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(July 7th – July 31st)
So, apparently the planet Mercury is going backwards. Due to this being a concept argued both within and outside of the astrology community, Once Upon a Time, I chose to ignore Mercury Retrograde (or Mercury RX). And boy, did I pay for it.
While an entire planet going backwards doesn’t exactly make sense to me, nor does the idea that a planet can have that much effect on my emotions (I know, says the girl who reads natal charts and asks everyone what their sign is) when Mercury did their thang last November, I decided I would be a bit more believing the next times. Whether you want to err on the side of caution as well is up to you. The purpose of this article is to give you a few realistic tips on how to live your best life without being afraid of Mercury. I really hate it when people go off about how you should lock yourself in your room without speaking to anyone, and not try anything new for three weeks out of the year. That sounds like a fat waste of time, to me. Just be a little more cautious.
During the final week of Mercury RX November 2018, I was screamed at by a co-worker, taken aside by my boss and lied to, lost the ability to walk while on my way to a job interview and my house flooded three times. I’m not lying or remotely exaggerating the truth.
Let’s break this down: The planet Mercury rules Communication. Thus, when it’s going backwards, it tends to heighten the likelihood of miscommunication. People are feeling a little like their insides are about to bubble over. Some people can handle their crap better than others. Some people already have more circumstantial stress happening in their life, and Mercury is being more of a butt-head about bringing it to the surface.
However, what Mercury Retrograde is really reminding us, is actually super awesome and helpful: Be careful when you communicate, get things done in a timely manner and don’t be a liar. The truth always comes out. A quote I adore sums up how I feel about life, and Mercury RX is a great reminder of how you should go about your communication during this time of heightened dramatics (and, always, to be honest):
“Before you speak, let your words pass through three gates:
Is it true?
Is it necessary?
Is it kind?”
-Rumi
Most words don’t pass through all three of those gates. If you’re not one to really care about any of that, maybe at least play it safe during Mercury RX.
Because the truth tends to come out during Mercury RX, things that are broken but just hanging on by a thread tend to finally hit the fan. My washing machine had been clogged up for a long time, without us knowing, and Mercury decided to show us. The thing about my ankle and not being able to walk? I have no idea. My ankles sprain easily. Maybe Mercury was trying to remind me to get back to the gym and drink more milk. (Of course I didn’t do that). Or, it was another indicator that I shouldn't attend that job interview because I needed to get out of Utah... which makes sense in relation to the other job stuff that happened. I think Mercury was trying to tell me (for the umpteenth time) to move out of Utah, where I hadn't been happy living in for years. Basically, I decided to be an unbeliever during Mercury Retrograde of November 2018, and Mercury CAME for me.
Mercury RX will be in Leo, then Cancer, then back to Leo the next three weeks. This subtly changes how issues manifest and what exactly breaks down. Leos are known to be expressive, creative and dramatic. Whatever creativity is inside you may burst out during this time, causing you to have some stellar inspiration. It also means that when miscommunication plays out, it’ll probably be a big show. Yelling, tears, stubbornness, pride. Oh, how exciting. Once it goes into Cancer, things may quiet down, but they won’t be any less aggressive. In fact, they’ll probably become a little more quietly frightening, and moodiness may get the best of people.
The only reason you should fear Mercury RX is if you have some secrets that could really hurt your relationships, or if there are things you kept putting off beforehand. Mercury likes to teach lessons. The best way to get through Mercury RX is to follow the advice of my above quote, really think about what people are saying when they speak to you (not just the surface of the words they’re putting together), and to take this as a time you can utilize your personal talents in order to put the dramatics to some good use. Let Mercury teach you some lessons.
Mark your calendars for the next Mercury RX: October 31st – November 20th.