Mercury Retrograde and the Nines

Yesterday was the debut of the Fall series of free talks at the Herb Bar here in Austin, TX.  It also happened to be the slot I was given to talk about A Fool’s Journey.

For a few days now, I have been wanting to write about Mercury Retrograde, partly because I’ve been feeling it more strongly this time around and partly because I now understand it better as a result.

Often times, before I actually write a blog entry, I carry the information around for a few days waiting for the words to “fully congeal”, as it were.  Well, funny I find myself writing that last sentence because that process in and of itself is exactly what this blog entry is all about.

So I have been carrying around thoughts of the gift of Mercury Retrograde just waiting for further insight when, in the middle of my talk, I find it.

As I am discussing the Journey behind the Journey, I start explaining (my take on) the numerology of the Tarot.  In a nutshell, we start off with linear growth, then discontinuity, correction, then reevaluation.  After that, we hit the quantum leap.  Now you would think the cycle would end there, but it doesn’t.  The quantum leap is the eight.  Nine is about completion.  Even at ten, we are inside of the gateway, but not all the way through.

So after this huge leap forward in understanding or situation, we have two more steps to take before starting the next level.  It is at this time that we are likely to be the most impatient.  “I just got it, so now let’s go.  I’m ready! Come on!”

But, are the ‘i’s dotted or the ‘t’s crossed?

Recently, on a weekly basis, I have been working with a very powerful metaphysical woman named Stephanie Golden-Falcon.  My work with her has been accelerating my climb up a steep part of my journey.  Each week, we climb a rung on the ladder.  Yet this phase has been quite challenging because each week, something that has been holding me back is revealed. 

I described it to a friend like this:

“I feel like I have these things that are stuck to me.  Attached to them are bungee cords that connect down to lower rungs on the ladder.  Every time I take a step up, the tension of the cords pulls more.  If I don’t let them go, they are going to rip a piece of me off!”

Back to my talk, I get to the nine in my discussion and I start talking about completion and how the nine is here to make sure we did all that we needed to before moving on to the next level.  If we don’t get it done at the nine, then this pulling will get stronger in the next cycle and can even pull us all the way back.  In fact, how many of you out there feel like this lifetime has been all about tying up loose ends of uncompleted business from past lives?

So, in the midst of talking about completion, I find myself saying, “Mercury Retrograde is all about the nine”.  Wow!  I heard myself say that and then I really got it!

Mercury Retrograde slows us down, makes us go back and recheck, re-measure, reread and reedit.

In my software endeavor the other day, I was working with a colleague on new functionality when I made a small error.  I misspelled the name of a new column, which I caught a moment later.  However, I had run the software in between, which messed up my database.  The only way to fix this was to start over with a new database. Typically this is not a big deal, however this time, the software wouldn’t run after that.  We spent more than 30 minutes trying to figure out what was wrong before finding the problem.

Well, the bigger problem had nothing to do with my error, but my error forced me down a path that revealed the issue that was hiding.  We lost a few hours through the whole process, but ended up finding and fixing something we would have discovered eventually, but possibly at an even greater cost.  So ultimately, Mercury’s backward motion guided us toward better quality!  It wasn’t fun at the time, frustrating actually, but in the end, it “did good”.

And this is merely one example I’ve seen or experienced just in the past week!  I’m sure many of you found yourself going back to fix or finish something you thought was done already.

Back in the day when software was my main gig, we use to say, “It takes 90% of the time to complete the last 10%.”  It looks done when you hit that 90%, but then it takes forever to iron out all of the bugs. 

The Nine.  It feels like torture being so close yet so far.

As I go through my own process, I am reminded of the many nines that I left too soon.  In my haste, I rushed over some ‘i’s and ‘t’s.  In my impatience, I sprinted forward at the first chance that I got.  Through my strength, I pushed passed “go” and didn’t pay my full $200.

And now I am.

It’s funny because just the other day I said, “Mercury Retrograde never affects me.”  Now I get it.  I just wasn’t listening to him.  Somehow, the winged master let me off easy, until now.

But that’s okay because, through the Perfection of the Universe, it was what it was and was perfect.  By climbing the way I did, I now get to go back and review, and this time, I am taking notes.  “Ah, so that’s what I missed!” “I didn’t really understand that then, but now I get it!”

And the even better part is that I now get to help y’all, or at least anyone who asks.  And that’s putting on the finishing touches of one of my desired manifestations!

You have just a couple of days left of Mercury Retrograde, so partake of his gifts and then get ready for forward motion this October!  I have a feeling it will be faster than ever.  While he’s been resting, he’s been preparing his wings for a sprint to the 11:11:11 and then the 2010.

Best wishes on your Journey!