Mercury Retrograde: Everything you need to know to thrive and find ease

I think it’s time we had the Mercury Retrograde is not the devil talk.

Mercury Retrograde has become some sort of pop culture misunderstood time that the collective has honestly made into a bit of a joke (and why not, Mercury is the cosmic joker) but if there’s one thing I want to be able to help you access - it’s a deeper understanding of the Cosmic Tides and how they’re ALWAYS working with you, not against.

When you’re done reading this your mind will be completely re-worked around Mercury Retrograde and the gifts it has to offer you. You’ll start getting excited for these cosmic portals 3 (sometimes 4) times per year and the energetic clean up they bring.

So let’s dive in.

Every planet has a cycle just like the moon. The moons full cycle is a month, and the length of that cycle grows as the planets get further from the sun.

Mercury retrograde is essentially the dark moon phase of Mercury’s cycle. It is a closing, a shedding, a releasing. That’s why we release, review, realign on this date.

As we move into the shadow of Mercury finding movement forward (to our eyes not in reality) we are in the new moon phase of mercury. This means it’s a potent time for intention setting, manifestation, and tapping into what you truly what but first you've got to shed your old skin.

This why Mercury Retrograde is not a death sentence, it’s a moment of reflection. Much like the moon finishes, sheds, and purges, and is reborn within a sign each month during the Dark Moon (or Balsamic) phase - so does Mercury.

Mercury Retrogrades 3 times per year, for three weeks (plus a two week shadow period on either end.) What does this mean? Literally, it means the planet seems to stop in the sky and then begin to move backward. Think it of it like when you’re stopped at a light, and someone begins to move next to you and you think your car is moving and have a minor panic attack. It’s an optical illusion. But its power is no illusion.

Mercury, the planet of communication and information, is named after the God Hermes who was the messenger for the Gods.

My favourite thing about Hermes was his sole power to go between the world of the gods, the mortal realm, and the underworld. No other god could do this - making Mercury one powerful messenger, the psychopomp. Mercury deals with so much more than the logical mind and the mundane. He dives into the depths to reveal what needs healing. He is the messenger of the wound.

That being said when Mercury gets this close to the earth an amazing astrologer, Rick Levine, describes it as a microphone getting too close to the amp. You get feedback, and when you get feedback what do you do? You cover your ears because the intensity of the sound is just too much. Mercury coming this close to the earth can create that feedback and so you don’t necessarily get the whole story while you’re covering your ears waiting for the feedback to stop.

Mercury is the planet of communication, perception, learning, mental processing, wit, humour, technology and so much more. So all of these things get a little muddled, the communication isn’t 100% truthful, and you really can’t trust what you’re perceiving during these portals. But there is nothing to fear from any retrograde, especially not Mercury’s. It is a portal of change we find ourselves in 3 times per year.

Within this closing phase of the Mercury cycle, just like with the dark moon, you are called to Review, Reflect, Release, Realign around the sign and element that Mercury has begun his dance within.

Yeah, maybe avoid cutting your bangs, triple check your messages and emails, make sure your saving and backing up technology. Yes, your ex may come back because Mercury Retrograde brings back past things to be cleansed and finalized. But Mercury retrograde is so much bigger than the technical difficulties, exes resurfacing, and nostalgia pop astrology preaches.

Use the first week and of this retrograde to clear, clean, cleanse your space, your mind, your phone, your computer. Anything that has accumulated clutter from the past few months and begin fresh.

Now that you’re better aquatinted with Mercury Retrograde as a whole let’s talk about the particular energy of this Mercury Retrograde in 2024.

One thing you should know is that Mercury makes its way through a certain element over a number of years re-ordering those elemental signs within your chart. So we’re in an Earth phase currently after years of re-ordering our air houses & placements.

And make way for this fated Mercury retrograde that will team up with the Nodes of fate to bring personal change and collective change (because by now you’re finally realizing the collective and personally change never stops. The only thing that is permanent is impermanence.)

Mercury Retrograde will bring up themes around:

Reflection: A time for introspection and self-reflection, allowing us to review our thoughts, actions, and decisions.

1. Communication Breakdowns: Miscommunications, misunderstandings, and glitches in technology are common during this period.

2. Delays and Disruptions: Delays in travel, transportation, and projects may occur, urging us to practice patience and flexibility.

3. Revisiting the Past: Past issues, unresolved matters, and unfinished projects resurface for closure or reevaluation.

4. Self-Expression and Creativity: Mercury Retrograde can inspire unique perspectives, artistic endeavors, and innovative problem-solving.

5. Reconnecting and Reconciliation: Opportunities for reconnecting with old friends, resolving conflicts, and healing relationships.

6. Attention to Detail: Encourages us to pay closer attention to details, fine-tune plans, and be meticulous in our work.

7. Personal Growth and Adaptability: Challenges during this period foster personal growth, adaptability, and the need to think on our feet.

8. Technology and Communication Upgrades: A time to assess and upgrade communication systems, gadgets, and digital platforms.

9. Spiritual and Intuitive Insights: Mercury Retrograde enhances our intuition and provides a chance for spiritual growth and deepening self-awareness.

You will be asked to review, release, and re-align these areas of your life. Don’t sleep on this one.

Dates to watch out for in 2024

Summer 2024:

• The Mercury Retrograde shadow period being on July 16th, 2024, at 8:52 pm PT at 21° Leo

• Mercury stations retrograde on August 4th, 2024, at 9:56 pm PT at 4° Virgo

• Mercury is Cazimi on August 18th, 2024, at 6:58 pm PT at 26° Leo

• Mercury stations direct on August 28th, 2024, at 2:14 pm PT at 21° Leo

• The Mercury Retrograde shadow period ends on September 11th, 2024, at 4:52 pm PT at 4° Virgo

Fall 2024:

• The Mercury Retrograde shadow period beings on on November 7th, 2024, at 4:33 am PT at 6° Sagittarius

• Mercury stations retrograde on November 25th, 2024, at 6:42 pm PT at 22° Sagittarius

• Mercury is Cazimi on December 5th, 2024, at 6:18 pm PT at 14° Sagittarius

• Mercury stations direct on December 15th, 2024, at 12:56 pm PT at 6° Sagittarius

• The Mercury Retrograde shadow period ends on January 2nd, 2025, at 7:15 pm PT at 22° Sagittarius

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Want to know everything there is to know about Mercury Retrograde and where it’s activating your chart? Get the to Survive & Thrive the Mercury Rx Cosmic Tides!