state your opinion
Mercury is in Aries
speak with confidence
The more I study about and work with astrology, the more I appreciate it as both a teacher, a tool for personal insight and growth, and a guide for what skills to practice at any given time.
Today Mercury, the messenger, moves from the watery ocean of Pisces to the fire sign of Aries.
This transit gives us permission to be bold. In fact it demands it.
Before we dive into the details, a little context:
Planets and Signs: The Who and the How
In astrology, the planets are the “who.” They are the archetypes. Each one has a job it does.
The signs of the zodiac are the “how”; the style in which the planet does its job. As a planet moves through the zodiacal wheel it operates in the style of the host sign.
Mercury: The Messenger
Mercury is the messenger. It’s a planet that gathers data and facts and communicates them. It also rules technology and travel.
How it gathers info and communicates depends on the sign it is in.
Mercury in Pisces: Swimming in the Ocean
Mercury just spent the past couple of weeks in Pisces. Pisces is the ocean. Emotional, intuitive, lacking boundaries.
In Pisces, Mercury was water logged, better suited to writing poetry and communicating in sensations and feelings.
This isn’t Mercury’s typical style, and it struggles in Pisces, but it’s not “bad.”
Every transit teaches us about an aspect of ourselves and skills we need to learn.
Mercury in Pisces teaches us how to attune to our intuition — an important skill, especially in an era of muddled messages and disinformation.
Mercury in Aries: Bold and Confident
Aries, a fire sign, is the first sign of the zodiac. It initiates the astrological year and the spring season. Aries is a bold and confident leader.
In Aries, Mercury communicates with clarity, confidence, and courage. It is bold. Direct. Mercury in Aries cuts to the chase. It states it’s opinion without hedging.
No matter what you do in life, clear and confident communication is an important skill. If you want to cut through the noise and get attention you must be bold and direct.
This takes courage. When you state an opinion or avoid hedging, you risk rejection. You risk being wrong.
This is why writing and publishing on line can be challenging for many people. And, this is the skill we get to practice during Mercury’s transit through Aries.
3 Tips for Clear and Confident Communication
Here are 3 tips for infusing your communication with clarity, confidence, and courage.
(1) Take a Position
Formulate an opinion. Take a position. Choose a side. And then share it. Without qualification.
Some people resist taking a position because they believe it’s important to see all sides of an issue. These two ideas are not in conflict.
As a lawyer, I’m trained to see and argue both sides of anything. It’s a skill I’ve honed for decades. Ultimately, though, we need to take a position on something and advocate for it.
You can see things from all perspectives, and still have a clear opinion.
(2) Eliminate “I think”
Here’s a general rule to keep in mind:
Unless you’re quoting someone else’s opinion, or writing on behalf of someone else, your audience assumes that what you write is your opinion.
You don’t need to say “I think” or “I believe.” If you didn’t think it or believe it, why would you write it?[1]
Go through your writing and delete those phrases. Notice how much stronger your voice sounds.
(3) Write and Speak From Your Heart
Aries is about courage. The root of the word courage — cour — is Latin for heart.
Courage comes from the heart.
Many people assume that intellect and the mind creates more clarity than the heart. But it’s the opposite.
Doubts and fear emerge from the mind, creating muddled messages. What emerges from the heart is always clear.
This is why honing intuition is so important.
When you speak (or write) from your heart, and you carry an intention to serve, your message will cut through the noise.
The Takeaway
Your message matters and people need to hear it.
Be bold. Be confident. Be courageous.
Mercury in Aries is here to support you.
- The one exception to this rule is if you’re journaling. In that case, it can be helpful to illuminate beliefs masquerading as facts by writing “I believe.” But that’s a different topic. ↩
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