It’s that time again when Mercury is in retrograde and everyone starts freaking out about bad luck, things breaking down, and exes hitting you up. So what’s really going on with Mercury retrograde and how can we navigate it to have as little resistance as possible? Let’s get into it in this week’s Deeper Thoughts.
First let’s talk about what a retrograde is. Simply put the planet in retrograde moves backwards, or at least it looks like it is from our perspective here on earth. The planet isn’t actually isn’t moving backwards in orbit, but based on the location around the sun that each planet is, it can give that illusion based on the various speeds they travel. If we were to stand on one of these other planets there would be times that Earth would appear to travel backwards as well.
So let’s talk about Mercury. Mercury is the god of communication, commerce, technology, magick, and travel. In Roman mythology, Mercury was also a trickster god, and when the planet goes retrograde, he’s in trickster mode for sure!
What are some things to expect or avoid during this time? Let’s start with a big one. Ladies. DON’T MAKE MAJOR CHANGES TO YOUR APPEARANCE. Don’t be trying out a major haircut or trying to see what it’s like to be a blonde or a redhead. No Botox or anything of that sort. You’re gonna regret it cause you’ll either hate it or something’s gonna go wrong in the process. Doesn’t matter if you do it yourself or a professional. Just stick with the routine until Mercury goes direct and things are back to normal.
Don’t start a new job and avoid signing any contracts (if possible) during a Mercury retrograde. There are likely to be many issues that happen that will cause things to end badly. As far as the job front, if you had already decided and made plans PRIOR to the retrograde, you MIGHT get through it fine. But unless you absolutely cannot avoid it completely don’t sign anything. Jumping into any new business deals is also not advised. There will usually be setbacks that will come back and bite you.
Don’t start a new relationship during this time. Even with an ex that wants to get back together with you (Mercury retrograde is notorious for ex’s hitting you up). If the pursuit is still there after Mercury goes direct then go for it, but hold off on starting any relationship during this time.
Expect delays in travel. Don’t be surprised if you keep hitting a lot of traffic or construction on road trips. Same with delays and extra layovers when traveling by plane.
You can also experience breakdowns in communication. Messages and emails might not work right. You might have trouble explaining your thoughts as well. Take time to make sure you're communicating clearly and do it best to leave out room for assumptions.
The major thing to remember with Mercury REtrograde is the prefix RE. Some things during this period you can’t control, like bad traffic, fax machines at the office not working, or that toxic ex calling you up out of the blue. What you can control is your REaction to these types of things. You can freak out or you can respond, rather than react. A lot of people need to learn this lesson in general, and not just during a Mercury retrograde.
What are some other things we can do during this time? You can revisit projects you’ve been putting off. Cleaning up and updating links to your webpage, or finishing a project around the house you didn’t complete or need to go back over. Mend that broken part of your fence, or replace the screens in your windows. What’s something that you started a while back but never finished? What are some things that need maintenance and upkeep? Go back and focus on these things during this time.
Taking a break from magick is recommended during Mercury retrograde. Mercury is in trickster mode when it’s in retrograde so most magick you try is either not going to work, or get you results in a way you didn’t want at all. Things can go haywire during this period. Performing the Banishing Ritual of the Hexagram may help to lessen some of its affects.
Now that doesn’t mean there are some things magickally that you can do while retrograde is going on. Mercury likes jokes so you can use that to your advantage. Illusion or glamor spells tend to work out well. If you can find a way to frame your spell work as a prank that Mercury would find amusing you might get it to work out in your favor. Spells that are designed to be funny and truly lean into the trickster archetype should work out splendidly during this time.
Use more visualizations for manifestations during this time to put your intentions out there in the universe. While the retrograde is happening I tend to use this method a lot. Another method that has been working for me is extra offerings at my ancestral altar and asking them for help with things I need. I highly recommend developing a relationship with your ancestors in general. They’re eager to help. They have a lot of investments in your bloodline so they’re rooting for you and want you to succeed.
Mercury retrograde isn’t all doom and gloom. It has its annoyances, sure, but it’s not going to destroy you. The messenger of the gods is just trying to take a break and have some fun. He rules over a wide variety of things and deserves to have a good time. Lay low, don’t start anything major or make big changes, have a laugh at the Trickster’s jokes and you’ll be fine. Go with the flow, step back, and revisit things you need to complete or revamp and touch up.
Hopefully after reading this you’ll feel at ease during this Mercury retrograde. Follow this simple guide and you should be fine. Also don’t forget that it’s only three weeks long. You got this!
Once again, I thank you for reading and hope you have an enlightening day.
Comments