Mercury retrogrades are notorious planetary phenomena. They receive a lot of press, even amongst those who only lightly dabble in astrological consciousness. What makes them so notorious and are they as disconcerting as they are made out to be?
All planets beyond Earth actually “go retrograde”. Retrogradation is a perceptual illusion that occurs when planets appear to be moving backwards relative to our position here on earth. It has to do with the Earth’s orbit being shorter than those planets outside of its orbit. This change of perception alters the expression of the planetary energy. Many Western astrologers describe the energy of retrograde planets as turning inward, being more subjectively felt. It differs from the straight forward, linear movement we are used to. The planets which are further away from earth go retrograde more frequently. So why is Mercury the most talked about?
It may have something to do with Mercury being the planet which rules communication and thoughts. This switch can feel more apparent when it has to do with how we interact with one another and ourselves. The inner turning of these energies into the domain of the non-linear goes against the framework our linear, efficiency driven society is founded upon. It may lead to more delays, misunderstandings and befuddling technological errors. Frustrating, or a great chance to slowww down. We are forced to rely less on efficiency and more on intuitive and subjective understandings with no “end goal”.
This turning is even more pronounced when Mercury falls in the sign of Pisces. Mercury has been in the sign of Pisces since February 10th. This watery and mutable energy, is one of the most subjective signs of the zodiac. It is also the sign tapped into the collective unconscious. This is the realm of dreams, metaphysical phenomena and the extra-sensory, felt ways of understanding.
The retrograde begins today, March 5th, 2019. Now is the time to pay attention to your intuitive understandings. Sure, it’s possible your meeting gets delayed or your computer gives you an issue. It could serve as a great excuse to just sit and ponder. Maybe you turn your phone off an hour before winding down for bed. Be still. Read a book before bed or write in your journal. Make note of what dreams you had the next morning. Give your subconscious a chance to be heard.
A few days before Mercury went retrograde, I had a dream with my sister-in-law in it. Something about her and a new job. It was mixed into some other plot lines I couldn’t quite recall upon waking. I decided to text her. Primarily because the dream reminded me that I haven’t talked to her since Christmas. Just for fun, I said, "you were in my dream last night and there was something about you changing jobs”. I knew she wouldn’t judge me or be offended. So I went for it. She texted back, “STAHHHP!” Then she went on to tell me that she had signed that afternoon with a new real estate firm and the decision had been plaguing her all week. She still hadn’t told anyone including her former boss.
Many consider psychic ability to be possessed by few. The truth is we all have it. We are intuitive beings. The efficiency modeled society based around go, go, go, often steals away from the mystical synchronicities which occur when you aren’t in any rush. It can lead us into forgetting our inner knowing simply because we are running on someone else’s timeline or schedule.
During this retrograde period, I urge you not to live in fear that something will be messed up, but instead tap into your hunches. Maybe you decide to take the long route to get to the post office. Maybe you call someone you haven’t talked to in a while because they popped into your head. Maybe you stop to check out a new environment because you just spontaneously felt like it, or someone mentioned it. That’s when the magic happens. When you have a feeling, not a reason.