Let’s talk about Mercury in Retrograde!
Is Mercury in Retrograde? I am sure you have asked yourself this question, or at the very least, you have heard about the Mercury Retrograde Effects at least once. Today, we will explore the subject more and get to the point. We have an old article about this same cosmic event when talking of planetary alignment, as well as a significant and unrelated strong energy wave that affected us all. In about a month, we all will be “delighted” to enjoy its “wonderful” energy again.
As an early advice, one thing ideal for Mercury in Retrograde is introspection, which we talked about last week! So, if you haven’t read this article, I encourage you to since it’s loaded with good tips and suggestions that will help you get the most out of your inner time.
Another point I want to touch on from the beginning is for you to not freak out when Mercury is in Retrograde, and you navigate all the cosmic energy that this event causes. As with everything else, with some understanding and pre-planning, you can even get a lot of positive out of Mercury in Retrograde! No, seriously, I am not joking, don’t forget the Principle of Polarity, as bad as good.
What happens when Mercury is in retrograde?
Firstly, we think that Mercury Retrograde Effects means that it started to go backward when orbiting around the sun. However, this is a visual illusion resulting in Mercury slowing down its speed when orbiting the Sun. Normally, Mercury goes faster than Earth, except when Mercury is in Retrograde, allowing Earth to go faster and giving us that impression.
What is not an illusion is the astrological influence it causes on our lives. While scientifically it doesn’t impact physical or mental health, it does influence your emotions, and especially, your spiritual self. The Universe is governed by 7 laws, and some of these are also affected by the times of Mercury in Retrograde.
For example, some people can maximize the negativity that Mercury in Retrograde could provide, bringing that person negative emotions, stress, and anxiety when this cosmic energy appears. This is a significant part of mercury retrograde symptoms.
However, this could be avoided altogether, because Mercury in Retrograde invites us to go inward, to slow down and regroup, and start to approach different situations with an alternative point of view and potential resolution.
When do Mercury Retrograde Effects Start?
Mercury Retrograde Effects occur three to four times a year, but nowadays it is easy to know the full-year schedule. I recommend you only take into account the next retrograde season, because it is also important to focus on the here and now, or at least, as close to the present as possible.
You can see online a lot of websites that interpret Mercury in Retrograde in different ways, even having some differences between dates. This is because there is also the shadow and the post-shadow. Take this as a pan warming up before cooking, and cooling down right after. Some people might burn if they touch it within 5 minutes, while others prefer to wait ten minutes.
Upon asking my Spirit Guides, they recommended me 3 days of “pre-shadow” and 2 days of “post-shadow.” This means that the timeframe needs 3 more days before and 2 more days after. I always take these days as “snooze days” to wrap up stuff (for example), I don’t want to do during Mercury in Retrograde, or “to wait a bit more” when it goes direct, to ensure all cosmic energy balances once more.
Regarding sites, I felt drawn to the simplest one of them all. This site only tells you whether it’s Mercury in Retrograde season or not, as well as the date of the next one, or the date when the current one will finish, so check it out here to track the next one!
Coping Strategies for Mercury’s Retrograde Motion
If you are sensitive to energy, and you are aware of different planetary alignment possibilities, you may not be happy during the Mercury Retrograde Effects. However, this doesn’t mean you need to panic or lock yourself in your bunker for 21 days (wait, it’s 26, don’t forget the shadows!) Instead, take this as an opportunity to slow down your expenses, relax a little more, and stop fighting to get there, but instead go inward.
I am sharing with you a few things you can keep in mind to get the most out of Mercury in Retrograde season:
- Set extra relaxation and reflection time. Life is busy, and your life is too. Maybe you often engage in extra activities beyond your base job, which can be counterproductive during retrograde. Avoid unnecessary extras, find alternative plans, and incorporate more leisure time into your life while you reflect on how you can improve your ideas by reinforcing your lessons from the past.
- Introspection comes in handy! During Mercury in Retrograde, it’s beneficial to focus on the present and learn from past mistakes. Mercury energy aids in this process because of the Principle of Correspondence (see, it’s not all bad!) If you work on past mistakes without judgment, with the goal of healing and growth, is beneficial. Identify moments of monotony and shift them.
- Healing time! There is a moment for everything, and perhaps, aggressive growth is not one for Mercury in the Retrograde season. However, no one says you can work on self-healing yourself, or, for example, on your projects, by re-examining them and making them a lot better.
If you are sensitive to energy, I am sure you wonder about what is mercury retrograde spiritual meaning is, and I can tell you, it means that it is time to connect inward and reinforce the very foundations of your life.
Mercury Retrograde Effects enable healing, understanding, and fixing the past, reinforcing your current foundations for the future, and working on yourself. However, there are a few things that are best to avoid, simply because you will not be aligned so much with the cosmic energies (you can still do this, but you might have more resistance).
- Avoid new projects or investments. The energy is not ideal for these, and because of collective awareness, this is growing exponentially. This doesn’t mean that you are doomed if you start a new job, or invest a big sum somewhere, but you will not be as much aligned, and the wind might not be pushing you from behind, but pushing you back instead. You gotta put more energy, so why not put that energy into more productive means and leave new projects for later? You might even find a better and more productive approach.
- Buy electronics or large purchases. Electronics and Mercury in Retrograde don’t mix. It is not difficult for something to arrive damaged, or with some issues at least, and it seems that during these days, the odds for something negative to go wrong here are higher. I am sure you have also run into electronics or appliance issues during Mercury in Retrograde season, a lot more than at other times.
I feel that these are the main things that you want to avoid because of Mercury Retrograde Effects. As I said, sometimes life continues, and you have no other choice but to deliver that project to your boss or sign a contract. Likely, everything will still go clockwork, especially if it’s meant to be. However, you need to be more ready and have greater energy for potential extra challenges. Make sure to still find enough time to rest and recharge if so!
However, if you prefer to be in alignment, and you can delay signing that contract, or you don’t need to deliver your final decisions for a while, avoid doing it during Mercury in Retrograde, and instead, take the time to explore this very situation of yours since you might even find ways to improve and cement even more your possibilities.
Conclusion
Mercury Retrograde Effects can be very annoying, but you can minimize this annoyance to a certain point, depending on your actions. Remember that other astrological events also affect the energy from Mercury Retrograde, but if you are observant and sensitive, you will know how to go with it. You need to avoid having over-reliance on astrology, but instead, use it as an additional point of support, and things to keep in account for your final decision on things.
One significant advice is for you to stay grounded, to work on your Root Chakra, and to always be clear with your decisions. If you find your mind hazy or you feel extra insecure, it means there is something that needs attention, even more so during Mercury in Retrograde times. So, brace yourself and work on getting above those demons that once defeated you.
FAQ
Q: What happens when Mercury is in retrograde?
A: Mercury Retrograde is an optical effect where it seems to go backward, but it simply slows down. Normally, mercury moves faster around the sun than the Earth, except when it’s retrograde. This brings several energetic influences affecting communication and electronics, as well as a bunch of other things.
Q: How often do Mercury Retrograde Effects arrive?
A: Mercury Retrograde Effects arrive three or four times a year.
Q: Can Mercury retrograde affect mental health?
A: There is no psychological proof that Mercury in Retrograde affects mental health directly, but it can affect it indirectly depending on how you take it and how you handle the energetic influences from it. So, mental health is not one of the Mercury Retrograde symptoms.
Q: What are some common beliefs about Mercury Retrograde?
A: Generally, the energy from Mercury in Retrograde affects starting something new or investing a lot of money, but instead of regrouping yourself, go back to reinforce your foundations and work on yourself.
Q: How can I prepare for Mercury retrograde?
A: If you don’t struggle, you can keep a normal life centering yourself on reinforcing and healing versus growing and investing. If you like to work with crystals, you will surround yourself with better energy. Introspection works wonders here, as well as going back to past lives if you can.
Q: What should I avoid doing during Mercury retrograde?
A: I would avoid signing contracts, committing to things, making large purchases, or investing money. Don’t attempt to grow or step up; there is a time for everything, and now it’s time to fortify your “roots and your trunk” because you will reinforce and strengthen your capabilities to grow even higher when the “right season” arrives.
Q: Is there any scientific evidence that planetary alignment affects emotions?
A: While there is no scientific evidence that Mercury in Retrograde affects the chemistry of your brain, it is still worth it to invest some time in exploring your emotions during one.
Q: Why do people feel stressed during Mercury retrograde?
A: There is a growing belief that Mercury in Retrograde yields stress. This grows exponentially thanks to the Principle of Mentalism. However, if you have an approach to precisely “go back and fortify from there,” you will experience no stress. If you know you have to do it, and you resist it, then it might bring additional stress.
Q: What are some self-care practices to follow during Mercury retrograde?
A: I recommend doing extra grounding and cleansing exercises when Mercury is in Retrograde, as well as meditation, enjoying time in nature, and, of course, introspection time to explore more of yourself.
Now you know more about Mercury Retrograde Effects and how to best approach them. Because of other astrological positioning, some come milder, and some come tougher, but you will always know how to navigate them. I had some people asking me to write about body shaming. While it is not a topic we usually talk about, I think it is important to at least promote healing and reinforce awareness, so stay tuned for next Wednesday!
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Love & Light,
Lots of blessings and abundance your way! (Home)
Rev. Fernando Albert
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