Every writer experiences "writer's block" -those periods when you just can't seem to get any ideas or even write them down. It can last for hours, days, weeks, months, and sometimes years, and can seriously discourage any seasoned or budding writer. This author is no exception.

There doesn't seem to be any specific explanation for writer's block. It can be anything from lack of discipline to life's pressures bearing down on you. A relaxed frame of mind is certainly helpful when writing, as is increased awareness. Some even take drugs or stimulants to get the juices flowing again or go an a fast which seems to sharpen and liberate the mind.

You may be surprised to know that astrology can play a big part as well. Certain transits, progressions, or even natal aspects can help or hinder our communicative ability, and the most important planet to consider here is of course Mercury, which is the planet of writing, speaking, thinking, and communication in general.

Mercury natally well placed by sign or house can greatly help your writing ability. Generally, Mercury(ruler of Gemini/Virgo) is at its best in the air signs -which are known for their smarts, followed by the earth signs -which are known for their reasoning ability. Mercury has a harder time thinking in the fire signs, which are more feeling than reasoning, but it gets much inspiration here. Hardest of all for Mercury is in the water signs, where emotion can cloud the reasoning, but they do have great intuition or sensing abilities. Mercury also works well in the 1st, 3rd, 5th, 9th, and 11th houses, with special emphasis on the 3rd.

Having some good aspects to Mercury in your natal chart will also help you out. Conversely, bad aspects will slow you down. Saturn conjunct sextile or trine Mercury in your natal chart(more by sign than degree) will help you to focus and structure your thoughts, while Uranus will give you new and radical ideas. Jupiter will give you scope and abundance and Venus will make your writing pleasant and poetic. Moon to Mercury will give you imagination, and the Sun will give creativity. Neptune will give Mercury subtlety and artistry and Pluto will give focus and depth. A square aspect from all of the above will spoil or even reverse the effects. Saturn square Mercury for example can become too limiting, narrow, or severe, while Uranus square Mercury will give you crazy or rebellious thoughts. Neptune square Mercury can make you fuzzy, deceitful, or unrealistic, and Pluto can make you obsessive or perverse.

The transits will heighten or diminish any of the positive or negative natal aspects to your Mercury. Pluto, for example, is currently in Capricorn, deepening the thought processes of all Mercurys in that sign. Neptune currently in Pisces, is lulling, confusing, or oversensitizing the minds of all Mercury in Pisces natives. Uranus in Taurus is awakening or revolutionizing the minds of all Mercury in Taurus individuals, and so on.

One of the best transits I have found to get your communication juices flowing is Mercury to the Sun. When transiting Mercury is conjunct, sextile, trine, or even oppose your natal Sun(first by sign, then degree) the ideas will start flowing, and it is up to you to capture them and write them down. Mercury makes a favorable aspect to your Sun roughly every other month(except when retrograding), and should be taken advantage of. It is best when Mercury is direct. A retrograding Mercury can delay or mess things up.

When transiting Mercury conjuncted my Sun, for example, the ideas all came together and I started writing articles like crazy. I just needed to sit down and gather them all and type them out. Then when Mercury moved to the following sign I started slowing down again. Uranus to the Sun can have a similar effect as Mercury, although it will be more long-term and produce more original or unconventional content.

In summary, if you suffer from writer's block, check when Mercury makes a conjunction, sextile or trine(or even opposition) to your Sun, and watch the ideas flow, and with a little prodding, you'll be tapping those keys again.