Mercury in Gandanta ~ Shift from intuition to action

Mercury, the planet of thought and commerce, is in the Gandanta zone between fire and water signs and nakshatras from July 16th to 23rd 2024.

This junction area which translates to a ‘knot-end’ stretches from the final pada of Ashlesha through the first of Magha and has a quality of instability which may bring a karmic lesson. It’s hard to commit and see the future, and a contractual or media-related affair goes unexpectedly, to the point of being taken out of your hands.

Mercury goes from being all instinct and emotion in Ashlesha, where you rely on your internal radar, to fiery, flamboyant Leo-Magha where your speech is open, loud and proud. This is a big jump, and the new mental atmosphere takes time to adjust to and make decisions. Other people may be acting strangely too, or pulling out of an agreement that you thought water-tight.

A partner may be out of touch, or some other complication arises where you have to adapt quickly, or you are left with a different proposition than you originally thought. Magha uses intuition in a different way to the wily, hypnotic energy of Ashlesha, and Mercury in the fiery Leo element has a forward-seeing quality that sustains you through doubt or criticism.

Mercury in Leo-Magha from July 19th also receives the influence of strict Saturn, so you may feel under pressure to give an answer or conform to somebody else’s wishes. Take your time, and particularly if you are involved in business or negotiations, it pays to go with your first instinct and not second-guess your answer.