A “Mercury Reversed” Example Reading
As luck (or Fate) would have it, Mercury went retrograde on the 14th of January, 2022, giving me a perfect opportunity to test this spread. During much of the period, Venus is also retrograde but there were no Venus decan cards in the draw. It might be worthwhile to set up the “Archetypal Pattern” for all five of the “classical” planets that can experience retrograde motion.
Mercury goes direct on February 4th, so the “Tone” card for the next couple of weeks is the Prince of Wands. The “Archetypal” implication of this position is one of anxiety over disruption of any plans or prospects, with the risk of either over-correction or abandonment. The advice of the Prince of Wands is not to push my agenda too hard, but also not to shy away from any golden opportunities that might yield to a little entrepreneurial flair. I should also be careful of irritating anyone in authority with my brash optimism and enthusiasm since they could be prickly about minor transgressions.
The “Reversal of Ambition” card is the Princess of Wands reversed. The “Archetypal” implication of this position is one of thwarted or disappointed ambition. The advice of the Princess of Wands rx is to walk softly and “bank my fires” but not lose sight of my goals. Although it can be hard-won with this card and easily lost, patience is a virtue worth nurturing during this time, especially with her counterpart, the Prince of Wands, “banging the drum.”
The “Reversal of Feeling” card is the 10 of Disks, “Wealth.” The “Archetypal” implication of this position is one of emotional tension or disharmony (think temperamental “indigestion”). The 10 of Disks suggests that I should not overvalue my own importance or become too self-satisfied during this period and chance being “deflated” in some way. (I noticed belatedly that this is another Mercury in Earth [Virgo] decan card, but I believe the Mercury in Taurus card better suits my archetypal purpose in the “Yield” position.)
The “Reversal of Thought” card is the 2 of Swords, “Peace.” The “Archetypal” implication of this position is one of deflected attention and overtaxed reasoning faculties. The advice of the 2 of Swords is to sharpen my focus and rein in my overactive imagination, keeping my “eye on the ball” at all times. However, the danger in this is a shrinking of my horizons to the point that I miss any dawning hints of dissension or disunity. I may need to raise my sights and then readjust my aim.
The “Reversal of Fortune” card is the Princess of Swords. The “Archtypal” implication of this position is one of worry over financial matters (e.g. investments, income, property, all things of monetary value). The advice of the Princess of Swords is not to cut margins too closely and remain alert for any economic “changes in the wind.” There is also a caution against careless spending on one hand and senseless penny-pinching on the other; a prudent course is best.
As the “Yield” (or outcome) card, the Princess of Swords governs the southeast quadrant of space, which has as its central decan Mercury in Aquarius, the 6 of Swords. This implies that the 2 of Swords (Moon in Libra) in the “Reversal of Thought” position is the most important “advice” card in this reading. Mental clarity and circumspection should be cultivated since the Moon is prone to distortion and exaggeration, and Libra is too uncritical to keep it in line. The Prince of Wands would be all too happy to jump on the bandwagon and drag the Princess along with him.
Originally published at http://parsifalswheeldivination.wordpress.com on January 24, 2022.
