Mercury is retrograde from July 7 to July 31, 2019. Breathe.

Here’s a supercrash astro course, should you care: Mercury is the planet that governs all types of Communication, as master astrologer Susan Miller elaborates, this includes, “listening, speaking, learning, reading, editing, researching, negotiating, selling, and buying. Mercury also rules all formal contracts and agreements, as well as important documents such as book manuscripts or term papers, agreements, deeds, contracts, leases, wills, and so forth.

Included under this planet’s domain are all types of code, including computer codes, as well as transportation, shipping, and travel. When this planet retrogrades, these areas tend to get scrambled or spin out of control.”

THAT about covers it.

When a planet is “retrograde”, particular Mercury, you can think of it as working in reverse. It’s like a Whacky Wednesday that lasts for a few weeks. Mercury Retro dates for the next year are:

• July 7 – July 31, 2019

• October 31 – November 20, 2019

• February 18 – March 9, 2020

I’m not an astrologer, so why am I writing about Mercury Retrograde? Well, awareness of it has become more mainstream—largely in part because it can be such a pain in the ass, and it seems so fun to complain about. (But complaining is such a waste of creative energy. Much better to roll with it.) Even skeptical people in my life have come forward to say, “So… that Mercury Retrofit thing is, like, REAL.” Mmmhmm. No one escapes the stars, darling.

Things I won’t do during Mercury Retrograde (leading up to and the few days after). 

• No product launches. I’m stiff serious about this. Merc Retro dates are built into our creative production calendar, and we drive months out of our way to not launch then. The times when we overrode the calendar made for a comedy of tech snafus. Of course, we rise above it… but why complicate things? Launch when the stars are in your favour.

• Will not “officially” start a new romantic relationship. Meaning, the backwards, chaos energy of Mercury Retrograde isn’t the best energy to bake into a love-commitment or first sexy time. Have fun, move closer, but put the “official threshold” stuff on hold until Mercury goes direct. It’s only a few weeks—it’s easy to not be easy.

• Won’t sign a contract. I will negotiate. I will agree in principle, but I will not execute a legally binding document.

• No buying tech gear or major equipment. Duh.

• If at all possible, I don’t book travel during Merc Retro. Yesss travel, live, get on a plane, but avoid actually paying for flights etc. during this time.

If you really want to get aligned, steer clear of doing major communication things for about a week BEFORE and AFTER Mercury Retrograde. Its energy has a lead-up and a hangover effect.

And hey, sometimes you’ve got to do what you must and the show must go on. No need whatsoever to live in fear of Mercury Retrograde or things in the dark. Just be cognizant that it has an effect. You’re not at the mercy of it—just like you’re not at the mercy of a traffic jam. You get to choose your attitude about it. Blessing or curse? Roadblock or adventure? Free will is a beautiful thing.

So many benefits of Mercury Retrograde—work WITH it: 

• Clear stuff out, bring what you don’t need to the thrift store. Go Kondo.

• Connect with people from your past. (Watch who shows up during Mercury Retrograde, old lovers and bosses from years ago.)

• Resolve stuff. Inner and interpersonal.

• Write about your past. Look for the learnings, give thanks. Let it go.

• Audit your systems. 

• Breathe. Tap your steady love, this can be testy time for tempers. (That Whacky Wednesday affect = misunderstandings.)

• Do debriefs and post-mortems on projects and the last quarter of your life. This is a GREAT time to be asking yourself: What worked? What sucked? What did you learn? How did you grow? What are you thankful for?

And we move on. Wiser and brighter, the stars that we are.

Shine on,