Demystifying Mercury in Retrograde
What Is Retrogradation?
Every planet, except for the sun and the moon, which are considered luminaries, at one point or another go retrograde.
What does this mean? Well, from Earth’s point of view, which is the location from where you observe the solar system, there is an apparent change in the velocity of the planet (in this case Mercury), but this is just an optical illusion. Mercury is in fact not going backwards, but rather recalculating its velocity. When a planet enters its period of retrogradation, all of the characteristics relating to the psychic function of that specific planet will go through a revision process. This year, Mercury will be retrograde from October 14th-November 3rd, and it is during this time that you may begin to see how it operates within and around you.
What Does Mercury Affect?
• Communication, whether it is verbal or through any electronic device you use to communicate (cellphones, computers, the internet…)
• How you express yourself, as well as how you perceive and process what others are trying to communicate to you
• The intellectuality and development of your ideas and opinions
• How you rationalize
• How you interpret what you learn
So What Does This All Mean?
Mercury regulates communication, your intellectual processes, how you think, talk, interact, and how you build connections. When it is in retrograde, all of these things will experience a setback, and in turn, you might encounter what feels like a disconnect with the outside world. During these 21 days where Mercury is in retrograde, the perceived chaos that is generated on the outside provides you with an opportunity to look within and question yourself. Why is this happening? Who am I not wanting to communicate with? What am I trying to avoid? What do I need to examine in the ways I express myself? What do I need to examine about the way that I think?
When it is in retrograde, while seemingly negative, it can actually be a positive thing, in that Mercury begins to show you the areas of your life where you are being too rigid, as well as the areas where you may struggle to adapt. It can be helpful to keep a notebook in your nightstand where you can write down your dreams. You might wake up in the middle of the night with an important thought that may be helpful to reflect upon the following day.
How Can You Best Utilize The Information At Hand?
It can teach you to be flexible, if you allow it to. Even if there is chaos and things are not working out the way you had planned, there are different ways you can accomplish what you want.
These are 21 days that you can dedicate to working on incorporating more versatility into your life, rather than believing the myth that when Mercury is in retrograde, life will be chaotic no matter what. You can utilize this time to become more introspective and reflective. Don’t take it personally when there is a misunderstanding in your life, and instead, take responsibility. This transit will be a great ally in helping you focus your attention on what you need to process in order to move forward. Utilize this time as a chance to examine previous patterns and relationships from a different perspective. While doing so has the potential to bring people from the past back into your life, the most important thing to remember and understand, is that you don’t necessarily need to reestablish those relationships. However, it is a good opportunity to reconcile, forgive, and develop a deeper understanding of yourself and others, by taking into account that while you may be immersed in what seems like a familiar situation, you are not the same person... you have evolved.
