The Mercury Elemental Year of Fire 2024-5

Seeking Cosmos amongst the seeming Chaos of Creation

The Hermetic Correspondent will (eventually) consist of one Free post and one Paid post per month. Your pledges help activate the premium posts!

---

The Mercury Elemental Year of Fire

“The Cosmos… ever was, and is, and will be: everliving fire, kindling in measures and being quenched in measures.” —Heraclitus of Ephesus, circa 500 BCE

In the Western philosophical tradition there are a group of Pre-Socratic philosophers who are collectively known as “monists” (from the Greek "monos" meaning "single" or "one") because of their assorted ideas regarding which one of the four elements was the primary source from whence all other things emanate or flow. For Heraclitus, the primary substance of the universe was fire, with the Sun and Moon being huge celestial bowls of fire. Though it turns out that a bowl of fire indeed remains an apt description of the Sun, it is overly simplistic to think that Heraclitus only literally thought everything was physically made of fire. Rather, fire was the best metaphor for the Heraclitean doctrine of eternal flux. Heraclitus thought that the basic universal principle (kosmos or world-order) was constant change. To demonstrate this, he used the metaphor of the elements in a constant state of primordial flow, and through “turnings of fire” changing from fire, to water, to air (fireburst, a kind of fiery wind) and earth.

As it turns out, there is a rather literal astrological parallel to the Heraclitean cosmology. Over the course of 6-7 years, the Mercury retrogrades move through the four elements in reverse zodiacal order, from the Fire signs, to Water signs, to Air signs, to Earth signs. This means 4-6 consecutive retrogrades occur mostly within the same element, before switching to the next in sequence. I first became aware of this phenomenon through the late great Erin Sullivan’s seminal work, Retrograde Planets. (1) Sullivan astutely notes that the three Mercury retrogrades each year often belong to the same astrological element. At the most practical level, what this means is that for the year 2024, Mercury is spending about as much time in the Fire signs as all the other signs combined!

The Hermetic Correspondent will (eventually) consist of one Free post and one Paid post per month. You pledges help activate the premium posts!

---

A Collective Influence

Sullivan explains that this elemental expression of the retrogrades is collective, experienced by all humanity. This is actually something of a radical statement, because at the time it was mostly the outer planets which were seen to be in charge of collective forces. However, when we think about it, Mercury is spending more time in the fire signs than just about all the other signs combined! Shouldn't this have a collective influence?

In my research and practice, I have definitively found this collective influence to be very true and often very obvious. For instance, when Mercury’s retrograde moved from Earth signs to Fire signs in late 2010, an unknown street vendor named Mohamed Bouazizi lit the spark for the Tunisian Revolution, a conflagration that quickly spread into a regional uprising throughout Northern Africa and the Middle East in what became known as the Arab Spring.

I think part of the reason this particular Elemental transition seems to have so much power can be seen from the relative density of the elements. Any child knows that when you throw a stone into water, it sinks –therefore Earth is denser than Water. And of course steam rises and water evaporates into air, demonstrating that the Air element is less dense than Water. Finally, smoke rises even into the thin air, showing that Fire is the least dense of all elements. So when the Mercury retrogrades in the densest of elements (Earth) give ways to retrogrades in the least dense of elements (Fire), this represents an extremely dramatic transition, as the volatile fiery currents liberate all the fixed potential energy stored in the denser earth.

When we think about it this way, it also makes sense that the volatile energy expressed in the revolts of the Arab Spring, was really about something higher than simply corruption and economic stagnation. In some ways these revolts were due to a large percentage of educated but nonetheless dissatisfied youth. In other words, they were seeking something more than simple economic reforms (Earth) and were craving the freedom to fulfill much higher needs of having a meaningful life (Fire). This search for the higher truths corresponds with Fire because as an element fire always seeks the upper limit.

So we can see that the relative density of the Elements reflects an ordering of human needs and ways of being. Maslow held that for human beings to become actualized, they need to fulfill a succession of needs which lead to progressively higher level needs and consciousness. Crucially, Maslow came to believe that self-actualization is not the pinnacle of this process, but rather assisting others in actualizing their potentials is our highest need. It would seem this is because by assisting others in self-actualization we are increasing the level of actualization/consciousness for the collective.

So, as we look out at the World at this time, we should be aware that there is an echo of the 2010 revolts occurring, as we see another iteration of the Mercury Elemental Year of Fire. And once again, we should understand that over and above any grousing we hear about the economy and inflation (Earth) are higher concerns, regarding truth, order and purpose (Fire). For instance, the fundamental and inalienable right to Freedom of Speech has become an issue, as governments and social media platforms have tried to limit or censor speech in the guise of combating misinformation and disinformation.

The Hermetic Correspondent will (eventually) consist of one Free post and one Paid post per month. You pledges help activate the premium posts!

---

Retrograde Alchemy

After witnessing and beginning to understand the power of this cycle of Mercury retrogrades through the four Elements, I spent several years of intense study on this topic myself, resulting in my own volume. (2) In chapter five of my book, I note that this same sequence of the elements (Fire, Water, Air, Earth -which is reverse Zodiacal order) is referenced in the mystical Hermetic document known as The Emerald Tablet.

It's Father is the Sun, it's Mother the Moon, the Wind carries it in its belly and it's Nurse is the Earth. —The Emerald Tablet

Amongst Alchemists, the Emerald Tablet is widely interpreted as a formula for creating the “philosophers stone” –BUT this is simply a microcosm of the universal principle, encapsulating the primordial creative power of the Monad or original substance. (3) In other words, the creation of the philosophers stone echoes the process of CREATION (of the World). When understood in these contexts, essentially then Mercury’s cycle of retrogrades through the four Elements is recapitulating both a cosmic world-ordering principle, and a magic formula for the re-creation, materialization and containment of this primordial creative power!

To grasp this primordial power, it is important to remember that it is not simply from the mixing of back and forth, or direct-retrograde currents through which the alchemy and magic of Mercury retrograde derives. As I have often demonstrated in magazines (4) and journals (5) as well as my social media pages, retrograde motion is MUCH more wonderfully complex than is often portrayed, and consists not only of East/West variation in direct/retrograde motion (celestial longitude) but also dramatic changes in the North/South dimension (celestial latitude) which produce various kinds of looping motion. Here is the loop for the Fall 2024 retrograde (against the backdrop of the constellations, which are offset to the Tropical Zodiac).

We can see here that the dramatic reversal which occurs during Mercury retrograde involves not merely a back and forth motion, but a crossing of the ecliptic plane from Below to Above. This crossing of the ecliptic occurs on December 1 and is reflective of the fact that Mercury’s North Node lies in this vicinity. So this retrograde contains an extra factor which is not present when the Mercury retrogrades occur in other regions of the Zodiac. These crossings were seen as special and important events even in the classical astrological and magical literature. (6)

And this is just the beginning of the primordial mixing that occurs during Mercury’s retrograde. When we understand the phenomenon of Mercury retrograde visually, we see that during a very short span of time (around 40 days) Mercury makes an appearance above the Western horizon, then dips below the threshold of visibility and finally re-emerges above the Eastern horizon. In fact, in the process of chasing Mercury as an avid stargazer and photographer, I discovered that during this process Mercury forms a Triptych of alignments. First we have greatest elongation as evening star, then the invisible inferior conjunction, then greatest elongation as morning star.

Remarkably, these three alignments, though very different visually, all occur near the same Zodiacal degrees! Thus the visual journey of the planet Mercury through the retrograde process literally embodies the famous cryptic text of the mystical Emerald Tablet!

That which is above, corresponds to that which is below, and that which is below corresponds to that which is above. —The Emerald Tablet

I created a table of ephemerides for my book to track these Triptychs, in order to use them as a map for the Alchemical process of transformation known through the colors black, white and red (Nigredo-Albedo-Rubedo). I suspect the degrees repeated by these Triptychs are at least as important as the degrees of the stations, if not more.

Finally, it is crucial to understand that from a heliocentric point of view, during retrograde motion Mercury is coming from the superior space behind or exterior to the Sun and penetrating the inferior realm, the very heart of our solar system –the space between the Sun and Earth. This space is so central, basic and fundamental to our system it is commonly referred to as the astronomical unit. I think of it more as the inner room of the Cosmic temple, the holy of holies -because it is the only place in the Universe we know of where Life exists. I like to envision Mercury's penetration of this space during the retrograde as similar to a farmer digging a furrow into the earth to plant a seed.

So, in summary, what we have occurring during Mercury retrograde are at least four different kinds of alchemical mixing. The mixing of East/West direct-retrograde currents can be seen as an exchange between the currently accepted socio-cultural norms (direct motion) and the newer counter-cultural challenges to those norms (retrograde motion). The mixing of North/South latitudinal currents can be seen as an exchange between the mental-rational and emotional-embodied aspects of life. The mixing of Above/Below with respect to the horizon and Mercury’s cycle of visibility can be seen as an exchange between the conscious and unconscious dimensions. And finally, the mixing between the Superior (exterior) and Inferior (interior) spaces of our solar system can be seen as an exchange between the microcosm and macrocosm.

It rises from Earth to Heaven, and descends again to Earth, thereby combining within itself the powers of both the Above and Below...
In this way was the Universe created. From this comes many wondrous applications, because this is the Pattern. —The Emerald Tablet

In the ocean, we find the most life where currents intersect, and stir up nutrients from the bottom. Similarly human civilizations are often created from the intersection of various cultures. Modern astrology came from the intersection of Babylonian, Egyptian and Greek ideas in Alexandria, for instance. So you see, all this primordial mixing which happens during the retrograde produces an alchemy that is quite literally capable of changing, or re-birthing, the World -because it recapitulates the basic pattern from which the World was created.

The Hermetic Correspondent will (eventually) consist of one Free post and one Paid post per month. Your pledges help activate the premium posts!

---

Individual Applications

What does this mean for the individual? So far we have been looking at how the Mercury retrogrades will be re-shaping our collective experience of the fire element, for all humanity. The way we understand how this impacts an individual chart is of course through the houses. Given that the three Mercury retrogrades of 2024 are occurring in the three signs of the fire element, this means that a set of three houses will be activated, in any given birth chart. And since the themes of these three houses are somewhat naturally related, I have used these natural groupings to establish a set of four “trigons."

For fire sign ascendants, Aries, Leo and Sagittarius, the Mercury retrogrades of 2024 will be activating a group of houses I call the “Identity trigon.” These are houses one, five and nine. This means that you will be experiencing dynamic flux and mixing of opposites with your persona/image, your creative choices (which you have because of that image) and the new horizons these creative choices open up for you.

In these fire years (which occur in a 6-7 year cycle), you Fire sign risings will be more sensitive to your image and how you come across to others. From time to time, it may feel like you need to tweak some things. Or you may even feel called to begin to construct an entirely new image, rather than updating or improving on the existing one.

Whether you go with updates or new construction, of course the point of pursuing any new identity is that it offers you fresh choices, which means you get some room to play and explore creatively. Taking risks can result in both gains and losses, new opportunities or dead end, but mixing things up and trying something new is the only way to allow happy accidents into our lives and eventually this opens creative possibilities.

Acting on these new creative possibilities takes us places not only that we haven't been before, but perhaps even places we couldn't even have imagined. So we might need to expand our minds or our philosophy in order to understand what is happening to us. Of course, this whole process can happen in the reverse. Conversely, taking on a new philosophy or exploring new worlds can eventually result in the formation of a new identity, as we slowly absorb the foreign material.

For water sign ascendants, Cancer, Scorpio and Pisces, the Mercury retrogrades of 2024 are activating a group of houses I call the “Trigon of Mastery.” These are houses two, six and ten. This means that you will be experiencing dynamic flux and mixing of opposites with your resources, the skills you develop in using these resources and the professional reputation you acquire from applying these skills.

In these fire years (which occur in a 6-7 year cycle), you Water sign risings will be more sensitive to resource issues, which will take on a more personal feeling and dimension. At some point this year you may find that you have less or even more of something than you previously thought. This includes intangible resources like patience, kindness, courage etc.

Dealing with these resource issues is going to require development of new skill sets and routines. Fortunately water signs have developed sufficient depth and patience to deal. Once you get past the steep part of the learning curve, you will begin to see the fuller picture.

The real silver lining of all this comes when you learn the key to these challenges is to set new goals for yourself and then see if you can meet or even exceed them. Observing, listening or consulting with professionals who deal with these issues may have you saying to yourself at some point -I can do this better! And by taking your ideas for improvements out into the world, you will gain access to the most important resource -the support of other people.

For air sign risings, Gemini, Libra and Aquarius, the Mercury retrogrades of 2024 are activating a group of houses I call the “Relationship trigon.” These are houses three, seven and eleven. This means that you will be experiencing dynamic flux and mixing of opposites with your one on one relationships, you group dynamics and your local community.

In these fire years (which occur in a 6-7 year cycle), you Air sign risings will be more sensitive to the relationships between people, which will impact you in a more personal and direct way. At some point this year it is likely you will face some social challenges. It may be that some old familiar social connections are lost and/or new unfamiliar connections are thrust upon you.

Of course any time we begin to explore new relationships, this leads us to encounters with the families and groups within which our new friends are embedded. And if we are serious about these new relationships, this requires us to adjust and accept or develop a new identity within these new group settings.

The final step in this process is of course integrating our new relationships and groups within our existing ones. As you learn to foster connections between groups you will see a wonderful new complexity begin to emerge in your life, and this will be reflected not just in new social opportunities but in new emotional supports and resiliency. This is true community.

For Earth sign ascendants, Taurus, Virgo and Capricorn, the Mercury retrogrades of 2024 are activating a group of houses I call the “Trigon of dynasty.” These are houses four, eight and twelve. This means that you will be experiencing dynamic flux and mixing of opposites within family, extended family and spiritual family settings.

In these fire years (which occur in a 6-7 year cycle), you Air sign risings will be more sensitive to the emotional dynamics of life, your sense of familial connection and duty and also your contribution to the following generations. At some point this year you will probably experience either some strain and/or some renewal in the emotional bonds of your most intimate circles.

Of course any time we are going through tough times at home this has an impact on our business and work environments as well. So you will learn where and with whom you can lean on for emotional support or just empathy and understanding. These people become a sort of extended family for you.

Eventually, you will realize that what you're going through is a spiritual process as much as anything. And so, in addition to our family of birth, and our extended marriage and business commitments, most of us need a “spiritual family” as well. These are people who share our sense of the big picture, what brings meaning to life and help us remember what kind of world we want to live in.

© copyright 2024 Gary P Caton -all rights reserved ®

versions of this article previously appeared in TimeLords magazine and on Astro dot com -with permission

The Hermetic Correspondent will (eventually) consist of one Free post and one Paid post per month. Your pledges help activate the premium posts!

---

References and recommended reading:

(1) Sullivan, Erin. Retrograde Planets: Traversing the Inner Landscape. York Beach, ME: Samuel Weiser, 2000. –pgs 67-76.

(2) Caton, Gary P. Hermetica Triptycha: The Mercury Elemental Year. Auckland: Rubedo Press 2017. http://rubedo.press/hermetica-triptycha

also available on Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Hermetica-Triptycha-Elemental-Ephemerides-1925-2050/dp/0473416883

(3) Hauck, Dennis. The Emerald Tablet: Alchemy For Personal Transformation. New York: Penguin, 1999.

(4) Caton, Gary P. “An Astronomical View of Venus Retrograde,” The Mountain Astrologer, April/May 2017.

(5) Caton, Gary P. “Toward A Multi-Dimensional View Of Retrograde Motion,” NCGR Geocosmic Journal, Winter 2017.

(6) Greer & Warnock (Translators), The Complete Picatrix: The Occult Classic of Astrological Magic, Renaissance Astrology 2015

Bio:

Gary P. Caton is a transdisciplinary Hermetic practitioner integrating diverse traditions and art forms gathered over a full Saturn cycle. Initiated an astrologer by a magnificent Dream in 1993, he's since become an accomplished counselor, writer, podcaster, teacher, photographer and mage. Gary is the author of Hermetica Triptycha: The Mercury Elemental Year (2017), and host of the popular Hermetic Astrology Podcast (since 2008). You can connect with Gary at www.DreamAstrologer.com