Of all the unpredictable and wacky astrological transits that take place during a single year, you can count on one constant: Mercury Retrograde. The planet of communication has about three retrograde cycles per year, and 2024 is no exception. Mercury stationed retrograde in Aries way back in April. And more recently—on Aug. 4, to be exact—Mercury stationed retrograde in system-loving, fact-checking Virgo, and it will go retro one final time in December this year.
If you’ve been a good astro-student (which I know you have been), then you know what Mercury Retrograde means. For those of you who may have forgotten, here’s a refresher: During Mercury Retrograde (RX for short), the planet appears to be moving backwards through the sky. With that apparent backwards motion comes plenty of communication breakdowns, conversational flubs, foggy thinking and writing blocks, travel snafus, tech glitches, the return of one or more exes annnnd much, much more. (Psst. If you’re looking to overcome writer’s block and better work with the retrieving energy of Mercury Retrograde, check out my Mercury Retrograde Workshop & Mercury Retrograde Workbook.)
It’s hard to believe that such a small, backward-moving planet can cause so much mayhem—especially when you think about how the planet isn’t actually moving backwards, and it just looks like it is. This is but one of the many tricks the trickster planet loves to play on us during Mercury Retrograde. Of course, with all its myriad issues and disruptions, it might seem mighty appealing to hide underneath the covers until Mercury stations direct (which it does on Aug. 28, btw). But here’s a better idea: how about a handy-dandy guide to navigating the retrograde transit? Well, don’t you worry ‘bout a thang, Cosmic’s got you covered.
Top Do’s and Don’ts of Mercury Retrograde
1. Don’t text your ex
Even if said ex texts you first, it’s never a good idea to re-open the doors of communication during Mercury Retrograde (unless, of course, this person is your soulmate, and you’ve been pining like a Medieval Princess for them to reach back out to you). Miscommunication runs rampant during Mercury Rx, so any so-called “friendly” texts could be misconstrued as something more, and maybe even lead to something you may later regret. During this transit, we’re encouraged to reflect on our past behaviors and decisions, but we shouldn’t act on them. Because think about it: this person is an ex for a reason, and they should probably stay that way…
2. Do check and recheck your texts, papers and emails
Seems like an obvious one, but it’s easy to overlook errors during Mercury Retrograde. That’s why it’s super important to double check your text, documents, and emails for misspelled titles / words, grammatical blunders or incorrect dates / quotations / citations. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve sent an email / text to the wrong person during Mercury Rx! (It’s extra embarrassing when I send something personal to someone business-y.) Also, make sure your document is free of any sidebar comments such as: “man, my boss is lame”. Because your “lame” boss might feel compelled to give a write-up of their own…
3. Don’t start / launch / announce anything new
Nothing—I repeat, NOTHING—you start during Mercury Retrograde will last. Why? Because Mercury Retrograde urges you to reevaluate preexisting projects and commitments, not to initiate anything new. This means that anything you may accidentally start—be it creative project, relationship, or (God forbid) business—will be imprinted with the transit’s glitchy, disruptive, slow-moving qualities. And nobody wants to curse a potentially awesome project with that bad rx juju. Because here’s the thing: plans change during Mercury Retrograde. Dates get moved back, issues get brought to your attention and need finessing, and it’s more stressful to handle ALL of that along with an exciting book launch…
4. Do revise any existing projects
Especially if the projects have to do with writing. Have a book of poems or a novel you’ve been working on? Revising is a cinch during Mercury Retrograde, so your attention is better applied to editing, proofreading, double-checking content. This also applies to any creative, communication or social media project (including podcasts and videos). Mercury Rx helps us spot any mistakes made previously, so that we can fix them in the future. This is something I go into GREAT detail in my Mercury Retrograde Guide & Mercury Retrograde Workshop. (Seriously, I CANNOT recommend these two resources enough. More on that below!)…
5. Don’t make any major decisions
Our rationality is clouded during Mercury Retrograde, which is why serious purchases and decisions are best avoided during this time. Mercury rules over contracts (both verbal and written), so if you’re starting a new job, buying a new car, sending out a manuscript or filling out important paperwork during an RX cycle, make sure you know what you’re getting yourself into. Things we miss during Mercury Retrograde come back (to haunt us?) after Mercury stations direct and leaves its shadow phase. This can include important clauses or details about job benefits, etc. If possible, postpone major decisions until Mercury stations direct…
6. Do expect some delays
Since Mercury rules travel, electronics, cars and day-to-day activities, you can expect some tech glitches (think: apps not loading, slower WiFi, dropped Zoom calls, broken phones, etc.), flight cancellations and/or automotive disturbances. Also, if you have any previously scheduled appointments with your friends/prof/shrink, it’s likely that they (or you) will need to reschedule. Itineraries change and plans go south quickly during Mercury Retrograde. Probably because everything malfunctions. Seriously, I’ve experienced more car problems, phone problems, and appliance issues during Mercury Retrograde than any other time during the year! My dad even fell into a pool during Mercury Rx in Pisces, ruining his phone…
7. Don’t freak out too much
Yeah, Mercury Retrograde can cause a fair bit of chaos. But the transit also gives us a chance to slow down, retrieve what we lost, and reevaluate. It’s also an exercise in adaptability. I mean, is it really the end of the world if TikTok doesn’t work for a few hours? No. And if you DO happen to text your ex, send an email meant for your grandma to your boss, and break your phone, remember: it isn’t the end of the world. Mercury Rx can play tricks on us, but if we stay adaptable and laugh at the hiccups, we can then better understand how we respond when things don’t move as they should. Which is why Mercury Retrograde shouldn’t freak you out…
OK, I know you are probably SICK of hearing about the Mercury Retrograde Guide and Mercury Retrograde Workshop. And I get it, but I also LOVE these two astro-resources, because they are MADE with the intention of working with Mercury Retrograde, not against it. These are MADE to boost your creativity.
Seriously, I created both of these resources because I was sick of spinning my wheels during Mercury Rx cycles; I wanted to write my book, make art, and work on stuff for my business. I wanted to move forward. I didn’t want to stop or slow down. But after years of flailing on projects, failing to meet my own expectations, and feeling blocked and bogged down, I decided something needed to change. I wasn’t working with Mercury Retrograde, I was working against it.
So, I decided to make a guidebook and workshop to help others from making the same mistakes I did. Whether you’re rewriting your novel, rethinking your goals, or just trying to keep your head above water, this workbook & workshop will help you work with the unique energy of EVERY Mercury RX cycle to harness the slow-down, hone your creativity, rework your projects, and beat the chaos.
And the best part? From now until Aug. 11, you can get 25% off your ENTIRE ORDER with the code MercuryRetro. That means, 25% off Birth Chart Readings, Workshops, Workbooks…Anything. Everything. From now until Aug. 11.