Astro articles, Astrology explained

Mercury Retrograde s̶u̶r̶v̶i̶v̶a̶l THRIVAL Guide

by Bella
Mercury Rx bulbAhh, the Mercury Retrograde, a topsy-turvy time often given a bad name, viewed with annoyance and trepidation by anyone stuck in traffic, or experiencing “unexpected” technical difficulties with their communication tools. :-p But really, a Mercury Retrograde isn’t so bad. It’s just a little misunderstood.  To help you make the best of this period, I’ve come up with a quick guide to get you though with a smile.       1- Rushing won’t work. Accept that. In a society built around moving ahead, accomplishment and a “time is money” mentality, it’s no wonder that a period of reflection isn’t always wholly welcomed. But that period is here, review is needed, and either way it ain’t over before it’s over, so you might as well work with it. Who knows, you might just have some fun along the way. 😉 Either way, give yourself extra time now. You’ll be glad you did.
  • Set your alarm clocks early.
  • Leave well ahead of time.
  • Have a plan B for transportation ideas.
  • Give yourself time to think about things carefully before you speak or act on important stuff.
  • If you’re writing anything during this time (e-mails, reports, essays or whatnot), write a first draft (and SAVE IT, often), and give yourself time to RE-READ the final copy before you send it off into the world.
  • Don’t be in a hurry to act upon any new ideas; let them ripen in your mind first.
2- Use a review time to catch up on things, and (surprise surprise) review! Ironically enough, a Mercury Retrograde, and all it entails, is an important part of a productive lifestyle.  You know all that stuff you’ve had piling up for a while, which you’ve been meaning to get to but haven’t had the time. This is the time. Get to it! During a Mercury Retrograde, stuff that WILL flow is the stuff that didn’t flow well before! Now’s the time to…
  • Answer unanswered e-mails
  • De-clutter your inbox or mail bin, and sort other piles of papers gathering dust.
  • Have talks which you’ve been putting off.
  • Write essays or reports which you’ve procrastinated.
  • Read books, reports, e-mails etc. which you’ve put off till later.
  • Catch up with old friends, especially if you’ve wondered for a while how they are.
  • Take a trip you’ve rain-checked.
  • Study (as in, review what you’ve learned), especially if you’re enrolled in any formal education.
  • Ponder whatever’s been on your mind lately. You might see new angles you’ve never noticed till now.
  • If you’ve failed an exam before, now’s the time to try taking it again!
  • Consider your ways of thinking and speaking, and if they’re really working for you. Let go of old ideas that don’t work for you, drop negative or disempowering self-talk, and think about how to speak your truth, and understand/be understood better by others.
  • Try meditating—either to quiet your mind or to explore it more, whatever works for you.
See how this is about trying it again, not trying something you’ve never done? that’s an important difference right now. 3- If it ain’t broke, don’t replace it. If it needs upgrading, upgrade it. If it seems to break, don’t throw it out yet…   One thing about the Mercury Retrograde period which can seem tricky is the technological issues which are more common than usual during this time. Sadly, there’s no trick that can safeguard you against strange cellphone reception signals (or lack thereof), or an unexpected flat tire, but, the above rules of thumb are good to consider during this time. Basically…
  • If you don’t need to get your new Cellphone, car or bike right now, then don’t. Postpone till afterwards. Mercury retrogrades are on average about 3 weeks long. Not the end of the world. Use this time to compare prices and research differences between models.  Pick it out afterwards. This also applies to the period BEFORE a Mercury retrograde—2 weeks ahead or so, things can already start to get wonky. This is not a rule, but it is an observable astrological trend. Why risk it if you don’t have to?!
  • If a vehicle or communication device has been awaiting an upgrade for a while, this is the time when it’s more likely to “remind” you that such an upgrade is really needed. Don’t fight it—it needs upgrading anyway, and if it’s just not functioning how you’d like right now, you might as well…
  • If such a device or vehicle DOES break, especially if it’s one of those mysterious “it just won’t work” scenarios, don’t throw it out just yet. Give it up to a month after the Mercury retrograde has passed, and then check it again. You’d be surprised how sometimes these things just “fix themselves” afterwards. Strange, but, true story! Same goes for similarly uncharacteristic malfunctions—if it doesn’t need immediate replacing and you can live without it or borrow  a replacement until about a month after the Rx ends, try that. Sometimes it literally seems to “fix itself”. Go figure.
Of course, like everything else in the intricate system of astrology, how exactly each Mercury retrograde affects you personally can only be figured out by studying your personal chart, but this should be a great general guide for just about anyone during the 60 or so days of the year when the winged messenger planet demands reviewing of its’ themes. Those most likely to be strongly affected during any such period, are people with Virgo or Gemini rising, and/or other strong emphasis in those signs. In many cases, strong emphasis in your 3rd astrological house will do it too. Either way, remember that any time is only as good or as bad as you make it. Hope reading this helped you make it a good one. Happy transits, folks. © Bella V. Vid NurtureAstrology.com https://www.facebook.com/NurtureAstrology You're welcome to share and distribute this article however it feels right to. To keep the integrity of it intact, please link it back to NurtureAstrology.com About the Author: Bella V. Vid has been practicing Astrology for over 16 years. She specializes in one-on-one counseling, with a clarifying, supportive, enriching and empowering tone to all she offers. To book a private reading with her, please connect via the Contact Page.