This is an updated version of an article orginially posted in 2011
The upcoming Mercury Retrograde starting on August 4/5, 2024 is worthy of our attention as Mercury stations retrograde at 4 Virgo very near the fixed star Regulus, also known as the heart of the Lion. Regulus is currently at 0 Degrees of Virgo.
Regulus entered the sign of Leo in 156 BC. On November 28, 2011 after more than 2000 years in the seasonal sign of Leo Regulus moved into the seasonal sign of Virgo according to the astronomy program in the software program Solar Fire.
Regulus was one of the four “royal stars” of the Persians around 3000 BC when it marked the marked the Summer Solstice (zero Cancer) and one of the fifteen Behenian stars identified by medieval astrologers. The Behenian stars were consider magical stars whose energies were most potent whenever a visible planet was within 6 degrees of the star.
Mercury Data
The window for this Mercury Retrograde activation begins when Mercury crosses 21 Leo 38 on July 16 because that is the degree Mercury stations direct at (21 Leo 24) on August 28. The window closes on September 11 when Mercury crosses 4 Virgo – the degree of its retrograde station.
Mercury is hanging out within one degree of Regulus from July 24 to August 16 and makes its last pass by Regulus on September 9.
On August 04, 2024 Mercury (04 Virgo 06) goes retrograde at 9:53 pm Pacific Time very near Venus (00Virgo 07). Venus is precisely with Regulus. Mercury conjuncts the Sun during this Mercury retrograde on August 18
Astronomical Regulus Data
Egg shaped Regulus and our Sun as a visual scale
To the ancients Regulus was known as one of the four key stars in the heavens along with Aldebaran, Antares, and Spica as these four stars are located closest to the ecliptic (the path the planets travel) and can be occulted by the Moon in a regular pattern. There are certain periods of the 19 year lunar cycle where these stars are occulted regularly. Regulus is NOT currently in an occultation cycle. The next series begins Jul 26, 2025 and ends Dec 27, 2026.
Astronomically speaking, Regulus is much bigger than our Sun, as well as 160 times brighter, and also spins faster even though it is a much a bigger star. The Sun spins once around its axis every 24 days at the rate of about 4,500 miles per hour. Regulus spins way faster at the rate of 70,000 miles per hour even though its diameter is five times greater than our Sun.
The rate of spin causes Regulus to bulge at its equator so it actually looks like a large egg. This also means that Regulus is 5 times brighter at its poles than it is at its equator. The surface of Regulus is so hot it is 350 times brighter or more luminous than our Sun though nearly 80 light years away from Earth.
Our Sun is only 93,000,000 miles from Earth, while Regulus is nearly 80 light years away. This means the light from the Sun reaches the earth in about 8.33 minutes, where as the light from Regulus takes almost 80 years to reach the Earth telling us the light we see each night from Regulus was generated almost 80 years ago according the way we measure time here on Earth.
Summary of Mercury Retrograde with Regulus
The Leo New Moon on August 4, 2024 (13 Leo) is deeply affected by the Mercury station Retrograde at 4 degrees Virgo in the window of the Lammas Cross-Quarter. This seems to be a message reminding us of the importance of honoring the natural rhythms of the Earth and Sky as they relate to the seasons and planetary motions.
This Mercury Retrograde featuring Regulus, the heart of the Lion, is also a message about the importance of tuning into our heart-knowing for guidance and speaking from the heart when communicating. This is generally true at any time but during Mercury Retrograde reliance on logic and reason is far from reliable. For more on navigating through our heart knowing.
Note times and dates given are for Pacific Daylight Time.
Also see Mercury Retrograde article
More on the Fixed Stars including Regulus in our two online classes on the Magical Stars of the Ancient Alchemists and the Zodiacal Constellations at My Star Alchemy.
Cayelin, thanks so much for the post! I am fascinated with this area of the sky. (My natal Mars at 28 degrees 30 minutes Leo was conjunct Regulus.) And now, having reached the ripe old age of 79 this coming November, transiting Mars will be conjuncting its natal position and Regulus just a couple weeks before Regulus moves on into Virgo.
When you comment “featuring Regulus, the heart of the Lion, is also a message about the importance of tuning into our heart-knowing for guidance and speaking from the heart when communicating” my entire being resonates! The June ecllipses were fabulous…especially the last one (I believe) featuring Cancer and Capricorn as it ended one cycle and began a new one that will not end until 3200 or so. Twelve hundred years to make a marriage between the mind and the heart! Wow.
My belief is that the globe is entering into a new cycle emphasizing the heart rather than the head. I am personally experiencing a shift into the mind-heart. It can only get better…Mercury gives us a taste of what is coming with Regulus moving into Virgo late in November. What more could we ask for…..hmm, Venus over the Sun next year? (2012)
Beautifully said Jo…thank you for your insights and wow your age 79 Mars return with Mars back at Regulus…really emphasizes how precise and close that age 79 Mars return is!!! I am looking forward to hearing about your experience with that!
Thank you so much for this information…absolutely fascinating. I was more than a little interested in a connection I made when I recalled reading about the New Madrid fault line…and its first major series of quakes…2000 years ago. What I know is that everything is connected with everything else…in/out, above/below. I feel a sense of awe as we move through this process.
Blessings, Susan
Halima says: thank you for your accurate attention to the shamanic gaia relationships in the cosmos…astrology also shows that we are indeed entering the age of empathy, of compassion, of heart wisdom….
Lisa says:
Thank you for this explanation. Question – if my birthday is November 28 (1956) how will this impact my life?
It is a good question Lisa and since this is not something that has happened in a couple of thousand years and also without knowing how you might have a personal connection to this area of the sky – the best that I can say and this is ultimately true anyway – is to tune into your own heart knowing for guidance and answers. Knowing this is happening, knowing it is about the heart energy, and knowing that humanity is reaching a maturation point in attuning to inner guidance, while releasing reliance on getting our guidance from outside as we have been programmed to do, suggests this is an opportunity for a major assemblage point shift in how we experience reality from a heart-based perspective.
This is so great to read. I have Mercury with Regulus natally and I appreciate what it means now more than ever. Thank you so much for sharing these insights.