What's The Deal With Mercury Retrograde?
Mercury Retrograde is a term thrown around A LOT in the spiritual community. It is often portrayed as a time of fear and disaster which causes most people to panic, but do you really know what it means?
Let me give you the low down on what is actually going on in the sky, how it affects us as a collective and how it may affect you personally based on your own natal chart.
This blog post will also include the dates and details for the upcoming 2024 Mercury retrograde season.
Mercury is the planet closest to the Sun and in Astrology he is known as the trickster planet who controls our mind, how we think, how we communicate and how we learn. Mercury also governs technology, transport and short-term travel.
Mercury goes retrograde about 3-4 times per year. It’s orbit is 4 times shorter than ours (88 days) and is said to be in retrograde when it APPEARS to move backwards in the sky from our vantage point on earth. It doesn’t actually change its physical orbit. This causes a shift in the energy of the planet and what it controls usually causing things to slow down. Contrary to popular belief it’s not all bad news, or doom and gloom!
Common effects are delays in your commute, misplacing things, technology glitches & crashes, communication breakdowns. Sometimes we could bump into or dream about our ex and it can cause us to revisit memories we’d rather avoid normally.
Good things can happen too! Maybe you write that beautiful blog post, and the computer crashes and you lose it all – but when you write it the second time it is a million times better! Mercury retrogrades can help us to refine our projects.
The most intense moments where we see these ‘issues’ pop up are during the start and end of the shadow period for 2 weeks before the retrograde, and the start and end of the echo which is for 2 weeks after.
Everyone has a natal chart which shows a map of the sky from the moment they were born. You can run this for free using Astrosofa.com or Astroapp.com and look for the house and sign of your Mercury placement. This can tell you how you communicate and learn. For example, I have my Mercury in Virgo which means I communicate quickly in a down to earth, practical manner. My thoughts are very organised and I’m prompt in my responses to others. It also falls into my 8th house of business so I’m great at focusing my mind on research, strategy and keeping secrets (perfect for my role as a business owner and Tarot reader)!
Some people may be born during a mercury retrograde (Look for a symbol that looks like a Rx) and this will show up on their chart. If this is you, it means you are more reflective than others and you think differently to to most people. A lot of creative people have this placement as you can see things from a different angle or perspective. Steve Jobs, Lady Gaga & Madonna were all born during a Mercury Retrograde, and it’s rumoured that Leonardo DaVinci was too! These people often shine during Mercury Retrograde times as they will actually feel more like themselves.
An example of some mishaps that can happen during Mercury Retrograde, in February of 2020 the retrograde occured in Pisces, which, as a Rising Aquarius, triggered my 2nd house of love and money. I had a beautiful influx of bookings, a tidy sum of incoming funds - only to lose the exact amount the next day by getting a speeding fine because I was running late.
The next day I was trying to create a new page for my website, I tried 3 times and it wouldn’t save, so I resolved to try again when the retrograde was over, at which point, it worked perfectly.
What are some DOs and DON’Ts when it comes to Mercury Retrograde?
The best thing to keep in mind is the RE for Retrograde.
This reminds us to…
Review and read over things before signing them, read the small print and review emails before sending.
Revise – work on your finances or re-write that essay.
Repair – fix up something old and give it a revamp!
Research what you’re doing before you do it – this is the time when communication can be misconstrued so make sure your research is sound
Reconnect – sometimes old friends make an appearance or we suddenly wish to revive an old relationship
Remember to leave early for appts, expect delays and always have a back up plan.
Re-apply for that job you didn’t get, or return to a course you didn’t finish - this is the perfect time!
Read all your emails before you send them and try not to make any major decisions.
Instead of making NEW commitments or starting a new project – review, refresh and revamp your old ones!
When can we expect the next Mercury Retrograde to affect us?
Dates for 2024 are as follows (AEST)
December 13th until January 2nd
Mercury Retrograde begins in Capricorn, and ends in Sagittarius
Book your dental check up, find balance in work/life/family commitments and be sensitive to others feelings and opinions.
April 2nd until April 25th
Mercury Retrograde in Aries
Think before you act and slow the F’ down.
August 5th until August 29th
Mercury Retrograde begins in Virgo, and ends in Leo
Write out meal plans for the next month +, get your yearly doctors check up and restart any abandoned creative ventures. Pro Tip: Don’t change your hair during this retrograde.
November 26th until December 16th Mercury Retrograde in Sagittarius Be sensitive to others feelings and opinions, hold your tongue. Definitely be careful what you let out, especially in writing.
Notice that all of the retrogrades for 2024 are mostly in Fire signs.
This means they’re good for doing things like developing creativity and actually benefits anyone with their Sun or Rising in Air of Fire signs.
Remember there are 2 weeks prior and 2 weeks following these dates (shadow & echo period) where the effects can be felt too.
Now you have all the information that you need to attack this year with charm and ease. There is no reason to be scared of Mercury Retrograde, as long as you remember to relax and slow down.
Brightest Blessings,
Hana the Suburban Witch
Meet Hana
Hana O’Neill, the Suburban Witch is a professional Tarot & Astrology reader, Intuitive Coach and the host of the Witch Talks podcast.
