You Can Handle Mercury Retrograde

How to Successfully Navigate a Mercury Retrograde

This article was written by Bernie Ashman 

Do you start to get filled with anxiety when learning Mercury in the sky is about to turn retrograde? Don't feel bad if you answered yes. Many people experience the same nervous reaction. In my new book, How to Survive Mercury Retrograde (And Venus and Mars, Too), I give a new perspective in how to get positive results when dealing with retrograde time periods.

What is a retrograde planet? It is the apparent backward motion of a planet as it moves through an astrological sign. This is really an illusion, as planets don't in reality move backward. Think of it as a faster moving planet passing a slower moving planet, making it seem like the slower planet is moving backward, or retrograde. In reality both planets are moving forward, but the slower one has you thinking it is moving backward.

Mercury turns retrograde four times a year, about every three months. The duration of Mercury retrograde lasts about 21 to 24 days, though it can feel like six months if you run into delays or have to do a job over and over hoping to get the right result. You might be experiencing a sensation like your life is in rewind.

I am often asked can anything get done productively during a Mercury retrograde visit. The answer is definitely yes. It is actually a good time to make sure you have carefully thought out a plan you want to put into motion. With the busy schedules many of us are facing these days we can't simply bring our lives to a standstill because Mercury has decided to turn retrograde. But it is a good idea to make sure you have really thought through all of the details regarding important decisions.

Before Mercury turns retrograde you can be prepared. If there are major deals or purchases you are trying to complete, it might be a good idea to do your research carefully before a Mercury retrograde begins to ensure you make the best informed choices. There is a good chance you may need to tweak some of your goals during a Mercury retrograde. I have found as a writer that this retrograde time period is good for editing something I have written.

Be careful about obsessing too much over the details during a Mercury retrograde. You can find yourself digging up the seed before your ideas have had a real chance to come to fruition. Be patient, because you may start to realize you are on the right path with your thinking. Self-doubt can occur more frequently during some Mercury retrogrades. It is interesting that your self-confidence may be clearer during one Mercury retrograde and not as strong during another. Don't worry, because with some practice this cycle need not be aggravating. It helps to maintain your focus if you think positively.

Mercury is the ruler of two signs in astrology. One is the air sign Gemini. The other is the earth sign Virgo. This rulership does give a few clues on how to best handle a Mercury retrograde.

Mercury is known as "the winged messenger; communication is definitely connected to the Gemini side of Mercury. Exchanging ideas with others is stimulating. Multi-tasking comes naturally when you tune into the full power of this planet. A fondness for diversified thinking can occur when you get influenced by this thought provoking planet.

The other side of the Mercury coin is its rulership of the sign Virgo. This gives all of us the encouragement to remain organized when trying to accomplish our goals. Attention to detail and looking for some perfection in life is stimulated by this Virgo dimension of Mercury.

So, you might be wondering what happens to this fancy and nice description of Mercury ruling two signs when you encounter a Mercury retrograde. Well, for one thing, your communication (whether it be by email, text, or phone) might seem like it is not being understood. You may examine what you were trying to say, and while it might be very clear to you it seem like a foreign language to others. Or perhaps your computer is messed up! Or your phone stops working in the middle of a conversation. I remember during one Mercury retrograde several years ago (in early the 1990s) I was on the phone with an author, Marion March, who lived in California. She started to dictate to me a quote for the back cover of my second book, Roadmap to Your Future. I was so excited to get her endorsement! There was a thunderstorm right over my house in North Carolina as we started the phone call. Right in the middle of writing down her comments for my book cover, the phone got disconnected; my phone was not fixed for a full twenty-four hours. I phoned Ms. March again the next day once my phone was fixed, and we both had a good laugh. She thought I did not like what she had said, and hung up on her!

Staying organized and efficient during a Mercury retrograde can cause some anxiety. This could be caused by trying to over control the outcome of situations. There could be a tendency to try to make your life too perfect at this time. Something to remember durig a Mercury retrograde is that perfection can be the enemy of the good. Don't be afraid to make a mistake when doing a job; you can more than likely correct a mis-step later. Remember to be patient with yourself and others during this retrograde cycle. Being on the same page with someone takes more effort.

The Virgo focus of Mercury can also cross over into your work activities in a big way. Job communications often need to be done over again. You would benefit by checking over the details more than you usually do during a Mercury retrograde cycle. There is the possibility you may gain insight into a better or more efficient way to get a job done!

A question that I am often asked is: can I make a major purchase during a Mercury retrograde? Yes you can. But, it is a good idea to make sure you have carefully investigated what you are wanting to buy. If you are careful to explore all of the options you will be more successful in purchasing a car, computer, cell phone, or other big money item.

Don't forget to call a timeout during a Mercury retrograde. If your mind starts to feel overwhelmed, pick an escape to calm your nervous system. It is easy to begin feeling scattered during this time period. Mercury is a left-brain planet. The stimuli from our everyday world can seem like it is flooding our mind with too much useless information. What can you do about this?

The Virgo side of Mercury showcases this planet as a way to get some physical exercise, which can help you get back to a centered state of mind. You don't have to climb Mount Everest. Walking or yoga can do wonders to make you feel more on top of a Mercury retrograde cycle. The Gemini world of Mercury shows that travel, whether a long or short journey, may make a Mercury retrograde flow more smoothly. Entertaining your mind with your favorite subjects might help you to integrate a Mercury retrograde more smoothly into your life. Reading a good book could stimulate your thinking to make better use of this time period. Don't panic. Slow down and pace yourself. This sometimes works like magic in feeling less overwhelmed by a Mercury Retrograde.

Something else to remember about this left-brain, analytical planet is that you might need to trust your intuition. Retrograde motion may distort your normal way of perceiving the world but at the same time allow your intuition to flourish! Your left- and right-brain energies can join forces during a Mercury retrograde cycle and surprise you with new insights.

I hope you can now view the Mercury retrograde cycle as a time of opportunity. This communication planet is not limited in its capacity to offer each of us new ideas for self-growth even when moving along its retrograde path. It can be a winding road to follow that will lead you right to an enlightening door!

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Eeek! It is Mercury Retrograde What do you do?

You probably don't need someone telling you when it is Mercury Retrograde. You probably will have lots of computer problems (Why is it moving so slowly?), your phone won't work right (Where is that text?), communications are awry (That is not what I said!) , and don't even try to get your kids to respond. This is all part of the loveliness of Mercury Retrograde and we are stuck with it for three weeks!

What is mercury retrograde exactly? When Mercury is retrograde, it goes in a retrograde motion, making it seem to be going backwards in the sky. All planets go retrograde, but many more people seem to be affected by Mercury's journey by far. Mercury rules communication, clear thinking and truth, which is why when it goes retrograde, everything seems to go awry. It is often a time of confusion, forgetfulness, delays and frustration; seeming as if nothing is going right. Computer, phone and electronic issues peak during this time.

Mercury Retrograde Crystal Fix Kit 

We have put together a bag of crystals for Mercury Retrograde to help you stay relaxed, focused and grounded during this time period.

Blue Lace Agate - Improves clear calm

Communication

Citrine - Balances thinking, improves concentrations, organizes thoughts

Black Tourmaline -Protects from harmful and negative

energies

Chrysoprase - Harmonizes communication

Moss Agate- Relaxes and calms

Hematite- Grounds and Reduces Stress

Quartz Crystal- Gives Clarity of Mind for clear focus

Mercury Retrograde Advice:

The Usual Mercury Retro Warnings to Be Aware of

No contracts! This is time that we're supposed to avoid making any serious plans or agreements of any kind, no important meetings or legally binding documents.

Be careful to communicate extra clearly during this time & throw in some extra patience. Ensure clarity & attention to detail during this time. Choose your words carefully. If you are a Type A personality like me, now's the time to stop and focus! It will benefit you for taking the extra time & energy to check the details.

Be extra wary of all technology; emails & texts included. Stuff seems to get lost, freeze up or just generally go berserk! Take the time to make sure that important stuff did indeed get through.

Make sure you & your other party are interpreting everything clearly...even in face to face conversations. If you're reading something more complex than usual & it's important, make sure to read it over again & then have someone else double check it for you.

Flip it Around

So all this sounds like a stressful time, doesn't it? But it really doesn't have to be at all. In fact, you can a flip your attitude about it onto its head!

Take this time to s-l-o-w it down. Try not to take on something HUGE at this time & not to release or launch a new project. This to be a GREAT time to restructure or reorganize something, do some gentle & supportive personal work. Re-Do Time & take your time. Laid back + zen; simply renew, revamp & redo!

Try to remember...the only thing we have control over is our own reaction to whatever may occur. We choose how to respond. The applied energy & the energy of your created environment will encompass the energy within you & that of the energy of your current situation (& possibly that of the people involved in it too!)

In astrological mythology, Mercury is the messenger of the gods. Hence the planet Mercury rules anything related to communication like:

• signing agreements

• classes and schools and colleges

• sending/receiving correspondence

• communication equipments like computers, phones, satellites,etc

• traveling and travel equipments such as cars, bicycles, trains, and planes, ships,etc.

During Mercury retrograde period it is advised not to do the following as it might land you in trouble:

They are:

• Placing ads / communications

• making important decisions.

• travel 

• purchasing or settling up of communications equipment.

• signing important deals or contracts.

• initiating business deals

• sending important correspondence or any type of message 

• starting any educative projects

• beginning any new enterprise.

But a Mercury retrograde period is thought to be very excellent for:

• reviewing and revising plans

• catching up on old business

• cleaning out the metaphorical closet

• deeply considering issues.

This is just a generalized sum up. Some people are very sensitive to Mercury retrograde periods whereas some other are totally unnerved by the same. So if you are any of your family member or friend had been born during a Mercury retrograde, what are you supposed to do?? Do not worry or lose hope. Many very intelligent people have been born during a mercury retrograde. Usually such people are great thinkers. They are very individualistic as well. They garner arll the information around them and come to a conclusion by themselves. They cannot be influence easily. They also have the special gift of seeing things in a different perspective, that is they have to eyes to see beneath any problem.

What is to be done?

• Finish projects which involve communication before the retrograde.

• Avoid closing big deals during the retrograde

• Try to avoid launching new projects during the retrograde

• Avoid scheduling meetings to make a big decision

• Allow extra time when travelling

• Backup your hard drive or any other vital data before the retrograde

• Avoid installing new computer software or new communication lines during the retrograde

• Do needed repairs on machinery/house before the retrograde

• Do not hold an election during the retrograde

• Do the follow-ups on a project already started

• Wrap up or complete a project already started

• Research a new project thoroughly

• Catch up on paperwork

• Hold an information-sharing meeting

• Enjoy a good sense of humour.

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Actually STOP and DO NOT Panic

it's not all that bad

Sure there are a few negative things that Mercury retrograde actually does enhance, such as communication snafus and misunderstandings. However, I think we tack on a lot more than the retrograde period is responsible for. Mercury retrograde is a wonderful time for intuition and introspection, for creativity and whimsy, for clearing, thinking, meditating, and other, less corporeal activities. This is the time that creative blocks start to loosen up, physical and energetic clutter is cleared out a little more easily (perfect time for spring cleaning!), and those of us that work with our intuition and psychic gifts will find that they are even more powerful. 

I don’t believe that Mercury retrograde is the equivalent of some kind of cosmic prank that happens 3-4 times a year just to mess with us, and I certainly don’t believe it’s something to be so feared. Maybe Mercury is trying to remind us that life isn’t all about productivity, speed, logic, and reason. We spend so much of our time focused on the mundane and tangible; perhaps these periods are designed to remind us to slow down, have some patience, and to nudge us pay a little more attention to the side of life that is divinely inspired.