Mercury Retrograde (Tell me everything!)

Mercury Retrograde has become a popular buzzword over the years and even people who are skeptical of astrology see the impacts of Mercury going retrograde.

I recieve more astrology questions about Mercury Retrograde than anything else.

This article explains the planet Mercury, what is a Mercury Retrograde cycle and what to expect.

Personality and Archetypal meaning of Mercury 

To understand a planet and the impacts it has on our life we must first understand its personality from an archetypal standpoint.

Mercury is the archetype of the Greek God Hermes (the Romans called him Mercury). Hermes was the eloquent god of speech and the guide of souls to the underworld; the protector of athletes, travelers, thieves and businessmen. He invented the Lyre, numbers, and the alphabet. He was known as the friendliest of the gods and brought luck. 

He was portrayed as a youthful god, he wore a traveling hat with a broad brim with two little wings coming out of it. He had winged sandals or shoes and carried a caduceus. 

The personality of Hermes (Mercury) is portrayed by the story of his birth. Always on the go from the moment of his birth, he was born in the morning, invented and played the lyre at noon, stole the cows of Apollo in the evening and was back in his cradle at night playing innocent.  

I love to describe Mercury as a curious trickster and inventor and innovator and traveler. 

What does Mercury Rule and Represent in our lives?

Now that I’ve explained the Archetypal personality of Mercury, let’s look at what the planet rules and represents in our life. Travel, communication and technology, music, writing, innovation, business, and merchants. 

Mercury was known to be spirit concealed in matter. He was the symbol that united opposites: metallic yet liquid, matter yet spirit, cold yet fiery, poison yet healing draught. As a substance Mercury adheres only to a precious metal; metaphorically, Mercury can show you the way to find spiritual gold. 

What happens with Mercury goes retrograde?

The term retrograde comes from the Latin word retrogradus, which means “backward step.” Retrograde is when a planet appears to go backward in its orbit, as viewed from Earth. Astronomers refer to this as “apparent retrograde motion,” because it is an optical illusion. The planet is not really moving backward, it only appears that way from our earthly viewpoint. 

During a planet’s retrograde, it is considered a time for review and reflection on what the planet signifies. It’s less of a time to take action and more of a time to plan and reflect. You may instinctually feel this way during planetary retrogrades. 

Since we now know that Mercury rules Travel, communication and technology, music and writing, innovation, business and merchants, and spiritual alchemy.

What does it mean when it’s retrograde?

You may see delays or setbacks in these areas of life. Or feelings of lack of clarity around these areas of life. 

Helpful tips for Mercury Retrograde

Communicate Clearly and Thoughtfully. Often we can say one thing and it will not be heard or taken that way. 

Triple-check things!  While writing this post (during mercury retrograde) I emailed login information to a colleague and he wrote back saying he had tried to log in multiple times and couldn’t get in. When I went back and looked at my original email, I had transposed letters in the username. 

Delay negotiations when possible. This is a question I’ve received for years from astrology clients and friends, ‘what if I have to sign a contract (buy a car, get married, buy a home etc) during mercury retrograde, is this going to be problematic later?’

My response is: no, but there could be delays, or setbacks, or a reopening of the contract later.  I had a buy a car once during a Mercury Retrograde and I was so scared it was going to be a lemon. The car ran fine and I had years of use out of it, but when I went to sell it it was almost impossible for me to get rid of! Even underpriced there was a long delay in getting rid of it. 

Back-up electronics! Mercury retrogrades seem to be the inevitable time that computers crash, phones stop working, calls constantly drop, letters get lost, and emails go missing. Especially if you are mercury-ruled (Virgo or Gemini rising), make sure to take it easy, and double-check anything to do with electronics during Mercury retrograde. 

Act slowly and deliberately. Mercury is our thought process, and it can be speedy at times, especially if you are born with your natal mercury in an air sign (Libra, Gemini or Aquarius). During a retrograde period, it’s very easy to make errors. Ground yourself with self-care and double-check writing and speech.  

How often does Mercury go retrograde?

3-4 times a year for 3 weeks. Currently, Mercury has been retrograde from September 9, 2022- October 2, 2022. 

When is Mercury Retrograde in 2023? 

December 29, 2022- January 18, 2023

April 21, 2023-May 14, 2023

August 23, 2023- September 15, 2023

December 13, 2023- January 1, 2024. 

Have a Mercury Retrograde story to share? I’d love to hear from you. You can contact me here

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