Mercury Retrograde Opposing Jupiter: A Reluctant Agreement in the Sky

Hey, everyone. This is Adam Elenbaas from Nightlight astrology. Today we are going to take a look at Mercury Retrograde in the sign of Sagittarius, making an opposition to Jupiter in the sign of Gemini. This is, of course, a form of mutual reception, mutual reception by detriment and through an opposition. So, a really interesting signature. We've looked at this before, when Mercury was direct, it made this opposition, and now it is making it again through its retrograde.

So, time to refresh on this, and I've got five things for you to watch for. We’ll break this archetypal combination and exchange down today and see what kind of agreement these two planets might be making with each other, despite the very interesting form of reception that they have.

So, yeah, this will be, I think, a good one because this is one of the major aspects of the month, especially given that it’s so closely connected to the Jupiter-Saturn square that’s forming. Anyway, that’s our goal for today.

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Okay, well, on that note, let’s take a look at the real-time clock and at our transit of the day, which is Mercury’s opposition to Jupiter.

Alright, so here it is. We can see here that the direct motion—I thought I’d bring this up first. Mercury, in its direct motion, opposed Jupiter between Sunday, November 17, and Monday, November 18. So that was a little bit ago. We’re coming around to this again through retrogradation.

And here we can see at the middle of the week, we have today, Wednesday, December 4. Whoops! Let me shift my little view here. And here you can see that this is 9am, right? So we could have done yesterday into today and see that the opposition is very much in the air right now.

We’re going to be looking at Mercury’s cazimi tomorrow. So, this is very much a part of the astrology of the week for the rest of this week, because the Sun will also oppose Jupiter right after the Mercury cazimi. So, an interconnected series of events that really highlight the Mercury-Jupiter opposition throughout the entire week.

So, this opposition is interesting because Mercury is now coming back to the opposition. It’s like, "Hey, let’s revisit that moment that we just had earlier." This is, of course, a part of the ongoing perfection of the Jupiter-Saturn square that’s taking place this month of December as well. So, lots going on with this one.

Mercury is in Jupiter’s sign, which means it’s in its exile. A natural opposite to Jupiter is Mercury, and Jupiter is in Mercury’s sign, a natural opposite to its own home sign, which puts them both in what we call their exile. That doesn’t mean anything bad. We’re not judging the planets. The planets are all divine, and all their placements are divine, but they do have tense and more relaxed relationships with one another.

Mercury and Jupiter are considered a kind of opposite. So, just like in the tango, there’s a kind of push and pull between the masculine and feminine, and in that dance form, all kinds of opposites exist in astrology. Mercury and Jupiter have been thought of as opposites for thousands of years.

So, Mercury’s opposition to Jupiter while in Jupiter’s sign, and Jupiter’s opposition to Mercury while in Mercury’s sign, creates a very interesting conversation. We’re basically amplifying the natural tension between Mercury and Jupiter, but we’re also suggesting that they have the power to work together by virtue of being in each other’s signs. That’s called mutual reception.

Mutual reception by detriment and through an opposition would be something like enemies who are being forced to work together on something that they dislike more than each other. I’ve used that kind of example a few times, but another way of looking at it would be that people who have some kind of oppositional tension are able to work together and seek some kind of compromise.

There might be some reluctance in moving toward resolution or agreement because of the oppositional tension here, but nonetheless, there is some willingness to work together. That is really remarkable about this transit and suggests some kind of revision of our thoughts and of our paradigm.

That there is some new way of thinking, understanding, or perceiving that could involve compromise, and that is part of a larger paradigmatic change that the compromise is somehow inciting, enacting, or pushing along. This is suggested by the fact that Jupiter, coming off from this, is going right into the square with Saturn. Mercury will station and then engage with the same thing all over again as Jupiter squares Saturn.

So, I want to talk today, given this very interesting dynamic. We’ve already visited this, but I have some new ways of spinning the jewel, right? That’s always the goal. So, five things to watch for.

Number one, something bad is actually something good. I didn’t know how else to put this, because most of us probably don’t go around going, "This is good and this is bad." Like, I think probably people listening to this channel, you’re very nuanced, thoughtful, you don’t think too much in terms of black and white and so forth.

But there is also just a subjective kind of consensus reality in which we say, "This feels good, this feels bad. That looks good, that looks bad." So, when you have two planets opposing one another in mutual reception by exile, one of the things that comes to my mind is that something that on the surface initially looked bad or difficult is now being recognized as potentially beneficial.

That feels like

a way of symbolically encapsulating the exchange of dignity that’s at play. So, I think a really hopeful and interesting way of looking at this right now that you may notice in your life. And remember, I take some of these from my own life and things that are happening to me within or in different facets of my life, where I see the transits at work.

Some of this is my own self-reflection, I’ll admit that, but it may be applicable to other people because I’ve found often that when I really notice a manifestation that I’m like, "Wow, that’s an interesting one. I haven’t seen that before," that a lot of other people will, there’ll be enough people out there who will be experiencing that as one of the possibilities for manifestation.

Sort of on the list of the archetypal spectrum, or whatever. Anyway.

So, something bad is actually something good. This could mean that something that first looks like a problem is actually a unique opportunity, or something that initially feels unappealing can later be seen in a different light. Maybe you’re initially closed off to it, but then you become open to it. Something like that seems to be happening, and it could be taking place in a very specific part of your life.

I’ll give you an example from my own experience. I’ve been reflecting on a new structure to my weight training program. At first, I wasn’t sure I liked it compared to my previous one, but as I’ve been getting into it, I’m starting to see the benefits. This shift in perspective—recognizing that something I was initially closed to is turning out to be better than I thought—is a small change in understanding. It’s not a huge deal, but it’s a good example of how our paradigms can shift.

I’ve noticed this happening with other people too. For example, I’ve heard many people, especially in the weeks following an election, say something like, "You know what? I’m just not going to fall into doomsday thinking. I’m going to stay open and not judge the situation too quickly." Even though they didn’t like the outcome, they chose not to give in to fear or negativity. I think this attitude, this willingness to stay open to what we can’t yet understand, is an example of that Mercury-Jupiter dynamic. It’s like saying, "I don’t like this, but I’ll remain open and wait to see what it becomes." This is also the attitude of someone who recognizes that not everything is good or bad, but there might be a purpose we don’t fully grasp yet. It’s about not being the architect of the universe but allowing ourselves to be open to possibilities.

Number two is over-talking. This is one of my favorites. The other night, during Mercury's first direct pass, I caught myself going off on a rant about certain elements of pop astrology that drive me nuts. My wife, Ashley, and I are both chatterboxes—she has a YouTube channel, I have a YouTube channel, and we’ve both been teachers our whole adult lives. So, we tend to have fast, back-and-forth conversations. But sometimes, I realize that I’ve been talking too much. I noticed Ashley starting to glaze over, and I immediately realized I’d been ranting for five straight minutes. I had to stop and ask, "How are you?" She laughed, and I thought it was a funny moment. But it’s a reminder of how easy it is to get caught in over-talking during a Mercury-Jupiter transit.

Mercury and Jupiter can put us on our soapboxes, and we need to be aware of that. Sometimes, when we’re caught in this cycle of over-talking, it’s a good opportunity to sit with what we’re ranting about. It can reveal something we need to reflect on. I’ve noticed over the years that when I get caught up in a soapbox moment, it helps me refine my ideas, soften my edges, and become more generous and compassionate. This transit can help us clarify the line between passionate devotion and zealousness, helping us avoid fanaticism. People with a lot of air and fire in their charts, especially, may have to be extra aware of this.

Another thing to consider during this transit is opening ourselves to the opposite. We’ve talked about Jupiter in Gemini before and how two things can be true at once. A great way to practice this art is to consider the opposite of a strong conviction. You don’t necessarily have to adopt the opposite view, but simply sitting with it can help soften our perspectives and increase our empathy for others. This is especially helpful when dealing with strong disagreements, as it can create more space for grace and flexibility.

Number four is about a reluctant agreement. These two planets are in each other's signs, so they have to work together. But they’re opposed, which creates a kind of tension. Could there be some reluctant convergence of resources, ideas, or philosophies happening now? Sometimes, things that seem to be opposites are finding a way to come together, albeit reluctantly. This could be an interesting time for finding unexpected resolutions, compromises, or agreements.

And finally, number five is a moment contributing to paradigmatic change. Remember, this Mercury-Jupiter opposition is part of the ongoing development of the Jupiter-Saturn cycle. These planets are pointing toward deep, structural changes, and this moment in time could be contributing to those shifts. We may not fully understand it yet, but it’s part of a larger process that’s slowly changing how we see the world.

Alright, we’ll leave it here for today. I hope you're all enjoying these transits and finding ways to work with them. We’ll be looking at the Mercury cazimi, Venus opposite Pluto, and the upcoming Venus-Mars opposition. There’s a lot of big stuff to cover this week.

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