Crisis Averted! Here’s How To Recover From Mercury Retrograde
Tired of feeling like the Universe is conspiring against you, experiencing miscommunications everywhere you go, emails that don’t send, and that ex popping back up in your life? Well, breathe a sigh of relief. Mercury Retrograde is coming to a close. Here’s how to recover from Mercury Retrograde as the planet begins to go direct.
What is Mercury Retrograde?
A planet is said to be in retrograde when it looks like it’s moving in its opposite direction in the sky. Normally, planets move from west to east through the night sky. But during a retrograde, they appear to move east to west. Retrogrades happen when faster moving planets catch up with and pass a slower moving planet. It’s like when you pass a slower moving vehicle on the highway, and it looks like it's moving backward.
Mercury rules communication, technology, and travel, so when it's in retrograde, everything can feel wonky, disjointed, or just plain broken. You may notice your email or phone acting up. Maybe you miss texts or people simply forget to write you back. If you’re traveling during Mercury Retrograde, be sure to allow for extra time just in case your drive or flight doesn’t go as expected – it’s common for flights to be canceled or delayed, tires to go flat, or for GPS systems to go haywire.
Beware of Mercury’s Shadow Phase
It can be easy to breathe a sigh of relief when you see Mercury going direct on your calendar. But wait! Mercury still has to adjust during its shadow phase after the retrograde period. Just like during the main phase of this celestial inconvenience, proceed with caution and don’t rush into anything.
The Bright Side
The second shadow phase of a retrograde – there’s one before and after the three-week retrograde period – is the perfect time for integration and processing what the previous weeks have brought you. In all likelihood, you’ll feel freer, and communication and travel will run smoother. You might also find that some of the things you “knew” were true during the retrograde actually didn’t happen for the reasons you thought. Anyone who has had a blow-out fight with their significant other during Mercury Retrograde can attest to this!
Mercury Retrograde is Over…Now What?
When Mercury does go direct, it’s time to get anything sorted that may have gone awry. Take time to resolve any arguments or hurt feelings. Make the big decisions you’ve been putting off for a few weeks: whether to take that new job, select a new roommate, or move to a different city. This is also a good time to search for any items you’ve lost track of during the retrograde.
Finally, take a deep breath! You’ve made it through what most people feel is the most difficult of all planetary retrogrades. Spend some time with your journal and contemplate what you’ve learned from this period. Decide how you can make the next one move smoother – remember there are three to four Mercury Retrogrades every year! And maybe stock up on some supplies to help!