The Rundown:
In our recent retrograde descent, we find ourselves in the bowels of Tartaros, the deepest chamber of the underworld and Mercury's *second* home (explained: in classical mythology Hermes / Mercury is a psychopomp, a spiritual guide who escorts souls into the afterlife. He frequently travels between this realm and the next).
This cunning, double-bodied planet has many ancient epithets linking him to the dance of light and darkness. Mercury embodies the primordial Hermetic secrets described in the famous quote: As above so below.
During retrograde, Mercury is preoccupied beyond the veil, too busy dealing in the hidden realms to tend well to earthly matters. This is why things in the Mercurial sphere, such as communication, best-laid-plans, and navigation, go awry here on Earth. But what we don’t often talk about is that Mercury RX is not simply a matter of inconvenience and chaos, but an opportunity to turn our awareness toward the unseen, the mystical, and the profound. Being human may feel like a minefield during this time, but the realm of spirit is in Mercury’s company, making messages from beyond the veil clear and potent.
Because our human affairs don’t move as smoothly or efficiently during this time, Mercury RX also invites us to slow down to review and release patterns, systems, and relationship dynamics that may no longer be in our best interest.
In this particular retrograde, Mercury is in the royal kingdom of the Sun (ie: in the sign Leo). This fundamentally changes our experience of this challenging transit, not necessarily making it “easier” on the surface, but more significant, potent, and empowering in the depths of our being. This is a time for us to face the fears that keep us from our god-given sovereignty.
The Cazimi, a powerful and clarifying point in this retrograde, is the perfect time for a powerful ritual. We take this time to make the brave and necessary re-orientation toward our truest, most beautiful selves.
Friend of The Hearth and Renaissance-era astral magician Marsilio Ficino tells us of solar-associated talismans:
“Solar things are: all those gems and flowers which are called heliotrope because they
turn towards the Sun, likewise gold, orpiment and golden colors, chrysolite,
carbuncle, myrrh, frankincense, musk, amber, balsam, yellow honey, sweet
calamus, saffron, spikenard, cinnamon, aloe-wood and the rest of the spices;
the ram, the hawk, the cock, the swan, the lion, the scarab beetle, the croco-
dile, and people who are blond, curly-haired, prone to baldness, and magnanimous.
The above-mentioned things can be adapted partly to foods, partly to
ointments and fumigations, partly to usages and habits.”
With this in mind, we bring offerings to Mercury to take with him when he holds court with the Sun in the heart of the Leonine king, (explained: Mercury and the Sun get really close to one another in the sign Leo), better known as: the Cazimi. This solar rendezvous purifies and resets Mercury’s energy, sparking renewal and growth in mercurial matters.
How can you visit the heart of the sun? Gather your solar offerings and read on:
This ritual honors Mercury’s rebirth in the light of the Sun, and helps clear and renew the areas of life Mercury rules in your chart (communication, planning, and your Gemini and Virgo placements), while focusing your energy on solar qualities like presence, vitality, and leadership in Leo’s domain.
The Cazimi is most exact from 6-10pm ET on July 31st and it is recommended to perform this ritual during that time. If you can’t for any reason, that is OKAY. Reading this far and gaining a greater awareness around this transit is a ritual in and of itself. Taking a moment to petition & thank Mercury and the Sun would be enough. Do the best you can with the time and materials you have.
This moment is about planting the seeds of habits, rituals, and structures that help you feel confident and self-directed in Mercury’s and the Sun’s domains: communication, clarity, radiance, vitality, and purpose. We do this through prayers and fragrant offerings that embody the Sun’s Leo qualities: warmth, illumination, stability, and decisive action.
The Ritual:
You’ll need: solar offerings (some listed above and more below), a solar ensemble or adornments (below), one to six candles, a pen and paper.
-Bathe. A shower or bath with the intention of cleansing both the physical and ethereal body. If you happen to have any solar scrubs or serums (things with citrus, honey, spices, amber, calendula, etc), use those in your cleansing.
-Adorn yourself with the colors of the Sun. Gold, yellow, anything reflective, sparkly, shiny. Anything that makes you feel regal, even if it feels out of place for an evening in.
-Cleanse your ritual space with smoke and / or Florida water. Prepare either one candle or six (the number associated with the Sun in astral magic). You can use any candle as-is, or you can anoint it using your method of choice (olive oil, citrus oil, herb dusts, etc).
-Lay your offerings on the altar.
Some common household items that correspond with this ritual are:
Cinnamon, citrus, sunflowers, gold, bay leaf, rosemary, saffron, honey.
-Light the candle(s) and begin prayers of exaltation and gratitude (petitions come in the next step) to the gods and ancestors, while drawing out the sigils of the sun: (from Agrippa)
These prayers and sigils are keys to the radiant heart of the Sun. We may now submit a petition for intercession.
-At this time, write down your requests for purification, renewal, restructuring, and manifesting. This is an empowering signature, focusing heavily on our personal sovereignty.
-In the flame of the candle, burn your written words to ashes (carefully), and deliver your petitions directly to the heart of the Sun.
-As a closing prayer we recommend the following Regulus Prayer (adapted from Regulus III, Sphere + Sundry):
Oh Royal Regulus, plant a portion of Thy starfire in my heart.
Grant me Thy azure, melancholy‑banishing flame.
Restore to me the memory and favor of my divine ancestry,
for I am the forgetful great‑grandchild of the gods themselves.
Shine upon what is great, good, and wise in my works;
let my rise inspire and my radiance nurture—
a victory for the world in which I dwell.
(explained: Regulus is the heart of the lion, a fixed star in the constellation Leo and one of the guardians of the heavens in ancient Persian astrology. This prayer petitions Regulus, who is with the Sun and Mercury in Leo, for sovereignty, courage, and confidence.)
-To bring further closure to this ritual, you can take the remnants (such as leftover candle wax or offerings) and dedicate them to Mercury at a crossroads, symbolically honoring him as the guide between worlds. Doing this at sunset on Saturday, a time associated with Hermes, adds an extra layer of blessing to the work.
The Mercury Cazimi is a powerful time to cleanse and renew ourselves to prepare the way for more auspicious alignment and luminosity to enter our lives. So be it. So it is. Amen.
