Ready, Set … Mercury Retrograde!

Yes, it is that time again. Tomorrow, Friday August 20th at 12:58 pm PDT, our beloved Mercury, the messenger planet, gives us the signal that it's time to shift our mental focus backward, reviewing the path we've just crossed during the past few weeks. It does not escape me that the path we're reviewing takes us back to the Cardinal Climax weekend on August 1st, so if you missed the memo on transformation, restructuring and radical steps in new directions, don't worry, you get another chance to process the energy at a deeper level.

This retrograde continues our earthy Mercury trend with the sign of Virgo, perhaps leaving no stone unturned. This would be a diligent Mercury retrograde, reviewing the path in an orderly and competent way. If you're a bit stressed out about it all, your Mercury might find itself feeling picky and critical. The tonic for stressed Mercury is a sense of service as well as healing for the nervous system. Consider how you might serve or solve problems for others to take the attention from your own dilemmas. Then take a nice bath.

As always, the conventional wisdom is not to sign contracts, buy technological or mechanical items or make rash decisions during a Mercury retrograde. I've found this to be true, despite repeated rebellious attempts to prove it wrong. I've also found I generally change my mind about anything I buy during the three retrograde weeks once the direct motion stage comes again. But that's me. I honor the rebel within you that keeps life moving forward no matter what the planets are saying. And I find that plans in motion before the retrograde can be continue forward or completed with extra attention to details. Just don't be surprised by delays and cancellations, your mechanic booked for a week or longer lines at airports. Bring a book and your favorite essential oil to center yourself.

Balancing our intuition and our lives with an understanding of planetary forces is a healthy way to think about retrogrades. We don't have to live in Mercury fear, holding our breath until September 12th. That really isn't the purpose of astrology. Remember we are the planets. Watching their movement and connections as they dance in the sky is our validation of what is already happening within us.

So what is within us right now is we have embarked on a remarkable journey over the past three weeks. We've moved into new waters of shifting consciousness, internally and globally. It seems like a great idea to take some time to review and make adjustments, really get it right. No hurry. In the moment. Day by day. With humility and service. Mercury in Virgo.