Mercury and Mercury Retrograde

The placement of Mercury — that small, sassy, planet skating closest to the Sun — in your birth chart can tell you a lot about why you think and communicate the way you do. As the messenger of the gods, Mercury (also known as Hermes), swiftly passes between the realms receiving and delivering messages, influencing communication, and having a little fun here and there playing practical jokes. Mercury is a psychopomp, helping souls find their way as they cross between the veil. Mercury also rules commerce, travel, and currency. Ultimately, Mercury is a communicator, a teacher, and a fleet-footed messenger.

Mercury rules the mind: how you think, learn, communicate, and perceive. As Mercury’s energy filters through a particular sign and house in your chart, you are imbued with that “flavor” of mental energy. What is your attention span like? How do you process information? Do you easily perceive your inner wisdom or is the signal scrambled? How do you learn? These are just a few questions to consider when it comes to how Mercury’s energy is manifesting for you.

Mercury Keywords

Below are quick keywords to give you a sense of how the energy of Mercury might impact your communication style. Keep in mind, other factors are at play in your chart, including house placements and any aspects between Mercury and other planets in your chart. Find Mercury in your chart, and then read for your Mercury sign:

Aries: Direct

Taurus: Intentional

Gemini: Agile

Cancer: Shy

Leo: Playful

Virgo: Analytical

Libra: Diplomatic

Scorpio: Investigative

Sagittarius: Philosophical

Aquarius: Innovative

Pisces: Poetic

Photo by Laura Rivera on Unsplash

Mercury Retrograde

When Mercury goes retrograde, as it does about three times a year, these energies can become wonky. First, what is Mercury retrograde? A retrograde means that a planet appears to move backwards from our point of view on earth. Of course, the planet is not literally moving backwards, but due to orbital differences, earth “passes” Mercury and much like what happens when you’re in a vehicle on the highway that passes another vehicle, Mercury (or any retrograde planet) appears to slow down and move backwards—just like that car you passed appears to slow down and go backwards.

During a Mercury retrograde, miscommunications may be an issue, so be extra mindful of what you say and doublecheck that email before you hit send. Your electronic devices may seem to have a mind of their own — be sure to back them up!

Plans made during this time may go awry or may not happen at all. If you travel during a Mercury retrograde, you may encounter irritating or unusual hassles and aggravations — generally nothing traumatic or tragic, just frustrating. However, sometimes what appears to be a derailment can turn out in your favor. This is Mercury the Trickster in action. My husband and I took a trip to the beach during a Mercury retrograde period earlier this year simply because that was when we could go. Not surprisingly, we had all sorts of snafus along the way, including issues getting a hotel room enroute — which worked out in our favor; electronic wonkiness when making purchases; and an unexpected motorcycle festival that weekend!

Because Mercury also rules commerce, it’s best to avoid signing contracts or making major purchases during a retrograde period if you can, simply because you may find that something doesn’t work out quite how you planned. Information may be missing or something may turn out to be now what or how it appeared to be. Mercury rules travel and that includes vehicles, so postponing big purchases ideally includes purchasing a vehicle or major repair expenses, if possible. For example, my husband bought a new truck during a retrograde period a few years ago and he got a good deal on the truck — but all four tires had to be replaced soon afterward. That said, he still has the truck to this day.

What can you do to work with Mercury during this time? The key to working with a Mercury retrograde in a proactive and constructive way is to focus on the “RE” in retrograde: revisit, revise, re-do. In other words, while it’s not a great time to start something new, it is useful energy for revisiting projects or plans that are already underway. You might use this time to revise a manuscript or reconsider an idea. Perhaps you may want to restructure a routine.

A Mercury retrograde can also be a beneficial time to reconnect with friends or colleagues. You may find that folks you haven’t heard from in a while suddenly reach out with a phone call or text or an invitation to get together.

Despite the loopy energy of a Mercury retrograde that many of us may encounter, if you are someone who has Mercury retrograde in your birth chart, you may find that this energy works in your favor. If you’re not sure where Mercury appears in your natal chart, go to www.astro.com to get a free copy of your chart.

If you want to take a deeper look at your chart — which is truly your soul’s cosmic blueprint — consider scheduling a consultation with a professional astrologer who can translate the symbols for you and help you see how your life is literally written in the stars.

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