Here we go again, Mercury Retrograde is right around the corner. It doesn't need to be a time of frustration and mayhem, if you know how the surf the cosmic tide.
Mercury is the planet ruling Gemini and Virgo, in direct motion Mercury behaves more like Gemini. There's lots of quick thought, action, communication flow just streams on, things move faster. When retrograde, things take on a more Virgoan flavor. If Mercury Direct is where we write the drafts, Mercury Retrograde is where we revise. If Mercury Direct is where we put the pedal to the metal, Mercury Retrograde is where we slow down to look at the street signs and house numbers. Regardless of the sign Mercury is transiting at the time of retrograde, the energy is one of revision, review, and internal versus external expression.
Mercury Retrograde in Gemini
It just so happens that this upcoming Mercury Retrograde (May 29-June 22) happens in the sign of Gemini. The description above is a good heads of what it will be like as the planet of communication, transportation, ideas and thought appears to move in reverse in the sky. Remember, it's an optical illusion to our human eyes on this planet, no planet hits the brakes and moves backwards. However, as humans our perceptions shape our reality, so that means the illusion can appear to be very real.
There's a lot of negative information floating around in regards to Mercury Retrograde (Rx), which gets people's feathers ruffled. However, retrograde is not an inherently bad thing in general, nor is Mercury Retrograde in specific an inherently bad time period. You need to remember that as an individual your perceptions shape your reality. What we see, feel, taste, touch and believe shape our experiences. How we perceive an event is as important as the event itself. Your expectations also shape your perceptions, which is why it's important you apply a healthy dose of skepticism when you're researching anything on or off line (just because someone writes a book doesn't mean everything in the book is solid fact), including Mercury Retrograde (including this post). I'm writing this to say, you're going to see a lot of blog posts drumming up worry, insecurity and fear in regards to Mercury Retrograde. It doesn't mean it's all facts, it doesn't mean everyone will have a bad time, and it doesn't mean you're doomed.
Your personal experience of Mercury Retrograde depends a whole lot of factors.
Where Mercury is transiting your natal chart (which house is activating and what placements are being aspected, if any.)
How you normally perceive the world. (Are you an optimist? A pessimist? A pragmatist? Guess what? That shapes all of your experiences.)
How willing are you to learn from the experiences up on deck. (As humans we always have the opportunity to learn and grow, if you have the attitude of the learner retrogrades can be a really productive time.)
The fact is, running full speed ahead is unsustainable, in any activity. Not all of our ideas are as brilliant as we think they are, our busy-ness isn't always as productive as we need it to be, sometimes that car that broke down for the 10th time is an actual liability and we do need better transportation, sometimes that friend or significant other really does need to head out our lives, and that ex? Yeah, maybe we need to finish something maybe not directly with them, but celebrate how far we've made it without them in our lives...
Mercury Retrograde is a time to slow the fuck down, pay attention, be less up in our heads and more present, paying attention to what's going on around us, be more thoughtful about what we say or do, and tie up loose ends on projects that need more attention to detail. These aren't bad things, these are things that help REFINE (another great Virgo word) a process that leads to better end results. The reason Mercury Rx gets a bad rap is because we humans are impatient, we don't like having to slow down, revise, or go over already explored ground. (Well, except for people with natal Mercury Rx...these folk in general are like, hey the world is the right way up for a change!)
Mercury is a planet that often gets glossed over in astrology circles except when it goes retrograde. After all it only governs thought, communication, transmission of ideas and transportation... Doesn't it seem odd that it's just skipped over? When it's probably one of the most important planets for human beings? While Mercury is in shadow approaching the retrograde period, it might be a good idea to pay attention to your own thoughts, ideas and communication style. Notice if you perceive things from a negative or positive lens, notice if you're more likely to keep running even though you're low on gas, or ignore your check engine light (both in reality and in your personal life), notice if you're self talk is negative, neutral or positive, notice your dominant thoughts and ideas about yourself and the world at large and then ask... Is this how I want them to be? How do I really want to perceive this illusion in which I live? Do that and Mercury Retrograde becomes a really productive time.
I'll be writing and talking about Mercury Retrograde on Patreon, TikTok and The Awake Space Podcast. Click Here To Stay Informed