Why I love Mercury Retrograde (yes, you read that right!)

How Does Mercury Retrograde Affect Us?

Mercury is the ruling planet of all communication. From cognition, to speech, to intake. Verbal, written, typed, texted, or recorded. Business partnerships, creative projects, friendships, romance. If you think about it, pretty much everything revolves around communication. So, does Mercury Retrograde mean communication is going to go backward?

Not exactly. It means things can go awry more easily than usual, but there are lessons to be learned during these phases. Astrologers recommend easing off certain pursuits, like starting new endeavors, signing contracts, completing tasks, and building new relationships. If traveling, it is even recommended that you allot extra time for mishaps. Generally, you should make space for heightened miscommunications among the people you interact with on a daily basis. Take this time to be mindful, stay calm, and reflect. Practice compassion with yourself and everyone else.

That way, when Mercury Retrograde comes to an end, you can get back on your path full speed ahead, with few casualties.

What to expect

Mercury is the planet that rules communication, so when it goes ‘retrograde’ or reverses its forward movement around the Sun, we feel it in the form of delays, hassles, misunderstandings. So many of my magical friends are sighing deeply this month: “UGH Mercury Retrograde again! Now I won’t get anything done!” While there will no doubt be delays and misgivings until Mercury turns direct, let me tell you about another side of this period that you may come to appreciate like I do.

Mercury Retrograde is a cosmic do-over. If you want to try again – at a relationship, a project, an idea, a conversation – you get a second chance with Mercury who stops, backs up, and gives you another shot. Mercury Retrograde also brings communication from old relationships so I am often revisited by people who have been out of my life for days, months, or even decades. I love seeing old faces again and hearing familiar voices that for now live only in my memory. So for me, the medicine of Mercury Retrograde is that we can always go home. We can always try again. We can always turn back time.

If you’ve been chasing the future in full-steam-ahead mode and stressing yourself out like crazy, Mercury Retrograde says Let Go and Let God. You don’t control everything. And isn’t that welcome news sometimes?

It is to me.

Just remember to smile, breathe, and go slowly. And never take anything personal during Mercury Retrograde! Explore the tools I offer to help you navigate this period with ease and grace.

Be well this month. Find peace in knowing that sometimes two steps back can actually propel you 10 steps forward.