What is Mercury retrograde all about?
Mercury is the planet of communication, thinking and learning. It represents ideas, methods, information, dexterity and transportation.
Mercury is also the trickster, and one of its biggest tricks is to go backwards and scramble our brains. This is known as Mercury retrograde.
During those times, Mercury’s influence works differently to usual. Its energy is more internalised and more intense, often harder to express in a direct and clear way.
That leads to a lot of the events associated with Mercury retrograde, such as misunderstandings and cancelled arrangements.
A lot of people assume that Mercury retrograde is all doom and gloom and an absolute disaster. But it’s really not!
Personally I don’t usually have too many issues with Mercury retrograde. I see it as a time when I can rethink, review, revise and redo and for me (especially as a writer!) there is a lot of room for those activities in my life!
However there is no doubt that Mercury retrograde can also be tricky and challenging. It can be a time when we look to the past to decide what we want for the future. Or we look to the past simply to see how far as we have come. Mercury retrogrades about three to four times a year but don’t wish these cycles away!
FYI the next three retrogrades this year are:
23 March 2018 – Mercury goes retrograde in Aries
15 April 2018 – Mercury retrograde ends
26 July 2018 – Mercury goes retrograde in Leo
19 August – Mercury retrograde ends
17 November – Mercury goes retrograde in Sagittarius
6 December 2018 – Mercury retrograde ends
ARIES
There could be confusion re your image, your reputation and how others see you during this cycle. It could be time to make some important if superficial changes. For example, now is a good time to rethink your image. Even if you’re happy with who you are, it’s also a good time to ask yourself if you’re getting your message across to others? Perhaps it’s time for a revamp – your hair, your wardrobe, your website, your business cards? For others, it will run deeper as something reconnects you to your past – for some an actual trip or meeting will out you face to face with ‘the old days’. Mercury going backwards in your sign can also be a time when life seems to hit one snag after another. People find it harder than usual to understand what you’re trying to say to them. Some of you will find it impossible to write anything without at least one grammatical or spelling mistake per line! This is a small price to pay for a period when you get to re-evaluate your old life, a chance to decide if you are happy with where you have left behind and where you are going. The key with Mercury retrograde is always to let the cycle unfold without making any major decisions, if you can. Mercury retrograde usually leads to more information being sent your way, so it’s best to wait and see what transpires before you act.
TAURUS
Mercury is now going backwards in your 12th House – that’s the part of your chart connected to your sub-conscious, the part of you that no one else sees, and the part of your chart where you keep your fears. So expect to be doing some rethinking and reconsidering re one of these subjects. Perhaps an old fear comes back so you can deal with it this time. For others, an old secret becomes current again. There could also be confusion regarding something you don’t really want to talk about. Now is the time to do what you can to release past sorrows. Where you know you have a fear which is holding you back, do all you can to see where that fear comes from and use that information to help you banish it. If you know how to meditate, now is the time to get (back) into it. You are on the verge of closing an old chapter in your life so do what you can to tidy your mind. Consider who and what you want to leave in the past. The key with Mercury retrograde is to let the cycle unfold without making any major decisions, if you can. Mercury retrograde usually leads to more information being sent your way so it’s best to way and see what transpires before you act.
GEMINI
For you it’s time to have another think re your friends and social networks, as well as re your hopes and dreams. The upside is that you’re in a position to acquire new insights into who your friends really are and what your main hopes and goals are. The downside is that some of your friendships will suffer unless you can stay in good humour! One of the best ways to think of this cycle is to think of someone hanging upside they – they see the world from another angle. This is what you can do whenever a problem crops up between now and the end of the cycle, whether it’s connected to a person or to something you’re tring to ‘make happen’. Look at any dramas from another angle. Re your hopes and dreams – accept that some of them are changing. Can you take a new approach, to make them come true, or is it time to reconsider their validity? The key with Mercury retrograde is always to let the cycle unfold without making any major decisions, if you can. Mercury retrograde usually leads to more information being sent your way so it’s best to way and see what transpires before you act.
CANCER
Mercury will be going backwards in your 10th House. This is the part of your chart that is connected to your career and social standing. When Mercury goes backwards here you can expect to be doing some rethinking and reconsidering re your public face and your career and professional standing – and there could also be some confusion. Take extra care around the office (or wherever you work) and be sure that silly mistakes don’t mar your performance. That’s the possible downside of this cycle – little errors. The upside is that you are in a position to rethink your ambitions now. Are you happy with your job direction or is it time to start looking around for something new, with more benefits which suit you? For some, there are career advancement delays. Some of you will be able to renegotiate your work terms and conditions – eg: adding flextime to your arrangements. For others there will be long overdue rewards for a job well done, be they financial, a welcome pat on the back, or even a tempting job offer from elsewhere. The key with Mercury retrograde is always to let the cycle unfold without making any major decisions, if you can. Mercury retrograde usually leads to more information being sent your way so it’s best to way and see what transpires before you act.
LEO
Mercury retrograde is going on the part of your chart connected to your ‘cosmic path’ through life, and to adventure, study, travel and education. When Mercury goes backwards here you can expect to be doing some rethinking and reconsidering re one of these subjects. Perhaps it’s time to take another look at the philosophies you live your life by? Are there some more things to learn? There could also be confusion in one of these areas. Take extra care if you’re travelling or studying. Travelling now could lead you on some wild and wacky adventures which were not included in your original itinerary. Don’t put valuable items in your luggage as they’re more likely than usual to get lost in transit (temporarily, hopefully!) If you’re studying, take care with your work – sometimes what’s done under Mercury retrograde has to be done again. If you’re editing written work, reviewing a course or retaking a self-improvement course, you’ve chosen the ideal moment for it. If you’re wondering about whether or not to throw yourself in a Big Life Adventure, let the cycle unfold without making any major decisions, if you can. Mercury retrograde usually leads to more information being sent your way so it’s best to way and see what transpires before you act.
VIRGO
It’s time to have another think re who you’re ‘getting into bed with’ both financially and sexually! Mercury is now going backwards in your eighth house so anything related to joint financial ventures, sex and intimacy is up for debate. Joint finances refers to your salary, credit cards and loans – wherever your money is tied up with someone else’s. It can also be where it’s tied up with a partner, past or present. When Mercury goes backwards in this part of your chart, you can expect to be doing some rethinking and reconsidering re one of these subjects. There could also be confusion in one of these areas. Look at how well you are relating to people on an intimate level. If you’re keep people at arms’ length (whether by being stand-offish, or by constantly cracking jokes, for example) now is the time for you to do some serious thinking re the barriers you’re putting up. This part of your chart is also about jealousy and obsession – for some, an old jealousy problem will come back. See if you can deal better with it this time around. For others, if you know have a tendency to try to control other people, now is the time to (a) deal with the fallout from that and (b) work out a better way to carry yourself. The key with Mercury retrograde is always to let the cycle unfold without making any major decisions, if you can. Mercury retrograde usually leads to more information being sent your way so it’s best to way and see what transpires before you act.
LIBRA
Mercury will be going backwards in your 7th House. This is the part of your chart that is connected to your most important one to one relationships, past, present or potential. However a word of warning, it’s also the part of your chart related to your open enemies. When Mercury goes backwards here you can expect to be doing some rethinking and reconsidering re your love life – and there could well be confusion in one of these areas. For some, the most obvious manifestation of this cycle will be the reappearance of an ex. Yes it might be a chance to get back together but it can also provide you with another opportunity – the chance to better understand why you split, and then to move on. New couples should take care now not to let minor misunderstandings get in the way of a blossoming romance. All couples should remember that missed connections, confused conversations and lost emails/texts/etc are more likely and act accordingly. The key with Mercury retrograde is always to let the cycle unfold without making any major decisions, if you can. Mercury retrograde usually leads to more information being sent your way so it’s best to way and see what transpires before you act.
SCORPIO
Expect to be doing some rethinking and reconsidering re your daily work and health routines. There could also be confusion in one of these areas. If you find an old health concern comes back at this time, try not to be alarmed and instead look at it as a chance to release the malady forever. There are times when Mercury going backwards means we can somehow put an end to something which started under a previous Mercury retrograde. So if you have a health problem which first emerged while this planet was in reverse, you may find the coming few weeks give you the chance to knock it on the head. This cycle is also good for anyone who’s fallen off their exercise routines timetable. Get back into them now and you shouldn’t have to wrestle too hard to keep it all up until at least the next Mercury cycle. At work, this period gives you the chance to renegotiate your daily duties. Think about what you would like to change. The key with Mercury retrograde is always to let the cycle unfold without making any major decisions, if you can. Mercury retrograde usually leads to more information being sent your way so it’s best to way and see what transpires before you act.
SAGITTARIUS
Don’t panic if there are delays or confusion connected to children, creativity and light-hearted romance. Mercury will be backwards in your 5th House and you’re having a chance to have a rethink about one or more of these subjects. There could also be confusion in one of these areas. For example, if your partner wants a child and you’re not so sure, this is the time the subject could come up. Or vice versa. Or maybe you’re rethinking the whole romance. It’s a good time to do that! Creatively, it could be you’re writing something and you’re not sure whether to edit it or scrap it and just start over. Wait before you decide. In other cases, you and your partner seem to be missing each other’s mark. The key with Mercury retrograde is always to let the cycle unfold without making any major decisions, if you can. Mercury retrograde usually leads to more information being sent your way so it’s best to way and see what transpires before you act.
CAPRICORN
Nothing is set in stone re your family or your home as Mercury goes backwards through your 4th House. There could be confusion on the domestic front, or delays, or you could find something from your past being somehow dug up. For example, someone important from your past could come up in conversation – suddenly you find yourself up to date with their news, whether you wanted to be or not. Or perhaps you’re clearing up your home (or renovating or moving) and you find some item from your part which takes you down memory lane. Family issues from the past can come up again and even be solved now. If you’re not happy with the way your home is organised, now is an ideal time to redo it. For some, there will be big confusion about whether to stay or leave the current home, for others, the chance to revisit a place you used to call home. Don’t feel pressured it making decisions. The key with Mercury retrograde is always to let the cycle unfold without making any major decisions, if you can. Mercury retrograde usually leads to more information being sent your way so it’s best to way and see what transpires before you act.
AQUARIUS
Mercury is now going backwards in the part of your chart connected to communication, your brothers and sisters, your neighbourhood and quick trips. When Mercury goes backwards here you can expect to be doing some rethinking and reconsidering re one of these subjects – for example, you might be sorting things out with a sibling or having take back something you said. There could also be confusion in one of these areas, so don’t panic. If you haven’t backed up your computer files or your digital photos in a while, this is an ideal time to do it. Remember, Mercury is the trickster of the zodiac, so if you do back them up, chances are you won’t lose them – but if you don’t…! This cycle is actually strong for you as you have the Planet Of Communications going backwards in your House Of Communications so it’s what you would call a double whammy. Missed phone calls, emails and texts accidentally sent to the wrong person and botched rendez vous are possible. But there is also the chance to rethink a Very Important Issue in your life. If you’re signing an agreement, be SURE both parties are on the same page. The key with Mercury retrograde is always to let the cycle unfold without making any major decisions, if you can. Mercury retrograde usually leads to more information being sent your way so it’s best to way and see what transpires before you act.
PISCES
You can expect to be doing some rethinking and reconsidering re cash, property and/or your possessions during this cycle. Your self-esteem and what you really value is also up for a rethink. It may be time to reconsider what’s important to you in life. It sounds like a big question and, yes, it is. But you only get the occasional chance to really revise such major issues. So what really matters to you? Is your current lifestyle supporting what you believe to be important in the great scheme of things? If you’ve been feeling negative about yourself lately, this cycle asks you to think again about your opinion of yourself! What good does it do you to be small? This cycle is also about cash, property and possessions. On the one hand, you do need to be extra careful in all financial transactions as there is extra room for confusion. On the other, most positively, it’s a very good time to rethink your finances and some of you will even see money you’ve been waiting for finally making its way into your bank account. If you’re trying to make a big decision re buying or selling properly, gather the facts first. The key with Mercury retrograde is always to let the cycle unfold without making any major decisions, if you can. Mercury retrograde usually leads to more information being sent your way, so it’s best to wait and see what transpires before you act.
