The final Mercury retrograde in 2024 is coming! This time it's entirely in Sagittarius. What will this retrograde do?
The Basics - What is Mercury retrograde?
A retrograde occurs when a planet appears to be moving backwards from our vantage point here on Earth. It isn't actually moving backwards, it just appears that way. Mercury turns retrograde most often, about 3-4 times per year, and lasts for several weeks. When a planet retrogrades, what that planet rules tends to be thrown off, along with what the sign it's retrograding in rules.
With Mercury retrograde, we experience a shadow and a storm. The shadow period starts when Mercury first hits the point in the Zodiac it will turn direct at, and ends when it last hits the point in the Zodiac it will turn retrograde at. Most people don't feel the effects of Mercury retrograde until it enters the storm period though. The storm period of Mercury retrograde is when Mercury is moving at its slowest, less than 40 minutes per day. Mercury is a fast-moving planet and hates it when it's moving slowly. There's usually two storm periods, one around the time Mercury turns retrograde, and one around when it turns direct. Mercury Retrograde in Sagittarius 2024 Key Dates:
Mercury Retrograde Effects:
This Mercury retrograde occurs entirely in fire sign Sagittarius, the sign of expansion. Sagittarius is new experiences, adventures, and optimism, so with this Mercury retrograde, we may either go too far and are unrealistic and impractical, or we may avoid this and run away from opportunities for new experiences and expansion.
Sagittarius wants space, and we're likely pushing to get as much space as possible with this Mercury retrograde. We may push too much as a result, and end up running from responsibilities that we need to work on, and run away from people that end up hurt. When we stop running later, we might regret it, but we may not be able to fix it, so it's important that we control this desire to run. If we can get creative, we can find some of the space we need where we are already, even if only in our minds. We can get more space later, but being smart about it works out much better. Sagittarius rules our beliefs, so this Mercury retrograde might challenge some of what we believe. Some people can become much more passionate about their beliefs if they resonate with who they are now, and can speak up, take a stand, and put up a fight. Other people might feel shaky with their beliefs if they no longer align with them, and might want to walk away. This retrograde can be great for picking back up a big idea and giving it another shot; for traveling somewhere you've been to before; for re-learning or re-teaching something; for reconnecting with an old mentor or student; and for any editing. The retrograde ends trine, which is a beneficial aspect, transit Mars retrograde in Leo. Because oh yes, Mars turns retrograde on December 6th, as Mercury is still retrograde, and they overlap for nine days. This can throw a lot off with both retrograde, and we may struggle with focus and communication with Mercury, and with taking the initiative and using energy with Mars. We're likely focusing a lot on the past, and this can be a good time for second chances, as well as working through old baggage and karma. But the trine itself is a beneficial aspect, so we can come out of the Mercury retrograde and go into the Mars retrograde in a good position, and we can find new ways, or use old ways, to maximize energy and enthusiasm, and to work with ideas and plans, or old ideas and plans. This Mercury retrograde also comes with a mutable t-square. T-squares occur when two or more planets oppose one another, and all square a third or more planets. This t-square has Mercury and the Sun in Sagittarius opposite Jupiter in Gemini, and all square Saturn and Neptune in Pisces. Mercury retrograde will exactly hit all of them except Neptune. Mutable t-squares have a lot of energy, but it's kind of all over the place. It's difficult to control since mutable energy is flowing. The squared planets get all the attention, so Saturn and Neptune in Pisces, and we might be too caught up in goals, direction, responsibility, imagination, the past, and karma. It might actually be a lot of karma flying around. The last Mercury retrograde also had a mutable t-square, but Jupiter in Gemini was the squared planet, challenging communication and activity. The way out is through the missing sign, which is the Zodiac sign opposite the squared planets. The last mutable t-square during Mercury retrograde was missing Sagittarius, so we needed to think bigger and brighter. This mutable t-square is missing Virgo, so we need to work on being more practical, paying attention to the details, and getting the little things out of the way. We may need order, structure, and routine to keep from flying haphazardly all over the place. Mercury Retrograde in Sagittarius 2024 Aspects:
During the retrograde, Mercury will make 4 major aspects to the other transit (moving) planets. They are:
- Opposite Jupiter on December 4th 2024 @ 16 degrees Sagittarius/Gemini: Jupiter is the planet of expansion, and oppositions are out of control, so this aspect might make something spiral. Jupiter is also the planetary ruler of Sagittarius, so the energy is a little at odds with itself. We may be prone to excess, and we may have difficulty stopping it. We need some moderation. This can be good energy for time away and doing nothing. - Conjunct the Sun on December 5th 2024 @ 14 degrees Sagittarius: This is the Inferior Conjunction, a positive point in the retrograde for starting something that can be a focus for the next 6-8 weeks; find where it falls in your chart, and that may be where you can start something. With this one in Sagittarius, we can take action with a big idea, a new experience, or something we're expanding. - Square Saturn on December 6th 2024 @ 13 degrees Sagittarius/Pisces: Mercury square Saturn is a challenging aspect, and we may struggle with feeling overwhelmed by responsible, all that we have on our plates, and we're trapped. We have too much on our shoulders, and our options feel really limited. This makes us extremely pessimistic. We have to work on finding some space within the limitations, and stick to plans. We need to stay disciplined and keep on track, and do things the right way and for the right reasons. Then we can emerge in a better place. - Sextile Venus on December 13th 2024 @ 6/7 degrees Sagittarius/Aquarius: Mercury sextile Venus is a pleasant aspect, and with Mercury ruling communication, we can communicate well. This can be an easier time to express ourselves, and there can be good news. We may focus on connecting with people from the past, strengthening commitments, and keeping the peace. The Moons of Mercury Retrograde:
The Moon travels through one signs Mercury naturally rules during this retrograde, and actually ends in Gemini (December 13th 12:21PM ET/9:21AM PT - December 15th 2:21PM ET/11:21AM PT). This can increase scattered, unfocused energy and a need for a mental outlet, and we're likely pretty harried and ready to move forward coming out of this retrograde.
The Moon is in the same sign as the retrograde November 30th 6:53AM ET/3:53AM PT - December 2nd 4:09PM ET/1:09PM PT. This amplifies the impact of the retrograde and makes us more focused on whatever we're dealing with. Final Notes:
The retrograde starts at 22 degrees Sagittarius, so those of you Archers born December 11th - 16th may feel the start of the retrograde most. The retrograde ends at 6 degrees Sagittarius, so those of you Archers born November 25th - 30th may feel the end of the retrograde most.
For the rest of you, check the house(s) Mercury will be retrograding in your own natal chart, and any aspects Mercury will make during its retrograde to your natal planets, to fully understand how it will impact you personally. If you have Mercury retrograde in your natal or progressed chart, you may not feel the worst of this. Those individuals generally don't experience the difficulties of the retrograde because it feels more natural to them. Of course, chances are everyone else around them doesn't have the same aspect, so they can still experience difficulties brought on by others. If it's in your natal chart, check out this article about Mercury retrograde in the natal chart. Suggested Reading: The Mercury, Venus, & Mars Retrogrades page for interpretations Comments are closed.
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