“Is Mercury Retrograde or what?” This is becoming such a catch phrase and the subject matter for many memes, but what does it really mean when Mercury is retrograde? Years ago when I first learned about Mercury Retrograde, I connected it with bad luck, computer issues, miscommunication, flat tires, car accidents and appliances breaking. I definitely feared the retrograde. Lately, I’ve grown to, perhaps not love retrograde, but respect Mercury Retrograde and the lessons it brings. I don’t want to jinx myself but I’ve found that since I’ve changed my perspective, I’ve had much smoother retrograde experiences.
Every year Mercury appears retrograde at least three or four times. This happens when Mercury passes the Earth in it’s orbit and looks like its going in a backwards motion, thus creating what we refer to as Mercury Retrograde. Mercury is the ruling planet of communication, so the ways we think (share and understand information) along with technology and transportation tend to be affected during Mercury Retrograde. It is wise during this time to loosen up our expectations, slow down, practice responding vs reacting, take the time to analyze our options, hold off on making big decisions and, here’s a BIG one, be very careful with our words and how we interpret the words of others. If I had a dollar every time I misinterpreted someone else’s words during Mercury Retrograde, I’d have a nice pile of cash! If we look at how Mercury appears in the sky during a retrograde, we’ll notice that at first there is a pause, then the planet appears to move backwards. The symbolism of this apparent movement coming on the heals of the year 2020 is not lost on me, and I believe this is the reason Mercury retrograde is hitting differently right now.
We are emerging from the cocoon of 2020. Which, for many of us, felt like a great pause. In this pause we did a lot of pondering and re-evaluating. We gained clarity on what really matters within the framework of our lives and now here we are “stationing direct” and beginning to move forward once again. Are you afraid of getting swept back up in the hectic pace as “normal” life returns? I am. I don’t want to lose the lessons pandemic life taught me.
Since Mercury rules communication, I urge you to pay attention to that tiny voice in your head. What are you trying to tell yourself? Take advantage of the universal energy created by Mercury Retrograde to slow down, listen and pay special attention to any reoccurring thoughts.
I have a meditation practice which I find to be really helpful in enabling me to decipher and get to the root of what I’m feeling. I sit quietly and become centered in my body. Once I feel a calm clarity in my body and mind, I check in with how I’m feeling. I take my time to notice: do I feel sad, anxious, mad, irritable, happy or excited. When pinpoint the emotion I’m experiencing, I then ask myself what I can do with these feelings. For example, if I’m feeling sad, I ask myself why am I feeling this sadness and what simple steps can I take to shift my feelings? If you sit with the question long enough, an answer will appear. When I have clarity, I close my meditation and journal about what I discovered. This is a practice and I promise the more you do it, the easier it gets.
As we move forward into this post pandemic world, it’s important we don’t lose sight of what is meaningful to our soul. Keep track of your soul centered goals but also go slowly knowing that we can’t expect great change instantly. Take this lesson from Mercury that we can’t effectively move forward without first pausing and reviewing where we’ve been.
Morgen Brunner Healing 