The next Mercury Retrograde will be from November 17th to December 6th 2018.  

Here’s what you need to know:

TIMING

Including the influence of pre and post-shadow periods, the complete Mercury retrograde cycle extends from October 29^th until December 24^th, 2018.  Although most people focus only on the time when Mercury is actually going to be ‘retrograde’, it’s so helpful to understand how we are influenced by retrograde ‘vibes’ during this ENTIRE period.  More on how to flow with the shifting energy of this ‘astrological season’ below!  

Mercury Rules:

• Communication
• Learning
• Planning
• Decision Making
• Travel (especially short distance)
• Transportation (vehicles, planes, trains & their schedules, etc)
• Technology
• The transmission of ‘messages’ – In Greek mythology, Mercury was the messenger god.

In the Zodiac, Mercury rules Gemini and co-rules Virgo with Chiron.

‘FLOWING’ WITH MERCURY RETROGRADE VIBES

Starting October 29^th, we’ll begin to feel the influence of this Mercury retrograde easing in.  Remembering that retrogrades are a sort of ‘astrological season’, you can expect the energies to ease in slowly and perhaps subtly at first.  They will gradually intensify until December 6^th, right before Mercury stations direct once again, and from there the retrograde astrovibes will gradually dissipate until they finally pass around December 18^th.

Common Experiences during Mercury Retrograde

• Frustrations as a result of miscommunications
• Plans are disrupted, and plans that you make now for the future are likely to become disrupted down the road
• Feeling tired or wanting to stay close to home; backing out of social commitments
• Transportation or travel blunders, breakdowns, delays etc.
• Being in a state of receiving, or a heightened sense of intuition
• Spontaneous inspiration leading to ‘magic moments’
• Unexpected opportunities and synchronicities come to you

When we learn to flow with astrological rhythms, we maximize energetic support for our actions and minimize ‘resistance’.  We can avoid actions that are not supported by retrograde energies. 

Some ‘quick tips’ for flowing with retrograde Astrovibes:

• Go with the flow
• Relax and trust that you don’t know what ‘ought’ to be
• Give yourself A LOT of time and space to rest (leave extra space in your calendar)
• Look for the ‘silver lining’ when there are unexpected derailments to your plans, this is where the opportunities lie!

More Tips Below!

Activities to avoid during retrograde!

• Making financial commitments – making big purchases, signing contracts, or locking yourself into plans that you cannot back out of without a financial penalty are all very risky during retrograde. This is a time when unexpected events are more likely, causing you to be thrown off course.
• Starting ‘New’ Projects ­– The outcomes of starting a new project, a new job, or launching a new product or service through your business during Mercury retrograde are typically only short-term. So, if you want to ‘launch’ a new endeavor that is intended to last, plan to do it before or after retrograde.
• Signing contracts – When you sign a contract, you do so with the assumption that all of the relevant facts and details are known – however during Mercury retrograde, remember that the chances are much higher that we do not have yet all of the relevant information!!!

Instead of perpetually looking FORWARD, this 8-week cycle calls us to look INWARD or TO THE PAST with a renewed sense of perspective which can bring valuable inspiration and insight.

 

Mercury Retrograde during Fall 2018 occurs in Scorpio and Sagittarius

Scorpio Vibes

Scorpio rules inner workings of the mind, psychology, mystery, sex and intimacy, power and money, intuition and our deepest darkest emotions. Under the influence of this energy, partners in relationships can explore the realm of their deepest darkest desires as well as memories and past traumas.   Venus in Scorpio represents the desire for security that comes along with deep bonds of trust and intimacy.  It desires the joint commitment between two parties that occurs when both put the needs of the partnership before either individual.  Even if there has been no conscious agreement to this end, Scorpio energy tends to ‘expect’ total dedication from others in relationships, and can easily be disappointed as a result.  Scorpio is ruled by Pluto and Mars.

Some experiences that can be brought up by Mercury Retrograde in Scorpio:

• Looking inward and gaining greater awareness about the emotions that guide your decisions, fears, desires and needs, especially in relationships.
• A renewed experience of intimacy with your partner
• Assessing current relationships (or the ideal circumstances for a new relationship) and getting clear on what you want

Sagittarius Vibes

Sagittarius is the ‘free-spirit’ of the zodiac, ultimately representing our connection to the divine and divine wisdom.  Sagittarius energy is optimistic, expansive and has a passion for life.  It rules philosophy, religion and esoteric subjects as well as travel, languages, history and culture.  This energy sees beyond cultural divides, striving for more universal truths about the human experience and our ultimate ‘oneness’.  It also rules education, writing and communication – especially about ‘worldly’ topics.

Some experiences that can be brought up by Mercury Retrograde in Sagittarius:

• Exploring philosophical or esoteric topics
• Exploration or opportunities arising around travel or other forms of international interaction
• Exploration or opportunities arising around learning, studying or teaching

8 MORE TIPS FOR ‘FLOWING’ WITH MERCURY RETROGRADE ENERGY!

Here are some helpful tips to keep in mind over the coming retrograde period that can help you maintain balance in your life, minimize the resistance and ‘flow’ with this energy.

Remember the natural rhythm of the universe brings cycles of ‘ebb and flow’, like inhale and exhale, masculine and feminine, plant and harvest.  Enjoy!

1. Embrace the need for balance. Retrogrades represent a necessary universal balance in life. Think of the need for retrograde cycles in the same way that you think of your body’s need for sleep: in order to have the energy that we need during each day, we need to rest and allow other systems in our bodies to take over – cell regeneration, healing, digestion, and detoxification. These are natural cycles, and when choose to roll with them instead of against them, we exert less effort and can find it easier to maintain balance in our own lives.
2. Be Easy-Going. Mercury retrograde reminds us that sometimes the best place to be is just where we are. This is a time to let go of ‘forcing’ any particular outcome; when we try to push or force something to happen is exactly when we seem to feel the ‘slingshot’ effect that whips us back.
3. Take care of ‘unfinished business’. Mercury retrograde signals that it’s time to take care of ‘loose ends’ and to finish projects which have been underway for some time. Retrograde cycles are very supportive of finishing up any work in progress in order to make space for new beginnings to come once we are clear of the retrograde influence.
4. Take an objective look at the recent past.  Use this time to review what’s taken place over the past several months and reflect on what ideas or opinions have evolved as this can be a time for gaining a fresh perspective. This is also a great time to pick up on an idea that you had in the past, but never followed through with.  You can also let go of feeling held back by the past, to realize what you can learn from recent experiences, and then let go in order to renew.
5. Relish in the present moment –This is a time to be grateful for all of your blessings and to simply let yourself take pleasure.  Press the snooze button on ambition for the next few weeks and on feeling like you need something more to be happy.
6. Take care of yourself. Leave some extra space in your calendar for personal time, or to just give yourself a day to ‘put things in order’ in your life. Slow down and give yourself extra time for activities that you normally rush through; have a relaxing epsom salt bath, finish that book you started weeks ago, spend an afternoon cooking your favorite comfort meal.  Let yourself lose track of time.
7. Let go of inflated expectations. This is a time to b
8. e kind to yourself and let go of rigid thinking or expectations. Delightful miracles will come onto your path when you release attachment to the outcome.
9. Avoid major spending. Mercury retrograde is more of a time for living in the present moment and tying off lose ends from the past, so it isn’t necessarily the best time for making major purchases and investments for the future. Mercury retrograde is also not a good time to make major decisions, financial commitments or to sign contracts because it is typically a time when relevant facts are temporarily ‘hidden’.

 

Some Key Astrological Aspects Accompanying Mercury Retrograde this Fall 2018

Mercury Square Neptune

 

This influence occurs early in the retrograde cycle: we begin to feel its energy around November 8th and it will be at its strongest on November 17^th when Mercury stations retrograde.  Over the next week, the energy gradually dissipates.  What this means is that for these 2 weeks in November when the square is present, we can be more susceptible to the dreamy and imaginative, yet overwhelming vibes of Neptune in Pisces.  This brings greater potential for deception, communication challenges, being ‘in one’s head’, difficulty with focus and discipline.  Neptune in Pisces can also bring up heightened emotions but also a heightened sense of intuition and spiritual awareness.  Instead of being focused on ‘pushing forward’, instead leave extra room in your schedule for distractions to arise, and to follow the thread of those distractions to sources of possible healing or insight.

 

Venus Retrograde in Scorpio

During Venus Retrograde we tend not to see ‘clearly’ in the areas of love (relationships), money and beauty or self-esteem.  It’s a time when we can be more likely to perceive a lack of abundance.  With Venus in Scorpio, these experiences can be associated with relationships, business partnerships or business investments and family relationships.  Scorpio energy rules your psychology – the emotions that drive your behavior, fears, needs and decisions.  With Venus retrograde here and Mercury spending some time in Scorpio as well this retrograde season (and conjunct Jupiter, AND trining Neptune and Chiron all during this retrograde cycle), it can bring tremendous attention and the possibility for greater awareness about what makes you ‘tick’.  On the other hand, so long as you remain unconscious to these triggers you can find yourself on an emotional roller-coaster ride, more prone than usual to acting out of your most primal desires.

MORE ABOUT VENUS RETROGRADE HERE

 

Understanding how a specific transit will influence you personally depends on your unique birth chart; for a private online reading please view my offerings here.

 

THE MEANING OF ‘RETROGRADE’

The word ‘retrograde’ literally means ‘to step backwards’ and this term is used in astrology to describe the times when, from our perspective here on earth, a planetary body is observed to be moving counter to its normal direction of orbit.

During a retrograde cycle, the energies which are expressed by that planetary body have a more ‘introspective’ focus. The usual ‘forward’ momentum shifts, encouraging us to ‘look backwards’.

A retrograde cycle has 3 phases:

(1) Pre-shadow phase – the influence of the retrograde energy starts to be felt and grows stronger with each day. The planetary body which is about to go retrograde will be passing back over the path which it is currently transiting when the planet is in the retrograde phase. During the pre-shadow phase, the orbit slows down until it eventually reaches the point where it will switch directions.  

(2) Retrograde phase – the orbit is counter to the normal direction and the planetary body appears to be ‘moving backwards’

(3) Post-shadow phase – the influence of the retrograde is still felt but starts to slowly diminish with each day. The planetary body is moving forward again, retracing its steps for the third time over the same path. It’s moving slowly at first (it is said to be ‘sleepy’ during this time) but with each day it picks up speed until it fully resumes its normal pace.  

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