiveness in yourself, or others, in what ways are you cruel, in what ways have you perceived cruelty in the world around you, your psychological health, what role psychological health plays in the world around you, destruction, you ability to destroy, ways in which you self destruct your life, your sensitivities, things becoming extreme, sudden fears of becoming too vulnerable, hiding your emotions in your shell, dealing with trauma, concerns about survival, suspicions, mystery's, and ultimately spiritually transformative experiences.

Gemstone/Crystal for this transit: Sunstone- Sunstone provides a source of strength if you are dependent on others emotionally, or have suffered the sudden loss of a partner. It helps alleviate fearfulness and stress, and protects against those who drain your energies or finances. It is also an excellent crystal for phobia sufferers to ease fear of the dark, enclosed places, or the presence of other trigger. Use this to light your way through the depths of the 8th house!

Scorpio (October 23 - November 21) 

 Uranus will enter your 7th House 

The themes that will come up involve your relationships and partnerships between you and other people, marriage, divorce, your partner, open enemies, your associates, close business partnerships, your grandparents on your mothers side, cooperation, agreements, things you do out in public, seeing yourself through another, concepts about relationships, what is right and fair, how should an individual be treated and what is justice between people, balance, fairness, harmony, allies, beauty, beauty standards/ideas, the kidneys, and lumbar region, ways in which you adjust to changes in your life, the overall aesthetic of your life, examining your personal attractions/what you're attracted to, concepts of peace, and how you can achieve it/teach others how to achieve it in their life, ways in which you are a people pleaser, people who people please you, and your over all expression of your actual desires, ways in which you aim to be a perfectionist, examining concepts of being polite/why we use manners, feeling torn between two opposing sides (as you can see reasons for both), feeling social/anti-social, examining ways you can create more harmony in your socialization, examining themes of superficiality, and what role it plays in your reality, examining themes of grace, and idealism.

Gemstone/Crystal for this transit: Rose Quartz- The fair and lovely Rose Quartz, with its gentle pink essence, is a stone of the heart, a Crystal of Unconditional Love. It carries a soft feminine energy of compassion and peace, tenderness and healing, nourishment and comfort. It speaks directly to the Heart Chakra, dissolving emotional wounds, fears and resentments, and circulates a Divine loving energy throughout the entire aura. Reawakening the heart to its own innate love, it provides a deep sense of personal fulfillment and contentment, allowing one the capacity to truly give and receive unconditional love from others.

Sagittarius (November 22 - December 21) 

 Uranus will enter your 6th House 

The themes that will come up involve your job and service, health and personal hygiene, pets, daily routines, and responsibilities, occupations, service towards others, others service towards you, diet habits, healing and self-healing, small animals, discipline, responsibility, effort, and patience, obligations, uncles and aunts, obsessive-compulsive behaviors and habits that do not change quickly through time, the work environment, co-workers, the abdomen, and digestive system, learning more ways to be adaptable, examining ways in which to be cleaner, neater, and more organized, becoming careful/examining ways in which you are too careful, trying to gain order in your life/dealing with complete chaos, examining the smaller details in situations, precision, practicality, purity, examining your personal faults, and the faults in those around you, becoming skeptical to things, how can you help/how can you be helped, examining the system in which you live/have created, examining your personal modesty/lack of modesty, humility, and themes of alchemy.

Gemstone/Crystal for this transit: Amber- Yellow, brown, or red colored amber is believed by some to be a powerful gemstone with uses ranging from treating headaches and stress to promoting self-expression. It’s also said to promote cleansing and purification, which may help to bring illnesses out of the body and alleviate pain so that the wearer can heal.

Capricorn (December 22 - January 19) 

 Uranus will enter your 5th House 

The themes that will come up involve pleasure, love, entertainment, how you expresses yourself, your personal road towards happiness, fun, gaming, hobbies, athletic activities, recreational games, gambling, financial speculation, creativity, collecting objects, searching, hunting or simply playing with luck, manias and obsessions, sex as a recreational activity, romantic relationships and flirting, falling in love, getting excited and enthusiastic, meeting new people and goofing around, theaters, drama, and acting, leadership, innocence, first born children, children in general, one's own inner child, and partly rules one’s childhood; more particularly, it rules what the native chooses as, how you played as a child, and discovered the world around you, childhood creations, amusements, and performances, artistic or athletic tendencies, your personal pride and showing off, and all types of celebration and partying, the heart, upper back, and spine, sustained vitality and loyalty, the loyalty of others, sudden desire for recognition, ways in which you are a boss in your life/vs/who's the boss of you, where you find courage in your life/vs/where you lack the courage to push plans through, how you feel about being conceited/ways in which you are conceited, finding determination, finding ways to feel more "royal"/learning about royalty, faithfulness, trust, generosity, warmth, and your relationship with the Sun.

Gemstone/Crystal for this transit: Apache Tears- Heal Grief and Give Protection and Grounding. Apache Tears are a type of Black Obsidian, but they have a more friendly vibration than some of the other types of Obsidian. They are not altered but are natural crystals that heal grief. Apache Tears are helpful for surfacing grief held in the emotional body in order to cleanse and heal old trauma or wounds. Apache Tears is best known for it's ability to help one overcome depression. Use this stone to heal your inner child, and all inner wounds for more happiness, and fun in your everyday life.

Aquarius (January 20 - February 18) 

 Uranus will enter your 4th House 

The themes that will come up involve foundations, the home, the family, the roots, ancestors, domestic issues, your property and real estate, land, houses or even subterranean places, origin, the grandparents, the lineage and traditions passing from them, as well as material things that are coming from previous generations of your family, broken/strengthening family bonds, your less dominant parent/mother, your own feminine energy, place of residence, the collective karma of your lineage, and influences that your ancestor’s actions have on your whole family, magickal powers passed as a blessing or curse from elder generations, your bloodline, nurturing (how you nurture yourself, and others, how others nurture you), safety/lack of safety, empathy, nostalgia, cooking, examining your emotions/moods, and their patterns, examining your insecurities and their roots, the chest, the breasts, and stomach, your nesting instincts, what is your shell, what are you protecting yourself from, things smothering you/you smothering something, what is tender in your heart?

Gemstone/Crystal for this transit: Selenite- selenite is connected to the crown chakra – your direct line to the Divine. It is high-vibrational and self-cleanses. Selenite’s white light brings clarity and breaks through debris that clouds our auras blocking us from connecting with our ancestors. Use selenite in conjunction with obsidian, as it can leave you feeling “flighty” after use and obsidian is a strong grounding stone.

Pisces (February 19 - March 20) 

 Uranus will enter your 3rd House 

The themes that will come up involve perception and sharing of all connections, changeability, curiosity, intellect and of all low-level knowledge(primary education until high school) you obtain in your life, brothers, sisters, and relatives, while also everyone else that is close to you such as neighbors, communication, both the actions the individual does to communicate and the devices he uses, telephones, letters, small walks to see a friend nearby, TV, radios, and newspapers, transportation,you may get a new form of transportation, short travels in nearby places, discovering a new special skills of speech or hands, working on your physical hand writing, trying painting, sculpting, becoming a mechanic, routine behaviors in the nearby society, from how you behave when you go to the nearby store, to how you greet your neighbor and so on, examining what type of filters we are using to perceive reality, low-level communication and conversation, gossiping, chatting and small-talk, needs and desires to be informed, issues concerning the usage of the internet, blogging, information junkie, learning a foreign language, playing jokes/having jokes played on you, learning more about you own adaptability, examining you own mulit-fascited personality/moods, becoming nosy about others lives/having someone suddenly become nosy about your life, examining you own dexterity, being slick, examining the symmetry's in the world/your own self, and the duality's within society/your own self , experiencing people who you perceive to be "two-faced", or seeing ways in which you can be "two faced, experiencing flashes of information, and examining your own intelligence.