Mercury went direct on Thursday. While I am always urging people not to panic around his retrograde cycle, I imagine some of you are still breathing a sigh of relief. Remember, though, that we are still in the wake of that shift until October 6th, and the wake can often be the biggest shake up in Mercury’s retrograde cycle. Additionally, we have the two ice giants (Uranus and Neptune) and Pluto still retrograde.

My notes tell me that

Uranus retrograde is a great time to search for inner freedom – What makes you feel free? What stimulates your creativity? What have you not tried yet?

Neptune retrograde is that thinning of the veil I’ve been talking about all summer. The lines are blurred. Awake time and dream time can feel remarkably similar. The paradigm is most definitely shifting…

Pluto retrograde asks us to find out inner truth. What is your subconscious trying to tell you? What are your core values? What no longer resonates for you? What makes your heart sing?

But what I really want to talk about are ice giants. ICE GIANTS!!!!!

As someone with Norse in her ancestry, and who works with some of the Pantheon, I love the fact that two of the outer planets are called Ice Giants by NASA. Yes yes, it’s about the fact that they’re more ice than gas. Whatever. Ice giants. They were already named for Titanic beings, and they’re also called Ice Giants. Titanic beings are the forces that predate the newer myths of the gods; transcending Greek mythology, they include elementals and angels. Ice Giants (or Frost Giants, as they are frequently called in English), are the ancient ones in Norse mythology, the elders of the Aesir, who were barred from Asgard. It is they who are the keepers of Wisdom. It is they who have Odin’s eye.

So, Uranus, the father of the father of time, is a Wisdom Keeper. Neptune, before too much Greek influence came in, was the Roman’s freshwater (and possibly rain) god; in the Etruscan belief system, he was the Creator god. These two forces, or the celestial bodies that carry their names, have been pulling us inward, urging us to get to know ourselves better, all while Mercury (who can be seen as one of the guardians of the Crossroads) has been making us slow down, get conscious, and pay attention. Mercury’s getting ready to let up (perhaps not before precipitating a healing crisis), and Pluto goes direct on Monday, but the two Wisdom Keepers are going to be pulling us inward for a few more months.

The best thing to do is go willingly. Spend a fair amount of time in meditation and contemplation. So some concerted soul searching. Figure out what makes you tick, what makes you feel trapped (get rid of those things), and what makes you feel free. Discover, enhance, or hone your superpowers. Tap in to those energies that bring out your godself.

What else are you going to do, anyway? The Ice Giants are calling.