Who’s Afraid Of Mercury Retrograde?

The planet Mercury officially went retrograde on March 5th 2019 and all I’ve been seeing on social media are Mercury Retrograde Memes like these:

SO MUCH DRAMA! And I get it. Before I really understood Mercury retrograde, I was pretty freaked too. And yes, if you’re unaware of the energies of Mercury when it’s retrograde, it can definitely bring some major challenges in your life. BUT, if you prepare, and understand where to focus during this time, Mercury can be on your side, I promise.

Here are some helpful info, tips & guidelines to ease you through Mercury Retrograde this month.

1. What is Mercury Retrograde? Simply put, it’s when the movement of the planet Mercury slows down making it seem as though it’s moving backward (retrograde). If you’ve ever pulled into a parking spot and then the car next to you starts pulling forward- you might freak out for a second thinking your car is in reverse. This is what happens during any planetary retrograde.
2. How Long Does A Mercury Retrograde Period Last? From the official start to finish, MR last about 3 weeks…. BUT we can often feel the energy shift a few days before & after the actual retrograde, so I just call it a full month.
3. How Often Does Mercury Retrograde Take Place? 3 times a year.
4. What Does A Planetary Retrograde Mean? When a planet goes into a retrograde period, the energies ruled by that planet will be challenged. In the case of Mercury, communication, planning, electronics, technology, travel & contracts are all affected.
5. What Are The Challenges Of A Mercury Retrograde? Because Mercury rules the above areas of life, plan accordingly. Planning travel during a MR period can often mean, missed, cancelled or delayed flights, flat tires or general malfunctions of transportation. Challenged communication can mean missed calls, phone tag, misunderstood text messages, emails sent to the wrong people, or plans with friends that go awry or were misunderstood. Computers tend to crash or contract malware, phones die unexpectedly, & electronics of all kinds can go wonky. This is also not the optimal time to start new endeavors, sign contracts, get married, get a loan or buy a new car or house. But guess what? I GOT MARRIED during a Mercury retrograde… & it worked in my favor… read #6 to find out why.
6. What is a Mercury Retrograde Period Good For? All of the “Re’s”. Re-discover, Re-cover, Re-assess, Re-member, Re-invent, Re-invigorate, Re-imagine, Re-flection, Re-parations, Re-orientation, Re-organization, Re-align, Re-think…basically during a planetary retrograde, you want to take time to take stock, tie up loose ends and tend to things that you’ve been avoiding or putting off. Basically, this is not a time to start anything NEW. So why did getting married on a Mercury retrograde work for me & my husband? Because we had been talking about it for over a year before and we finally were “getting it done” making the commitment & ritual act of said commitment complete. We had already committed to each other long before so it was wrapping up what had begun 3 years previous. (and funny side note we got engaged during a Mercury retrograde too- so it was meant to be!)
7. Why You Don’t Need To Be Scared During Mercury Retrograde: You’ve been warned! And you now know how to prepare. Prepare for the worst yet hope for the best. Double check plans & appointments & email addresses. Leave yourself extra time for travel- double check flights, trains & bus schedules. Make sure you have gas in your car & that spare tire in your trunk, not to mention renew your Triple A membership. Make sure you don’t read into conversations or confusing text messages. Instead of making assumptions, speak to the person in the flesh and make sure things are clear. Unless you’ve been looking for a house & car for months, don’t start your hunt yet. Put it off for a couple more weeks. Starting ANYTHING new will most likely cause challenges, so focus instead on what you’ve yet to finish. What have you been avoiding? Dreading? Sweeping under the metaphorical rug? Now’s the time to clean up! Both figuratively and literally. In fact do clean! Spring clean the house, the car, your work space. Get rid of things in your surroundings that don’t bring you joy. Clean out your wallet, old emails, and voicemails and photos on your phone. Make room for the NEW when the energy shifts again.
8. Finally, Try Not To Get Sucked Into The Drama. Is Mercury retrograde a big deal? Sure it is. But it’s here to help us learn & grow. Don’t expect & look for the worst, because you’ll get it. Instead foster the energy of Mercury retrograde, get “ahead” of it’s challenges and what it’s trying to show you and make it work FOR YOU instead of AGAINST you. It works, I promise.

xoA