Hello friend, how are you holding up during this Mercury Retrograde? As I write this, it is April 9th, and our current bout with Mercury Rx started back on April 1st. This transit will be with us until April 25th (How many more times can I type “April” without going insane?), but the “post shadow period” won’t end until May 13th. So for those asking “When can I manifest again?” - Mid-May is my final answer!
You might be wondering: “what do I do during Mercury Retrograde to keep it together?” or “how can I make it out of these retrogrades unscathed?”. There has been a recent uptick with fear-mongering online for likes and engagement that make these periods of time (which happen 3-4 times per year *every* year) seem so much scarier than they really are.
What is Mercury Retrograde?
Mercury is the innermost planet, meaning that it’s much closer to the sun than the Earth, and therefore it orbits the sun more rapidly than the Earth does. Each planet (sans Earth) goes through retrograde periods. Retrogrades are an optical illusion, as planets do not *actually* start to spin backward, but due to the nature of our orbit, they can look like they are - similar to when you pass a car on the highway and it seems it’s sliding backward when you speed up alongside your neighboring car).
But when Mercury (the planet of communication, thoughts, ideas, technology, and travel) enters his retrograde period, we are thrown into a state of social disarray. That is due to the slowing down that these retrogrades ask us to do. In a fast-paced, capitalistic society, that can often feel more jarring than over-extending ourselves does. For me personally, I have recently started getting to the root of a health issue that my doctors have scratched their heads at, thrown pills at, and essentially told me that there’s nothing they can do. At a certain point, I looked up and asked the universe “why can’t they do anything? can’t someone help me?!” to which I felt an intrinsic knowing that the answer was: “yes… you can”.
This illness has been with me now since late October of 2023. A whole 6 months of trying, trying, TRYING before I finally realized that the answer was in the slowing down. So I’m resting, working on resetting my nervous system, taking any lingering processed gunk out of my diet and home products, removing the people from my life that set me into a “flare state”, and keeping my peace. It’s so funny to get taken off of the field, just to truly see how the game is being played.
That’s what Mercury Retrograde does for ALL of us — it slows things down just enough for you to realize what’s working (and what’s not), who in your life is keeping your mind in a state of disarray and tapering back on how much time and energy you spend on them, trying to reallocate your attention onto books and media that make you feel inspired rather than distracted, and keeping the ocean of your life swaying now that there aren’t so many tsunami-esque waves flittering about. For those of us that want to fight the retrograde’s molasses-like influence, that’s when you find out that there’s no Ubers nearby to pick you up when you’re already running late, that your flight back home to see family gets cancelled, that your important work email didn’t send properly, or that those screenshots actually got sent back to the person you were referring to.
What To Do Instead During Mercury Retrograde
So instead of us talking about what to *avoid* during this time (like manifesting, engaging with soul-sucking friends, watching media and reading articles that trigger you without any real action steps), let’s talk about what you can do instead with your time and energy:
Call up a friend that leaves you feeling lighter and happier (especially those you haven’t seen or talked to in a while)
Ignore the drama — instead of feeding into it, find a workout, hobby, or guided meditation that you can help you focus your energy back on YOU on instead
Take a beat before making decisions; I am not the Astrologer that’s going to tell you not to buy the car, sign the lease, or get married during this time. If these major life decisions are something you’ve thought through, sat with, and ultimately feel excited for - take that leap! Just look over the fine-print a couple of times.
Leave 10 minutes early for whatever plans you have. Trust me, you’ll thank me later.
Pick back up on something you love; like play time, video games, old projects, book series you used to love reading, or old “stomping grounds” you used to love spending your time at. You never know what memories or feelings these old loves might unlock.
Say “no” to exes & booty-calls… unless that’s what you want. But if you get caught up in the lessons that are coming back around and wind up getting hurt, don’t blame me! Typically the people that circle back in our lives during this time do so to ignite some sort of awareness or healing inside of us that we’ve been avoiding. In example: someone reaching out to apologize might mean that you are an integral part of their healing process, but you are not obligated to play into chapters and stories that you’ve closed for good reason. Use your discernment during Mercury Retrogrades, and know that no reply (or saying “no”) are both completely fine and complete sentences.
REST: remind yourself that days spent resting are in fact productive days. Sometimes my favorite types of days over the weekend look like: waking up without an alarm, drinking my tea in bed, having breakfast in bed, showering when that’s done, going to a nearby farmer’s market, park, or thrift store to get out of the house and do something that I love, coming back home and putting things away, and resting on the couch with another cup of tea to end the night. You do not need to be in constant peril, stress, or productivity states of existence in order to be worthy, lovable, happy, or successful. I promise that breaking the fear around *true* rest will set you free.
Journal or write before major conversations: help yourself to get your thoughts in order by writing out your thoughts, feelings, and hopeful solutions. This goes for arguments as well as it goes for discussions on raises and promotions. Whether the situation is inherently “positive” or “negative”, you will want to make sure you’re taking your time and speaking intentionally during Mercury retrograde periods.
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Okay, now let’s get into the good stuff! Read on below for how you should approach Mercury Retrogrades (tips, tricks, crystals, activities, and insights) based on your sign.
Read for both your rising, mercury and sun sign for the most accurate insights:
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