It’s time for the dreaded Mercury Retrograde again. This one begins Saturday the 23rd of February and is in effect until March 17th. We are already (and have been for at least a week) in the shadow of the retrograde period. During this time before (and also after) we deal with effects as well.
Mercury is the ruling planet of Gemini and Virgo. It is known as the messenger and is associated with communication and transportation. This is the time period when you really want to have backed up your computer, as Mercury Retrograde is notorious for computer crashes. But any communication can be affected. This is a “choose your words carefully” time. If you have “foot in mouth disease”, be extra careful. It’s easy to say things in a way that can be hurtful. Emails may go astray during this time, and generally it’s agreed that this is not a time to start a new venture. Wait for a week after Retrograde.
Transportation systems may also have difficulty during this time, so if the bus is late, or the subway seems to break down more than usual, don’t fret – it will pass. Give extra time for journeys, take extra care while driving, and keep your sense of humour at the forefront.
Retrgrades are a time when the planet in question (in this case Mercury) seems to be going backwards. It revisits times we have already gone through to give us the opportunity to take another look. Did we make good decisions? Did this strategy work, or do we need to tweak it? Retrogrades are an opportunity to slow down, to take another look. They can be a blessing if we see them in this way. They are part of the natural rhythm, and if we can learn to work with them, life could be easier. It could have more flow.
There are three Mercury Retrograde periods this year, and each one of them is in a water sign. This one is in Pisces. The next one is June 26 to July 20 – in Cancer and the last is October 21 to November 10 – in Scorpio. The fact that all three are in water signs could make for an interesting year as there will be an amplification of emotions during those times. It’s really perfect for this year, as it’s another cleansing year. All of the non- beneficial emotions that we have been holding on to have to go. They no longer serve us and are taking up space that we could fill with joy and love.
So, there may be a lot of suppressed emotion floating around. If you feel things coming up for yourself, take a deep breath before you do or say anything. Writing things down is a good way to get them out of your body/mind. That way you don’t play scenes and words over and over again in your mind. When things are on paper, it seems to be easier to look at them rationally and clearly. If you are having trouble, give me a call.
I read a strategy for getting through a Retrograde period comfortably that I really liked. The first half of the Retrograde is a time for contemplation, to take time to see what is coming up. The second half of the Retrograde period is to take action, to plan what you are going to do about what has come to your attention. This makes such sense to me. So, take some cleansing baths (Epsom salts, cedar etc.), get lots of rest. This is a great time to do some writing or painting – something creative that supports you emotionally. Allow what comes up to the surface to be there. Acknowledge it, so that you can do some work around it in the following weeks.
Be well, smile at someone today, and Happy Retrograde.
