I was writing to a client and Lethe came to mind.
Lethe: the river of forgetfulness in Greek mythology. One of 5 rivers of the underworld. One was required to drink from Lethe to forget one’s earthly life. And then rebirth, reincarnation, could happen.
I was telling this client that it would do her good to do some “intentional” forgetting.
I don’t want to give away any personal details but this person has planets in a sign that can be very tight.
And a North Node in a sign that I see as very free. And of course the squares are built-in. The recent Full Moon brought it up again.
Like a map in day-glo colors: GO HERE.
But why Lethe? Why forget?
Because there comes a time when you must STOP.
Stop self-undoing. stop worrying, stop questioning, stop hand-wringing, stop everything you are waiting for and LIVE.
In practical terms I mean… a new perspective comes and sits down beside you. As though taking your head in his heads and turning it, gently, so you can see what’s OVER THERE, over the fence, outside your disturbance which is a product of the years and the perceived failures. An angel sitting next to you.
Mercury stations retrograde tomorrow. In early Aries. He moves back into Pisces.
Do whatever review you need to do and then? Let it go.
If you want a ritual for this, here’s one, and I am borrowing this from a Rosh Hashannah ritual.
Many of the rituals I create for people will be adaptations of Jewish rituals. They speak to me, are powerful, and yet… how to put it… they can be re-formed and shared.
On Rosh Hashannah, the Jewish New Year, one of the many things we do is a ceremony called Tashlich. We symbolically toss our “sins” into the sea (or other moving water). We use bits of bread for this.
So go to the sea (whatever “sea” means to you) this Mercury Retrograde, as he moves back into Pisces, and toss away your perceived sins, your perceived failures, the dreams that are long ago, the things you thought you wanted, the old selves, the ghosts of your past. Guilt. Sorrow. Keep what you want. Let the rest go. Let it all flow downstream or get lost in the waves.
***
Quick! Name one small thing that brings you joy or makes you smile. Return to this image today. Write it down. Know that this image is, has, a message for you. We are approaching Aries Season. Take this image with you into Aries.
Did you do it? Did you write it down? Good!
xo
Readings readings readings! Please visit the links on the left for more info!
12 thoughts on “A Ritual For Mercury Retrograde: Lethe, Tashlich, And Forgetting”
I love rituals and tried some bread/sin tossing last night, right on the heels of waking up with attitude (not anger, just attitude): enough of wallowing, being nice, feeling sorry for myself, pining away, looking back, waiting, regretting, finger firmly wedged…. yadda yadda yadda..
…later asked to work on call for someone who was sick: duh! can’t you people see I am still recovering from MY disease? No way. Felt so good not to be “nice”.
Thanks, MP.
BTW: chicken soup rocks as a salve for EVERYTHING
I’m doing it, Aliza! Perfect ritual at a perfect time.
a dank aych!
{{skyler}} Peace be with you!
Thank you. This has much meaning to me right now and culturally. A very beautiful image and article. Very appropos.
Thank you Erna 🙂 Glad you’re here xo
Hmm…the ducks ate my sins…
🙂
I hope they were yummy! 😀
This morning I had a dream where someone stole my phone and iPod. The theft wasn’t what was so traumatizing – it was the loss of contact numbers and all my notes in my iPod notepad app! What a Mercury Rx dream!
🙂 Going to get ready to toss.. Using giant bag of breadcrumbs!!!!
>>Because there comes a time when you must STOP.
>>Stop self-undoing. stop worrying, stop questioning, stop hand-wringing, stop everything you are waiting for and LIVE.
GREAT advice Aliza esp for many of us -including us Cancers who tend to live in the past ALOT! A big lesson that my Pluto transits are bringing up everyday in my mind – 50 yrs old – how much longer can I live in the past – reminds me too of the story of Lot – his wife turned to a pillar of salt when she did what God told them not to do – which was basically turning away from our future and looking at the past again!
Thank you, Gwen. And thanks for reminding me of Lot – hmmm perhaps a future blog post 🙂
yw Aliza 🙂 – I tell ya – I wished I lived in NY – I would be taking those classes with you – nothing more coozy and comfortable than learning astrology with a fellow Cancer Sun/Virgo asc in a cafe – maybe I get a little credit for being born in Brooklyn decades ago!! – love the houses posts – learning house rulership and houses characteristics have been my sore spot! have a great day/week Aliza!