Surviving Mercury in Retrograde
MERCURY RETROGRADE - OCTOBER 13TH - NOVEMBER 3RD 2020 (shadow period september 23rd - november 19th)
When someone says ‘mercury is in retrograde’ what are the first things that come to mind? An overarching feeling of fear, that your ex is going to send that dreaded ‘I miss you text’ or things are generally going to go to shit? It may seem on the surface that mercury retrograde is just an attempt to ruin your life for a month or two, a part of astrology that the very people who don’t believe in its legitimacy, experience a tumultuous few weeks that make them wonder, maybe there’s some truth in that after all. But just like the daily horoscopes in women’s ‘lifestyle’ magazines by your local capitalist ‘Mystic Meg’, offering blanket statements to convince you that it really is specific to you…until you read every other sign; astrological events such as mercury retrograde are easy to dismiss when mainstream media provides the standard ‘watch out for a text from your ex’ warnings.
However, mercury retrograde is actually a lot more positive than fearing hookups from the past and repeatedly missing your train by 2 seconds. The overarching lesson is instead rooted in the universe giving you that time and space to slow down and revisit those areas of life that have become a subconscious routine. When you allow yourself to view disruptions as that push to reevaluate the choices you have made and the path you have chosen, rather than an attempt to ruin and destroy your plans, its like the cheat code for life has been revealed.
WHAT IS IT ?
But what does mercury retrograde actually mean? And why is everyone so scared of it? According to roman mythology, Mercury was the messenger of the gods - whose sole aim was to pass on messages without bearing any judgement. Therefore, the planet mercury is considered to be the ruler of communication, connection and information. These are of course broad topics, and are not limited to simply carrying messages ; travel, technology and contracts (both verbal and written) are all areas which mercury holds significance in, and therefore can all be affected during it’s retrograde.
Retrograde is when a planet appears to be moving backwards, and with mercury being the closest planet to the sun, and therefore having the shortest orbit (only 88 days compared to earth’s 365) it explains why mercury retrograde seems to happen so often. A good way to think of a retrograde is when the planet is in it’s rest stage - and therefore the areas of life that planet rules are slowed down and generally don’t function as easily.
Therefore, when mercury is in retrograde, all areas of everyday life relating to communication and connection is somewhat affected, causing delays in travel and technology, confusion in conversations and frustration when things aren’t understood properly by others. This perceived ‘slowing down’ of the planet also causes many of us to revisit old situations, people and thought patterns, seeking the cause of misunderstandings or missed connections - hence those 2am ‘I miss you’ texts. Because of this, mercury retrograde is not the best time to solidify plans, or start something new, but instead to reflect and refine those ideas, allowing us to put our trust in the fluidity and ever changeable nature of the universe. Mercury also experiences a shadow period post pre and post retrograde, which allows us to prepare in the lead up, and process after the events. Although the effects of these stages aren’t as intense as retrograde, disruptions could start to become present early, and after retrograde finishes you could still resolving the things that came up for a few more weeks.
RETROGRADE IN SCORPIO
Retrogrades, like other astrological events, hold the most significance in the sign the planet is located in. During this October / November retrograde, mercury is in Scorpio, the sign associated with death, rebirth, mystery, obsession and intuition. With mercury putting strain on communication and Scorpio being the sign often referred to as the ‘investigator’ it’s not unlikely this retrograde will reveal and loyalties and hidden truths of those close to you. Because intuition is amplified during both through the retrograde itself and it’s current placement in Scorpio, it’s not just texts from past hookups you may be receiving, as secrets and true characters are being revealed. Don’t be surprised if people who you thought to know well are suddenly being exposed for secretive or manipulative actions. Mercury Retrograde is using this time to literally scream out to you “LOOK WHO THEY REALLY ARE” in order for you to recognise that certain friendships, relationships or situations just aren’t meant for you right now. With Scorpio being a water sign, this emotional clarity is particularly significant during this retrograde, especially with mercury demanding us to slow down and really consider every possible avenue.
SO WHAT DOES IT MEAN ?
Luckily for us, the purpose of mercury retrograde isn't to be reminded about what went wrong, but instead shines a light on what maybe needs to be changed to be able to achieve the best outcome next time. Have you ever watched a movie where they have one of those completely over the top flash mob scenes just to allow the main characters to stop for a second and realise what is right in front of them. The kind that reaffirms just how caught up in their routine they were that a mass of total strangers dancing to some outdated love song is the thing that pulls them back to the present? Think of mercury retrograde as that flash mob, disrupting daily life for a few weeks to really make you focus your attention on those areas that have become part of a subconscious routine you didn’t even know you had slipped in to. Instead of thinking ‘what an annoying group of dancing strangers stopping me from carrying out my mundane everyday routine’, mercury retrograde is screaming at you to just stop what you are doing for one second and consider if you are really going down the right path, are the things that fill your day to day life really making you that happy?
So maybe that ‘I miss you text’ IS telling you to get back with your toxic ex (though probably not), but maybe it’s showing you just how far you have come since that text was all you wanted. Mercury retrograde is the flash mob that allows you to miss the train, so you can have a few more seconds on that platform to think ‘what really is it I want from life? And what do I need to change to get there?’ It gives us that chance to redo past mistakes, and to really communicate to ourselves what we want before committing to new paths.