Something cosmically cool is happening to Mercury this week and here’s what it means for us

Thursday morning, you should cast your eyes to the sky before sunrise, because something cosmically cool is going to occur. Specifically, Mercury will be more visible in the predawn eastern sky on Thursday, January 19th than it will be all year.

Because Mercury is the innermost planet in our solar system, it’s often bleached out by the sun’s glare and therefore, not visible to us earthlings. But according to EarthSky, on Thursday, Mercury will be at its greatest western elongation of 24 degrees from the sun. This means it’s far enough away from the big fire ball that we’ll finally be able to catch a glimpse of it.

In order to find Mercury in the sky come January 19th, EarthSky notes that you should locate Jupiter first. Besides the moon, Jupiter is the brightest entity in the predawn sky this time of year. From Jupiter, find Saturn, which will be closer to the horizon. Connect the two planets together with an imaginary line, and that line will point to Mercury.

heck out where Saturn is in relation to Mercury in the gif below. This gif also includes Venus, but Venus won’t be visible on Thursday morning, so just ignore it for now.

Timing is everything when trying to catch sight of Mercury. Look too soon and Mercury will still be beneath the horizon. Look too late and it will be already engulfed in the sun’s morning rays. But be patient and keep your eye on the eastern horizon.

Even if it’s only for a brief minute or two, Mercury will be there waving at us from the galaxy.

Mercury is the ruling planet of communication, travel, and technology. We’re often reminded of this when Mercury kicks into retrograde and these aspects of life go on the fritz. But perhaps this cosmic event can remind us that, when not in retrograde, Mercury can actually bring us a lot of good.

For instance, surrounding yourself with spiritual elements of Mercury can help enhance your social interactions. Wearing the colors ruled by Mercury – orange, silver, and gray – can help boost your social confidence. The Witches’ Almanac lists agate, opal, tourmaline, and jasper among those gems associated with Mercury. Carrying these stones with you or using them for meditation can assist you in your communications or intellect.

More traditionally, Mercury is also linked to Christianity, Islam, and Judaism’s Archangel Raphael. Raphael can be called upon spiritually or magically to help guide one through dealings related to Mercury — travel, communication, healing, or even public speaking.

So take Thursday morning to appreciate Mercury as a celestial being and a spiritual guide. Wake up early, pour yourself a cup o’ joe, and head outside to watch Mercury’s bright, 2017 debut.