Mercury Going Retrograde (Again!)
by Kelli Fox
Mercury, being an inferior planet, appears as a morning star and an evening star, but is much more difficult to see than the other inferior planet, Venus. At its brightest, Mercury is technically a very bright object when viewed from Earth, but it is not easily seen in practice because of its proximity in the sky to the Sun.
Mercury turns retrograde in Leo where it will continue in its backward motion until August 7th. Mercury Retrograde is a phenomenon that has worked its way into mass consciousness. The moment a communication snafu occurs, folks blame Mercury Retrograde! The truth is, not all miscommunications can be laid at the feet of this little planet. But it does behoove us to observe a few simple principles about this event.
Mercury appears to turn backward in its path around the Zodiac three times every year, for about twenty-one or twenty-two days at a time. So every four months, you get a three-week pause in which to catch up on old correspondence, read the book that’s been sitting on your nightstand and make phone calls to friends and family.
Everyone knows that Mercury Retrograde is a great time to do things that start with‘re’: repair, reduce, reconsider, recreate. But what else can you do to bring out the best energy of this period? Certainly, thoughts turn more inward than outward, so taking care of personal affairs is a great idea. Follow your gut instead of following your head. This is a great time to practice yoga, meditation or any activity that centers your mind and body.
If you can avoid signing a contract during Mercury Retrograde, fine. If not, go through it carefully a couple of times and get help if you need it. Try not to buy electronic equipment during this period, or travel, because delays and snafus seem to abound. Above all, don’t worry! Life moves forward even when Mercury seems to be going backward.
When Mercury retrogrades back into Leo, passionate displays of expression are triggered that are sure to cause reactions from you and from others. This fiery planetary influence inspires more emotion behind words and thoughts, which inspires passionate responses, which in turn, ignites the airspace with electricity.
You may or may not want to engage yourself in the thick of things, depending on your personality and mood. You may be apt to say what you feel without a great deal of discretion. Your will is strong and you won’t like to be silenced. At this Time, you may be more aggressive in pushing your agenda. However, your force of will and manner of delivery may meet with some resistance from equally charged individuals with their own agenda. Your powers of persuasion may fail to have the desired effect that you wish under this influence.
