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Three to four times every year, Mercury appears to travel “backwards.” Mercury Retrograde (MR for short) signifies delays in travel and technology, psychological confusion- minor or major, and setbacks and chaos.
For example, receiving a distorted instinctual clue or intuitive hunch from emotional disparity leading to creating a love letter or apology email… that shouldn’t have been created! MR is a time where mental confusion and disparity lead to future issues and possible failures.
MR provides a time to reflect on the past, connect to your intuition, and evaluate and analyze. You can reassess projects, relationships, and past experiences that may have not gone to plan.
What is Mercury Retrograde?
Mercury is the planet of Communication, Travel, Technology, Intellect, & the Higher Mind
As the planet of logic, wit, the higher mind, intellect, and communication, MR brings confusion and potential chaos in these areas. It’s likely that you’ll forget yourself during MR, succumbing to tendencies of the lower mind.
This includes primal thoughts, an overuse of fantasy, and a lack of grounded self-awareness. Also, raw emotions that may cause chaos and destruction are linked to the lower mind. Mercury represents the higher mind, so during MR it's easy to digress into its opposite…
Raw emotions that stem from a lack of self-control, perhaps an unhealed or imbalanced Root or Sacral, are connected to the infamous MR cycle! Once you’ve neglected your right to slow down and respond consciously, you begin to react unconsciously. This is the direct psychological effect of MR, which will be explored in depth later.
For instance, when Mercury is direct, you can think rationally and intuitively. The presence of both left brain and right brain qualities and attributes are present. But when Mercury is in Retrograde, it’s harder, and in many cases impossible to do so. (Your mind is “frazzled”.)
Check out this chart!
LEFT BRAIN | RIGHT BRAIN |
Logic, math, and science | Music, art, and imagination |
Linear, rational, and analytical thought | Feelings, emotion, and intuition |
Orderly, organizational, and intellectual thought | Holism, multidimensionality, and spirituality |
Logic, wit, problem-solving, and languages | Instincts, the ‘free flow’ of ideas/information |
When Mercury is in Retrograde, the apparent “backward motion” in the sky makes time and travel, moreover technology cause havoc. This can be minor or major, yet the overall vibration is one of setbacks and delays.
As Mercury symbolizes the main two themes in equal measure (travel, technology, and movement- and logic, wit, and the higher mind), the effect of delays and setbacks affects your mind. Movement and travel are not just physical, you see.
They also relate to the movement of life force energy through your subtle energy bodies and kundalini, the movement of trapped emotions, internal blocks, repressed feelings and sensations, and so on.
Mercury rules Gemini, the Cerebral and Curious Multitasker…
You can learn a lot more about Mercury through its two ruling planets, Gemini and Virgo. Firstly, Gemini is Mercury’s main ruler, an air sign with the qualities of:-
Potent cerebral, cognitive, and intellectual gifts.
Mastery of communication and self-expression.
Multitasking, curiosity, and fine-tuned storytelling and verbal rapport.
Wit, logic, analytical thinking, rationality, and versatility.
Adaptability, originality, innovation, inventiveness, and sociability.
Thus, Gemini is one of the most open-minded, philosophical, and intellectual signs, and these qualities reflect in the Mercury symbolism. In reverse, the ‘lower’ frequency or vibration- the shadowy, toxic side- of Gemini comes out to play.
Gemini can be extremely gossipy, prone to distorting truth, a lie teller, and a causer of harm and foul play through impeccable communication skills. This influence is with us all during MR. There’s a tendency to spread misinformation coupled with mistruths in the name of fun.
But it’s not fun, it’s playing the fool or devil’s advocate. Gemini’s shadow manifests as a cosmic joker, of sorts! They get a buzz and kick through the social disparity, tension, and discord they create.
Even if you don’t have any Gemini placements in your natal chart (astrological birth chart), this negative influence is present during MR, and it affects us all. Specifically, there’s a tendency to gossip and get a high off of other’s suffering… to feel mentally stable and sane.
It’s twisted, it’s wrong, and leads to failures and chaos in the future, so no-one is exempt. If gossip is not something you suffer from, even during MR, you will surely feel the negative effects with regards to mental chaos and stress. Examples include not being able to think clearly or morally, succumbing to forgetfulness and misplacing important information or wisdom.
MR tends to create diminished wisdom and self-knowledge, as well as a lack of higher truth, consciousness, and authentic relating and communicating (Gemini’s better self). Because Gemini is Mercury’s main star sign, these themes can be brought to the spotlight, and they should be.
Mercury rules Virgo, the Humble and Hard-Working Perfectionist!
Mercury not only rules air sign Gemini, but earth sign Virgo, the hard-working, humble, and practical perfectionist. Let’s look at the Virgo key qualities for deeper insight into Mercury Retrograde.
Analytically, logically, and intellectually gifted.
Orderly, organizational, and perfectionist.
Cynical, judgemental, and self-critical (technically a shadow side of Virgo, but during MR a path to higher self-awareness… more on this soon!).
Reliable, responsible, dutiful, dependable, and practical,
Supremely honest, loyal, and friendly with a helpful and service-oriented character.
Artistic, emotionally intelligent, caring, humble, and creative.
Unlike Gemini who is an air sign, Virgo is born of earth, so they are caring and down-to-earth just as much as they are logical and psychologically gifted. If you wish to navigate MR with your dignity and integrity intact, you’d be wise to learn from Maiden Virgo.
Virgo’s glyph is the Virgin and Maiden, two symbols of purity and service. While Gemini may be selfish, self-centered, and prone to receiving joy from chaos and mayhem, moreover excess fun and play; Virgo is the opposite. There’s a unique sense of selflessness and empathy.
In fact, Virgo’s key strengths can be embodied during MR to overcome the shadow traits of such a negative astrological transit. For example, if you’re momentarily confused or about to cause social havoc, slow down to remember the significance of compassion and courtesy.
When you begin to feel deep social tension and stress take over, attune to the frequency of helpfulness and kindness. Ask yourself, ‘how can I create in this moment as opposed to destroy?’ Gossip, mistruth telling, and having fun off of people’s pain can be overcome with Virgo’s pure and noble nature…
Impacts of Mercury Retrograde
Not only negatively impacting the mind, travel and technology are messed up, which further put strain on mental gifts and perception. Disruptions in travel and technology cause stress and delays to all sorts of communications.
Emails, speech, business meetings, plans and their implementation, writing, and your ability to communicate, converse, and perform essential tasks- if in a musical, acting, publishing, speaking, or management field/career, are impacted.
Overall, Mercury Retrograde is one of the most severe in many ways out of all planetary retrogrades. Luckily, you can read up on the following tips for survival!
How to Survive Mercury Retrograde!
The planet Mercury rules communication in all forms, so listening, writing, reading, speaking, counseling, and coaching are all fine ways to navigate MR. As MR breaks down the positive strengths of the higher mind, putting us in disparity and confusion, this can be rectified by looking to the opposite.
Writing poetry, journaling, practicing your speaking skills, offering others wise counsel- with your intuition and Heart chakra intact, and coaching others can make the world of difference. These are key routes back to mental health, clarity, and perception.
Communication combined with the way you express yourself comes into play. Stay calm, slow down, and take deep breaths. You should practice pranayama breathing and solar plexus breathing during MR, as well as learning how to reflect before speaking or acting!
Back to learning from Mercury’s ruling signs; the structured, organized, and orderly nature of Virgo the Virgin’s personality provides a doorway into peak awareness, heightening a just and loving consciousness, while further sparking emotional intelligence.
Emotional maturity, sensitivity, and empathy are available at strong levels during MR, as long as you are able to calm your mind- even for a few seconds- to shift realities. And this is a gift of both Gemini and Virgo: shifting perspectives. Remember they are both master storytellers and expressive communicators! Attune to this for MR healing and realignment.
This down-to-earth and brilliantly-minded earth sign inspires artistry that can help you to overcome any lingering side effects of MR; like taking fun and play too far or depression. With a desire to help, serve, and be everyone’s gem of a friend and family member, Virgo’s humility and modesty serves as a catalyst back to wisdom and sound knowledge.
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