Astrology Forecast: The Infamous Mercury Retrograde

Ohhhh Mercury Retrograde… You’ve probably at least heard about it, even those who know almost nothing about astrology except their sun sign. Mercury is one of the closest planets to Earth, it retrogrades 3-4 times a year, there is a slew of memes about it, even websites like Vice and Buzzfeed write articles about it… Mercury Rx is famed for being a notable period of frenzied chaos and major miscommunications, technological failures, travel accidents, failed plans, and major delays…. But let me tell ya, IT’S NOT THAT BAD!!!!! There is a lot of negative stigma surrounding retrogrades, but that’s just because it is not clear on how to use these triggers and lessons that arise to heal and grow!

So here are the basics: What even is retrograde? When Earth’s orbit crosses the orbit of another planet, it appears to be moving backwards from Earth. It’s sort of like when you are sitting in a parked car, and the car next to you starts reversing, causing you feel like you are rolling forward. Just like that, but with planets!

Mercury is the planet of communication, coordination, and the mind. It rules travelling and technology as well. This is why when Mercury goes into retrograde, it is said that we are more likely to have more miscommunications, get into traffic delays and accidents, or have technology fail us or break entirely. It is not a time to make major purchases or decisions, plan vacations, start a new business or relationship, or sign contracts. You’re likely to feel sluggish, mentally hazy, and disconnected during this time. This is where all the negative stigma comes from.

DON’T LET ALL OF THIS SCARE YOU!!! Retrogrades are a great time to check in with yourself to make sure everything is in line with your best interests. Your beliefs, mental structures, actions, the way you communicate, and your current direction may be brought into question. You are being asked to halt and forward action, and examine the WHY… WHY do you believe, act, and communicate this way? Why are you moving forward with the path you have chosen?

Triggers are likely to arise during this time, which is actually the perfect way for you to closer examine your beliefs, and these areas being brought into question! If something triggers you, it means you feel anxious, angry, upset, disassociated about basically anything that strikes a chord within you that causes a negative reaction… look at the trigger and trace it to the root. Release attachment; you will no longer have the trigger, and you will no longer have this limiting belief holding you back. Retrogrades are a time to REvisit, REassess, and RElease, whether it be old projects, traumas, people, or ideas. There is definitely a way to make the most of this time, in the name of progression, healing, and growth. This outlook can make retrogrades a blessing!

This retrograde is extra special AKA extra intense, because it began on November 16th, the same day Venus Retrograde ended! Venus Rx had to do with matters of the heart, and healing the ways in which we love. Typically when Venus Retrograde ends, our hearts feel free and ready to soar… but because Mercury Rx began literally HOURS LATER, we are being called to STAY STILL…. WAIT…. REVIEW THESE DEEP ASS LESSONS WE JUST SPENT THE LAST MONTH AND A HALF LEARNING…… WAIT….. HERE HAVE SOME MORE TRIGGERS….. REASSESS, RELEASE…….. GO!

2018 has been fullll of retrogrades, meaning lots of periods of going within and healing. 2019 will have significantly less of this energy, so this final Mercury Retrograde of 2018 will be hammering in the lessons we have been learning all year. Think of it as the final shedding of our skins that are no longer serving us, the skins that are holding us back from our highest potential. The upcoming year will be full of opportunities for expansion and abundance… as long as we learn our lessons from this tumultuous year of deep healing and growth. We won’t have the chance to do this level of soul-searching for a while, so make the most of it so that you may shine!

So. Mercury is in Sagittarius right now, where it will stay until December 2nd before retrograding back into Scorpio, where it will stay until this planet goes direct on December 8th. As we know, Mercury deals with the mind and how we communicate. While this planet moves through each of these signs, the collective themes of both Sagittarius and Scorpio will be under scrutiny, in terms of the mind and how we communicate.

For being a fire sign, Sagittarius is very thought driven. They spend a lot of time inside their heads, pondering life and the deeper sides of things. Sagittarius is focused on philosophy and spirituality, travelling, legal matters, education, and freedom. Our relationships and aspirations with each of these topics will be up for review.

Is the current path you are taking in line with your most authentic self? Are your life choices in line with your spiritual beliefs and moral ideals? What exactly are your spiritual beliefs and moral ideals? Maybe you have been thinking about travelling or going back to school, this would be the time to review the “why” of your desires, and do some research on places you would like to go, schools you would like to attend, or areas of study you would like to delve into. Remember: review and reconsidered. This is NOT a time to take action in any of these realms! Simply observe your feelings, motives, and beliefs on these things.

When Mercury retrogrades back into Scorpio, there will still be an emphasis on spirituality and the deeper nature of things, but it will be from a more emotionally driven perspective. The ways in which we communicate our feelings with the world around us is highlighted. Since Scorpio so heavily deals with transformation, the final few days of this retrograde will really hit home all of these lessons we have been learning during 2018; especially the lessons we have been learning since Venus Retrograde in Scorpio began at the beginning of October.

There is also a Full Moon in Gemini occurring on November 23rd/24th that will really shed light onto all these changes that have been occurring this year, some too rapidly for us process. This Full Moon will bring us clarity to our path and the direction our life is taking, whether it is the direction we chose or the direction we are being pulled. I will write more on this Full Moon later.

While Mercury is in retrograde in BOTH of these signs, we must be THINK before we SPEAK. Both of these signs are known for being caustic and volatile in their communication, and this will be amplified by this planetary transit. Take deep breaths when you feel triggered, whether by experience or others, and try not to lash out with the intention to hurt. This is a sensitive time for everybody, and the more we act from a place of compassion, the more we and the collective grow as a whole.

During this time, it is best if we listen to our intuition when making decisions, as trying to think and logic our way through problems may lead us astray. It is also a time for expressing yourself creatively, reorganizing / redecorating your space, meditating, JOURNALING, and practicing self care activities. This retrograde is calling you to take time for yourself to rest and recharge, look within, and breathe.

Crystals that will be useful during this transit include ANYTHING BLUE! Blue rules the Throat Chakra, the chakra of communication, the chakra that is being challenged during this retrograde. Also, Jaspers will be supportive of grounding, and Amethyst for peace of mind will be helpful.

Just remember—we can make the most of this tumultuous time, all the pain and frenzy does not have to be for naught! Love and Light y’all, and as always, message me if you have any questions or feedback for me! I love hearing from you <3

Header artwork ~ drawing by Zoe Codd [instagram: @zrcodd & @holisticanatomy]

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