Mercury Is Hermes. And Hermes, At Least, Is A Friend Of Mine.

Lately, I've been thinking a lot about the fact that the upcoming election is going to be smack-dab in the middle of a Retrograde Mercury. What I don't know about astrology would fill a library, but one of the first things that my very talented friend Amy ever taught me was that Retrograde Mercury is to be respected. What is a Mercury Retrograde?

As Karmastrology explains, Mercury, which is only visible just before sunrise or just after sunset[,] travels in a forward direction most of the time.

But three or four times a year, if you care to watch carefully, it appears to turn around and go backwards for about three weeks! Now Mercury really isn't going backwards. [I love you, NTodd.] It's just an optical illusion based on the relative speeds and orbits of the Earth and Mercury around the Sun. The times when Mercury appears to be going backward are Mercury Retrogrades. As Wikipedia notes, the word mercurial is commonly used to refer to something erratic, volatile[,] or unstable, derived from Mercury's swift flights from place to place. The element of Mercury was also known as quicksliver and Mercury is famously known as the messenger of the Gods. He thus, in astrological terms, reigns over messages, communication, travel, etc. He's also come to be associated with the implements used to facilitate these things: telegraphs, radios, TVs, computers, phones, Blackberries, fax machines, cables, microwaves.

As a result, when he's going backwards, those things over which he reigns can get bolloxed, screwed up, backasswards. In general[,] the effect of Mercury retrograde is annoyance. Little things get snarled up and a low-grade frustration emerges. Anything involving communications, verbal activity, technology, short trips and journeys, primary education, and siblings [W/Jeb] can be affected.

While Mercury retrograde usually is in the minor irritant category, every now and then a colossal screw-up can take place. For example, the last time that America had an election during a Retorgrade Mercury was: November of 2000. Consider the Bush-Gore 2000 American presidential election in Florida. Now there's a classic colossal screw-up. [In 2004, when there was a Retrograde Mercury, Americans held] their presidential election on the day when Mercury retrograde energy peaked, called stationary direct.

Everything involving communication (in all its forms, including tv, telephone calls, the internet, voting instructions, etc.), to technology (the machines couldn't count all those hanging chads!), to legal processes (if Bush v. Gore isn't an incomprehensible legal opinion, I'm not sure what is) got bolluxed. The result, as we all know, was a screw-up that denied America its popularly-elected and electorally-elected President and we've been cursed ever since with a man who gives new meaning to the term "inarticulate."

Now, we're faced with another world-crisis-type election that will fall during a Mercury Retrograde. And, by now, as the Princeton Study and many other sources make clear, the Diebold machines upon which many Americans are forced to vote are so hackable that it must be a feature, not a glitch. Now, the Rovian Republicans have not just opportunity (it's easy to hack the machines that one of their operatives manufactures and sells) but motivation: a Congress and Senate controlled by Democrats would likely begin to investigate some of the treasonous (i.e., hanging offense) crimes that the Republicans have committed, beginning with their theft of the 2000 election, continuing through the Cheney Energy Commission, including the lies that led America to an illegal war, and on through the torture of innocents, specifically prohibited by the Geneva Convention. At some point, the Bush junta's crimes passed over from the realm of mere treason and became the sort of international crimes for which one is sent to the Hague. Opportunity and motivation. For most lawyers, that's almost all you need to know that a crime is likely to be committed.

So, that's all interesting, but I'm wondering what to do. The six years already lost during the Bush junta will likely result in an environment so hostile to human habitation that my Grandson's life will be radically more difficult than it would have been had Gore taken the oath of office in January of 2001. I don't think we/I/he can afford two more years of unchecked power from this Son of a Retrograde Mercury.

What I think we need to do, and this is a bit gutsy, is to work WITH, not against, the upcoming Retrograde Mercury. By now, the Rovain Republicans are the ones who depend upon their communications, their computer programming skills (because what's a hack except for a subversive form of computer programming?), the ability of their memes to travel over the airwaves and internets. Trickster gods and goddesses (including mercurial Mercury) tend to work against the establishment. I believe (for obvious reasons) that, when working with trickster forces, simple is better than complicated. I don't want to change the results of Americans' votes -- that's the Republicans' role. What I want is for the votes that Americans cast to count and to be counted correctly. What I want is to thwart the plans of those who would steal this election.

So I'm going to try to talk my amazing circle of magical women -- just newly re-dedicated with more new members than old (remember the magic that I told you we did?) -- to channel the Mercury Retrograde energy into the Rovian attempts to steal the election. Now, before Mercury gets himself turned all around, would be a good time for spell work.

Ground and meditate calmly on the value of a free, fair, democratic election. Cast a damn good circle and call the directions. Give East, heh, a bit of special attention. Invoke a deity favorable to liberals, to democracy, to the Earth. Walking widdershins, chant to raise energy. To harness the forces of a trickster god, chant "She changes everything she touches. And everything she touches changes. She changes everything she touches. And everything she touches changes." When the energy's raised, create an energy channel and channel the retrograde energy of Mercury towards Diebold, Rove, Snow, Bush, Fox, etc. and release it with this call: By the powers of flighty Mercury, by the powers of three times three, no election-stealing shall there be. By the powers of flighty Mercury, by the powers of three times three, all votes count fair, so mote it be. By the powers of flighty Mercury, by the powers of three times three, this spell works no ill on America or me. This is my will, so mote it be."

Ground. Thank deity and directions. Open your circle.

Watch them reap the whirlwind.

Some will cry, "But what about the Rule of Three?" I don't believe that the universe punishes those who try to prevent thieves from stealing. If you do, go undo that pentacle that you placed over your door to keep out thieves. I do believe that the universe acts as a dynamic balancing system. And, Goddess knows, we need some balance. And, Goddess knows, I mean to be a force for balance.

And, just in case you have any questions about who's already channeling Mercury's retrograde power of confusion and chaos, go read this diary at Kos and the underlying article, pointed out to me by my brilliant friend, Elizabeth. Don't lecture me about the need to bring a fluffy-bunny-pink magic wand to a knife fight. My ancestresses didn't last long enough to plop my genes in this spot by playing nice with assholes. All I need to know is:

Are you in?