Dun dun dun…. Its here… Mercury has gone retrograde on us and we’ve got approximately 5 weeks of living is this often dreaded and misunderstood astrological phenomenon. Let’s break down what Mercury Retrograde is really all about as it hangs out in its natural ruling Gemini.
Any retrograde, which almost all planets do at some point or another, is when a planet appears to go in reverse in the sky. This illusion, with very real effects, means we get the chance to also go in reverse and review what’s really going on in our lives. It is a time of introspection to go back over lessons we’ve already learned and apply them to our everyday selves. Great… You may be saying “‘I’ve already learned those lessons, why are they popping back in my life for review?”
Its The Universe knocking, testing you, making sure you did indeed learn your lesson.
During Mercury Rx our energetic shields are down, leaving us open to the bombardment of energies and vibrations. Watch out for concepts being harder to grasp, and becoming impatient. If we can learn to take a moment, take a breath, and slow down to fully grasp concepts by seeking logical explanations, we will coast through this Rx with calm and serenity. Take a moment to check the pace you are moving at, you may feel the need to speed things up, but know that can lead to anxiety, over work, and eventual breakdown.
Retrogrades are not a time to hustle, but a time to pause and reflect.
So let’s talk a little about Mercury, get to know how this planet shows up in our lives naturally, so we can handle any curveballs the retrograde may throw at us. Mercury’s basic function in our natal chart presents opportunities for consciousness growth. It is how our mind works, how we communicate what we are thinking, as well as ruling over the technology we surround ourselves with. This is why you hear people saying things like “retrograde has my phone in a funk” or “Mercury totally has my computer jammed up.” These technological tools we use to communicate with are under the influence of Mercury, and when it goes retrograde it can feel like its a renegade!
Mercury has no light of its own, so like our dear friend lady luna, this planet also reflects light from the sun. When Mercury is in Gemini, this can be seen as ever-changeable or even two-faced as we reflect the energies and opinions of those around us. During this retrograde take the time to make sure your messages are clear and concise, and that others are receiving your messages correctly. The naturally eloquent Gemini energy may have you feeling stifled and not very articulate during the retrograde. Be conscious of your thoughts and words, trying not to let your mind get ahead of itself.
So how do we move through a retrograde gracefully? By understanding why it happens in the first place….
Mercury teaches us about mindfulness, a retrograde is a tool The Universe uses to check to make sure you received its message. We are a consistently forward moving society and The Universe uses Mercury Rx as a checkpoint. Use this time to check for imbalance in your life. Where have you committed too much time and energy? Where are you allowing yourself to fall into the same patterns of behavior you swore you would leave in 2020? During retrograde, take the time to be more reflective, look for future solutions from past experiences and lessons. Apply these lessons with intention and be ready to throw any plans made during this time away if need be.
Just as Mercury goes over the same stretch of sky, go over the lessons you’ve learned, are you applying them to your life? If not, Retrograde will most likely force you to step up your game.
As we said before, a retrograde is an optical illusion of the planet going back through the same space of the sky it just traveled through. When a planet does this it allows us to also go over the same space in our lives. This gives us the time and space to rethink and regroup. Making sure that we are balanced and on the right path.
During the retrograde, know that all of the details you need to make informed and educated decisions may not be apparent, so you don’t have all of the information you need to see the big picture.
Often we become too focused on the future and our “plans” instead of living and enjoying the present. This is when The Universe offers us a stopping point, a retrograde, to reevaluate relationships, work, home, patterns of thoughts and behaviors, and make any corrections we may need.
Problems arise during Rx when we are trying to control too much in our lives, we don’t allow the flow of energy in and out again.
Problems also come about from us trying to force situations, manifestations, and events or people in our lives through sheer will. This is a time to sit and reflect on what is in your life and correct negative patterns of behavior, release toxic relationships, and correct any bad habits we’ve become stuck in. The Universe will send messages when things are not meant to be, but if we are too busy forcing it, we may miss those messages and that is when things go awry.
If you’ve begun any new projects or plans in the two weeks leading up to and following Mercury Rx, be aware they may need to be revised once Mercury is once again direct and we are out of the retrograde shadow. During this time take any incidents that may happen as a chance to pause and reflect; see what you may be taking for granted in your daily life. During this retrograde don’t over commit yourself, now is the time to under promise with the hope of over delivering, but giving yourself that extra room for any plans that may need to be adjusted.
The Do’s and Don’t of Mercury Rx:
- Don’t begin something new, save big plans and projects for at least 2 weeks after Mercury goes direct.
- Don’t enter into any new contracts, especially those that hold long-term commitments or may be hard to review and adjust down the road.
- Do triple check EVERY communication. This means texts, emails, all of it… better safe than sorry.
- Don’t pick up that phone call or text from an ex, love or friend, retrograde has a way of trying to sneak these people back into your life as a check that you are willing to stay balanced. Its a test, let’s pass it with flying colors.
- Don’t launch a new program or campaign, sit tight on it and wait to clear that shadow period.
So now you know some of the do’s and don’ts of this retrograde season, but what other help can Vegas Crystal Healings provide? So glad you asked! Not only do we have advice here for you, but our staff is in the shop ready to help you through this time with crystals, oils, and more! We have a variety of custom blended, original recipe (from over 20 years ago!) magickal oils that you can use during this time. Each oil is hand crafted with intention such as our Mercury oil which can help you review those lessons as well as keeping your communication top notch. Add a little Gemini oil to the mix to stay in balance. These oils can be applied to the body (we recommend the throat chakra for these particular oils during this time), diffused in your sacred space (or hell your office, cause you’re probably going to need it there!), added to a luxurious bath (we’ll get to that in a sec), or used to dress a candle that you can burn daily during the retrograde. Since we mentioned a nice soak, and this is a time of reflection and slowing down, check out our healing bath crystals made with the same intentions and containing healing waters.
Some crystals you can work with during this time to keep your throat chakra balanced, your communication clear, and your confidence up include; blue lace agate, aquamarine, and chrysocolla. Opalite is also a great communication stone and white howlite will help bring clarity. We recommend carrying or wearing these stones during the whole of the retrograde and giving them a thorough cleansing after the shadow period ends (approx July 9). There are so many stones that you can work with to help you during the retrograde and eclipse season, especially if you have specific issues you are working through. Our staff is in the shop Monday through Saturday to help you with your every need, stop in to see us, and grab your defense against the retrograde!
Blessings,
