Mercury Retrograde is when the planet Mercury appears to be spinning backwards from Earth’s point of view. Since Mercury is closer to the sun, when Earth passes it, it looks like its moving in the opposite direction due to the fact that its moving slower. Mercury goes “retrograde” three to four times a year for about three weeks. This is happening Aug. 23 to Sept. 15. The next time is December 13 to January 1, 2024. For these 3 weeks, and a few days before and after during its shadow period, things can feel a bit off to say the least.
Let’s face it, Mercury retrograde can be a doozy. These tips will help you to not get spun right-round, baby right-round.
Focus Inward. When everything else around you seems to be going astray, just breathe. Use this time to get reacquainted with you. Do some meditation. Draw a bath. Get an energy healing session. Exercise. Be creative. Dance, draw, or read. This is not the time to start assessing all other aspects of your life.
Don’t Make Plans. During this time, any plans made for the future may likely fall by the wayside. Travel often gets disrupted during retrograde, so wait a few weeks and revisit this topic.
Don’t Take it Personal. Since Mercury is the planet that rules communication, be prepared for this area of your life to have a “breakdown”. Phone calls and texts often don’t go through. Words are misunderstood. Fights may occur. Try to remember this isn’t personal, its Mercury.
Technology gets wonky. Electronics are highly effected during this time. Cellphones, cars, computers, literally anything that uses electricity. Keep an eye on your cars dash and get those computers and cells backed up.
Don’t Sign any Contracts. This is not the time to start a new job or buy a new home, due to the breakdown of communication. If you do decide to do this during retrograde, please read and re-read the wording of these contracts.
Having said all of that, if you had plans made prior to Mercury Retrograde, or had the intentions of these plans before, things should go much smoother. It’s not about shutting life down during these times, it’s just about being aware and wiser around these areas. The past may rear its (sometimes ugly) head as well, so it’s important to recognize and release any old emotions that are not serving you currently. Energy healing is an amazing tool to help with this. Don’t forget to focus on you!