Here we are in another Mercury retrograde! They just keep coming.
I've put together a short survival guide to help you make the most of every Mercury retrograde.
What is a Mercury Retrograde?
That's a good question.
A lot of people think that a retrograde is when a planet moves backwards but that's not entirely true. It's a bit of an optical illusion.
The best way I have heard it described is to imagine you are in a car on the highway going at 100kph. There is a car in the next lane going the same speed. All of a sudden that car slows down to 80kph. It looks to you that he is going backwards, even though he is in fact still moving forward. Make sense?
What does Mercury Influence?
Mercury can be a little tricky when in retrograde. That's why it gets so much attention.
The main aspects of our life that Mercury can influence are communication (speaking, listening, writing etc), negotiation (buying, selling, signing contracts), transportation (flights, cars, boats etc) and technology (computers, phones, cloud storage, passwords etc).
Do's and Dont's
First of all, don't panic! You've will have been through numerous Mercury retrogrades in your life and you survived! Always remember that you are in control of your destiny. Yes, conditions can get a little tricky but if you are aware you can avoid the biggest obstacles.
Do's
- Take stock and do a bit of a review of your life. What needs work? What projects need finishing off? This tarot spread will help you take stock.
- Focus on unfinished business. Are you half-way through a DIY project? Is that book half-written just waiting for you to write the next chapter?
- Think before you speak. Think about how your message will be perceived by the other person.
- Back-up everything! I'm talking about photos, files, computers etc. Mercury can play havoc with our technology so get one step ahead by ensuring that you have everything backed up.
- Double and triple check everything if you are signing any contracts or entering any agreements.
- Read the small print. Don't take anything for granted during a Mercury retrograde.
- Allow extra time when travelling. Expect delays, traffic, car problems etc.
- Reunite and reconnect with old friends. It's a really lovely time to reminisce and look back.
- Relax and allow it to pass. Be kind to yourself and others.
Dont's
- Fly off the handle! You might get your back up at an email, text or at something that somebody says to you. Take a breath as there may be a misunderstanding.
- Sign contracts or enter negotiations (if you can help it). It's advisable to delay until we are through this but if it's urgent just be sure to pay attention to the detail.
- Buy new technology. Expect bugs in the system and things to go wrong!
- Leave your travel to the last minute! That's not going to end well!
- Start anything new. This is a great time to tie up loose ends and work on unfinished business rather than starting something new.
Putting the 're' in Retrograde
You will notice that a lot of the 'dos' include 're'.
This is a great time to focus on the 're' words in your life - rewind, relax, reconnect, revitalise, revisit, rekindle, reinvent, review - you get the gist?
Overall this can be an extremely positive time. Avoid the obstacles, focus on the positive and make the most of this time.
Here's a simple tarot spread to help you focus:
