In many circles, Mercury retrograde has a bad reputation and it’s easy to understand why. Mercury rules the mind and intellect and its agencies are communications, travel and the fingers and everything they touch. More car and house keys, documents, and wallets go missing during the mercury retrograde periods than at any other time.
Electrical and electronic apparatus are increasingly likely to act weird or go kaput. When I observed a new elevator being installed in the apartment building where I live during a period of Mercury retrograde, I groaned. Sure enough, every time Mercury goes retrograde, the elevator dons an “out of order” sign. Another example of how Mercury acts when it’s retrograding: I ask you to meet me at 6th Avenue and 9th Street. You are looking up and down 6th Street and 9th Avenue between glaring at your watch (um, is the battery working?) and calling me names (the wrong names, mind you—Mercury is retrograde). A friend of mine frequently started 9 to 5 jobs on Mercury retrograde (I suspect this is because she was ambivalent about this mode of work in the first place.) When Mercury went direct, the job would go bust!
But before you jump to conclusions and plan 24 days under the covers, consider that Mercury retrogrades are a supreme time to check out and tune up your mental practices. When Mercury retrogrades, slow down and pay attention to the way your mind works (or doesn’t) and consciously align your mind to the superior creative intelligence of the universe. In all affairs, there is a higher intelligence at work that manifests as coincidence and serendipity. Take a cue from George Washington Carver who said, “I ask the Great Creator daily and often momently to give me wisdom, understanding and bodily strength to do His will, hence I am asking and receiving all the time.”
During Mercury retrograde, you might run into people from your past or revisit or reconsider projects and ideas you had abandoned. I would, however, avoid starting a brand new project, unless I had pondered and pulled together the various elements prior to Mercury’s going retrograde.
Mercury retrograde is an excellent opportunity to sort through disorganized papers and clutter (which generally signify sloppy, wayward thinking). Now is the time to make the cut and discard moldy beliefs and worn out material stuff that drain your energy.
My Best Counsel for Mercury Retrograde:
- Slow down when you can.
- Look in both directions.
- Avoid signing legal documents, however be sure to read the fine print if you must.
- Be extra careful when writing down information you receive verbally.
If you do get caught in Mercury’s web, take deep breaths, center yourself and do a belly laugh. Mercury is, after all, mind is over matter.
