Oliver Sacks - Prog. Mercury gone Rx and Back in Early Life

Oliver Sacks is the famous Neurologist who initially became famous for his book Awakenings in which he describes how early on in his career he brought a group of patients suffering from sleeping sickness up out of their coma like states. This post will focus on how the Mercury progression seems to have played out in Sacks' life. As Mercury rules the nerves and communication it's interesting to see how a neurologist who writes about his work has experienced Mercury progressions.

I keep finding that the progressions show a person's psychological status much better than other factors in the chart. The Progressed Rxs seem to show the really difficult to understand psychological problems. This is probably more because they last so damn long. I sort of would like to find the "Rainbow way" to read them so that I don't panic whenever I see one in a chart. The Mercury Retrogrades take 20 years but Venus and Mars Rx's can last for the rest of the person's life. From what I've seen they also seem to offer a really nasty undertow or drag to the person's ability to function in whatever area indicated by the planet affected.

I've mentioned it before but Robert Blaschke has written a really great book on Progressions. Unfortunately I don't have my copy available to refer to right now. He offers ways to discuss the Retrogrades that don't show the level of direness that I'm currently communicating when I see them.

I'm looking at famous people who thrive in spite of these Rx's right now. I've already discussed the effect of the Mercury Rx's that came late in the lives of Federico Fellini and Ernest Hemingway both at the times that they seem to have developed mental blocks in their creativity. Sacks experienced his when he was a child and it's interesting to see how the Mercury Rx Prog. played out in his life. (Short Answer: he's been in psychotherapy ever since it went direct, lol).

Oliver Sacks
b. July 9, 1933 London, England

Sun 17 Cancer; Moon Aquarius; NN 30 Aquarius; Mercury Rx 12 Leo

As the Nerves are ruled by Mercury and Uranus rules the neurological system in the body I was surprised to see that a Doctor so reknowned for expertise in this area of human physiology would have gone through a Mercury Retrograde progression in his life, but it seems to have actually helped. He probably developed his empathetic nature and mental depth through the early knowledge that communication can be very difficult. His Leo Mercury probably sees himself in his patients and really wants to "coach" them out of their situations.

I first looked up Sacks' chart when I heard him in a radio interview saying that his childhood was marked when at Age 6 he was sent away to boarding school in England during the war. He went in 1939 and stayed for 4 years.

Sacks' p. Mercury went Retrograde in September, 1940, the year after he went to boarding school. It remained in Retrograde during his entire Education years and turned direct in Nov-Dec. 1964 at 3 Leo. According to Wikipedia, Sacks moved to New York in 1965 and had a banner year in 1966 when he began working for the Hospital in the Bronx where he had his first major success with the encephalitis lethargica patients. This is also the year when he began his twice weekly psychotherapy sessions; something which he has had ever since.

Of course there are a whole bunch more transits, etc. which can be discussed but this alone seems so significant. Mercury rules early education, communication, siblings, cousins, neighborhoods, books, libraries etc. In Sacks' chart natal Mercury is at 12 Leo conjunct Venus and opposing Saturn in Aquarius. If it weren't for the introversion and self-doubt that can come with a progressed Retrograde period, Oliver Sacks probably would have tried to become a professional musician! Instead, this progression triggered the deeper parts of his soul as indicated in his chart by his Sun-Pluto conjunction in Cancer and Chiron square Nodes. Also, his Mercury-Venus conjunction is opposed by Saturn (maybe c. Moon) which has a serious, disciplining effect on the joy that the Mercury-Venus in Leo desires.

The effect of this very long Mercury in Leo seems to be that Sacks can really speak to the lay public. Sacks can explain what he does to ordinary people in an entertaining way. He is brilliant at treating each of his patients individually and as special people. He is constantly commenting on how he would feel if he were in their shoes. He can shine that Leo light, something which most Drs. can't do at all -- er, at least the ones available on my health plans. One can see the effects of the Leo Mercury written in the following Wikipedia article"

Sacks describes his cases with little clinical detail, concentrating on the experiences of the patient (in the case of his A Leg to Stand On, the patient was himself). The patients he describes are often able to adapt to their situation in different ways despite the fact that their neurological conditions are usually considered incurable.^[6]