THE CLINTON AFFAIRpart four

Mercury Retrograde

Mercury was retrograde in Leo (for everyone, everywhere) from July 31 to August 24. However, the complete retrograde cycle extends from July 26, when Mercury slows to its station at 28 Leo 16, through to September 6, when Mercury, moving direct, returns to that degree.

During this cycle, there are two stationary periods ("stations"), when Mercury appears motionless in the sky, the retrograde station at 28 Leo 16 from July 26 to August 5 and the direct station at 15 Leo 58 from August 19 - 27.

What does Mercury affect?

In general, Mercury rules thinking and perception, processing and disseminating information and all means of communication, commerce, and transportation. By extension, Mercury rules people who work in these areas, especially people who work with their minds or their wits: writers and orators, commentators and critics, gossips and spin doctors, tricksters and thieves.

Mercury retrograde gives rise to personal misunderstandings; flawed, disrupted, or delayed communications, negotiations and trade; glitches and breakdowns with phones, computers, cars, buses, and trains. And all of these problems usually arise because some crucial piece of information, or component, has gone astray, or awry.

When Mercury is retrograde, everyone's thinking is more introspective and we tend to think about issues and concerns which relate to the sign involved. With Mercury retrograde in Leo, people with Sun in Leo will be especially prone to such introspection. There is little choice but to reconsider one's personal views and opinions about life. There is, however, an opportunity to gain insight into one's own ego.

Given all this, the Mercury retrograde period (July 31 to August 24) would stimulate Leo's need to discuss, re-examine, rethink and perhaps redo matters that had been said, written, or negotiated in the past. Once Mercury moves direct again (after August 24), its disturbing influence begins to ease and some progress with Mercury-related issues is made, but anything contentious emerging during the retrograde period would not be fully resolved, or come to light, until Mercury reaches 28 Leo again, on September 6.

We have already stated that Starr and Lewinski will be thinking and talking about Bill Clinton's personal affairs, he in relation to his role as special prosecutor and she in terms of her notions of love and affection. This theme is reinforced by the Mercury retrograde cycle.

It just so happens that Mercury was conjunct Monica Lewinski's natal Venus (28 Leo 47), the planet of love, at the beginning of its retrograde period and sextile her natal Ascendant (15 Libra 59) when Mercury went direct. Also, when Mercury was stationary before moving direct it was conjunct Ken Starr's natal retrograde Mercury (17 Leo 02) from August 19 to 27. Finally, Mercury was conjunct Clinton's Sun (26 Leo 43) on the day of Lewinski's birthday (July 25) and again on the day she first testified before the grand jury (August 6).

Here we see Starr's depth of thought, his serious, probing mentality coming to the fore. He is seeking to establish the true facts of the past relationship between Clinton and Lewinski, as distinct from what they previously said about the nature of their relationship. However, this relates more to Lewinski and what she is prepared to reveal about her liasion with Clinton, than it does to Clinton himself.

Retrograde Planetary Cycles Click on these links to see the planets controlling the Clinton Affair
Mercury Retrograde 24 days Stationary approx. 3 days Neptune Retrograde 160 days Stationary approx. 16 days Pluto Retrograde 160 days Stationary approx. 16 days	Uranus Retrograde 150 days Stationary approx. 16 days Jupiter Retrograde 120 days Stationary approx. 10 days Saturn Retrograde 140 days Stationary approx. 10 days

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Clinton Affair | Planetary Influences | Retrograde Cycles | Astrology on the Web