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We are currently in our second Mercury Retrograde of the year. It started April 9th and will end May 3rd. Have you noticed during this time that you’ve felt confused, frustrated and a sense of delay with certain things in your life? Don’t worry, I’m experiencing all this too! A lot of us in some way will feel a pull of some sort, and it all stems from the energy of what planet Mercury is undergoing right now. Have no fear, there is a way to prepare for these energies and ways you can ride the retrograde wave.
What is Mercury Retrograde? When a planet is retrograde or appears to move backward, it’s moving in the opposite direction of Earth. Mercury is currently doing this and when it does, the areas of life that it represents goes into a waiting period or “resting state.” Mercury is known as the messenger planet and it affects communication between others (e-mails, in-person conversations), travel, signing contracts, starting new projects, technology, automobiles. You’ll notice that your emotions are also heightened and some may feel their intuition is elevated.
The Effects of Mercury Retrograde: • Miscommunication among those you speak with. You might have heightened disagreements and notice other’s behaviors toward you are rougher. E-mails might also be misconstrued. • Signing contracts or starting new projects might result in glitches, setbacks or overlooked key items/terms. • Technology or automobiles might not perform regularly. • Traveling might become even more of a headache. Slower commutes than usual. • You might feel overly sensitive regarding areas of your life or your interaction with others.
Ways to Prepare and Survive Mercury Retrograde: • Mercury Retrograde teaches us to slow down in all areas of life—be more mindful of what’s going on. • Mercury Retrograde asks us to take the time to redo or review projects and plans, be more thorough, “tie up loose ends”, be patient with others and ourselves, be more present in how you communicate with others and the way you express yourself. • Remain flexible, adaptable to change, allow more travel time to avoid further delays, reflect on the past as a way to see what needs to be worked on—but don’t dwell in the past as a way to put yourself down. • Hold off on signing contracts until Mercury retrograde is over. If you can’t, make sure to be very detailed in reviewing everything over and have backup plans in place. • Try not to make final decisions on anything until after Mercury Retrograde. • Try to be more compassionate/patient with others and yourself during this time—if you can’t–try to establish healthy boundaries until after Mercury retrograde.
The necessity to prepare/know how to ride the retrograde wave: • You allow yourself from going against the current and causing more friction during this time. By giving yourself advance notice before retrograde, enables you to be more flexible and attuned to the energies that take place. • When you notice which zodiac sign Mercury Retrograde is in, it better helps you understand the influence you are experiencing from either your own birth month or just the attributes of the zodiac itself. • Use this time to see where you have been putting your energies toward and where your true main focus has been lacking.
I definitely notice a shift in me during Mercury Retrograde, usually within the first three days. I feel very emotional, sensitive, and a lack of motivation to work on things I’ve put off. I also notice that things that normally wouldn’t bother me do during this time. The best advice I could give myself and others is to be kind, patient and nurturing to yourself during this time. Use this time to retreat in not being too hard on yourself. If you need a day to be by yourself or even if it’s just half the day—take it! If you find yourself aware of what you’ve been putting off to work on or to finish---take the time to do it. That might be the pull you’re also feeling.
*Be prepared for the next retrogrades—occurring the following dates* • August 12 (Leo) – September 5 (Virgo) • December 2 (Sagittarius) – December 22 (Capricorn)
-Resources for this article: Farmer’s Almanac and SunSigns.org