Mercury in Bharani ~ Give birth to a new idea

Mercury, planet of intellect and communication, is in Bharani nakshatra in the zodiacal sign of Aries from April 8th to May 8th 2023.

This extra-long stay includes Mercury’s retrograde phase starting on April 21st, so your thoughts and ideas may go through at least one revision and end up with added significance.

Bharani’s name means ‘she who bears’, its symbol is a Vulva, and its meaning is bound up with giving birth, both as in bearing children and hatching a plan or creative thinking. Bright, inventive Mercury sees your creativity revolving around smart ideas, or a project which is your personal ‘brainchild’.

You are active and impulsive, and this asterism sees you doing battle for achievements, ambition and life itself, as well as giving birth to new plans, connections and business schemes. The Shakti of this asterism is the ‘power to carry things away’, in the sense of a spiritual journey or seeing something – or someone – being removed from your life.

This separation is an important experience, even though Mercury has the detachment and objectivity to spring back and stop you getting emotionally ‘carried away’. Try to keep a cool head. There is also the liberating sense of releasing an attachment through achieving your goals and doing what is expected of you.

This nakshatra’s association with birth also gives you a maternal and sympathetic quality which you can use to look after people and be hospitable, where you have the knack of saying the right thing at the right time.

At the same time as it goes retrograde on April 21st, Mercury is joined by Jupiter in Aries, which gives your thinking a more wide-screen and more philosophical slant. This is a good time for optimistic forward-planning in all areas, but don’t lose sight of the fine details.