As you start learning about astrology beyond your Sun sign, one of the things you learn about early with predictive astrology is Mercury retrograde. This astrological transit occurs 3-4 times every year for about 3 weeks at a time, and creates all kinds of problems! Mercury is the planet of the mind, and rules communication as well as technology. That means when Mercury is retrograde, these things are thrown off, and that can impact pretty much everything. A planet is called retrograde when it appears to move backward from our view here on Earth; it isn't actually moving backward, and just looks that way. The normal motion is forward, so the energy of the planet gets wonky. The Sun and Moon are the only planets that don't retrograde. This tends to be most obvious with the retrograde of Mercury, Venus, and Mars, because they are personal planets, and we feel them in a very personal way. They also don't retrograde as much as the other planets, so retrograde motion is reeeally uncomfortable for them. Mercury retrograde tends to impact the areas of your life ruled by the house it occurs in for you. Those areas of life can experience setbacks and delays, reversals, and extra challenges that seemingly pop up out of nowhere. It's usually a time when we need to slow down or pause, reflect, and take stock. But, if you have Mercury retrograde in your natal chart, you may actually thrive during Mercury retrograde! This is because the energy is natural to you, so you're zooming while we're flopping. (unless your natal Mercury retrograde is really strong - then it may feel like it's ALWAYS Mercury retrograde for you!) Surviving Mercury Retrograde in the Houses:Mercury Retrograde in the 1st House
This is the house of the self, so when Mercury retrogrades in your 1st house, you can feel like anything and everything goes wrong. It may be a little Murphy's Law - if it can go wrong, it does go wrong! You may lack patience, focus, and every little thing can get under your skin as you have all sorts of things to manage.
How to survive: You need to be really patient with yourself! Try not to put a lot on your plate. Make room for the little unexpected problems that come out of the blue so you're not as stressed when they do arrive. Try to be more flexible and go with the flow. Spend time doing revising and redoing, editing and reflecting. This energy is best focused on a second chance, so if there's something you want another shot at, see how you can make that happen. Mercury Retrograde in the 2nd House
This is the house of money, so Mercury retrograde in your 2nd house most often impacts you financially. Little unexpected expenses can pop up, and you have to scramble. You may have a hard time with budgeting and keeping track of where it's all going. You may also feel stuck in some ways, which can frustrate you, and you may be more stubborn than usual.
How to survive: It's important that you take time to press pause. Reconnect with the moment, with the present, and with the physical world around you. You don't need to be in a rush. If you feel stuck, try to see what it is that you might be missing. This can help get you unstuck. Grounding yourself can also be incredibly helpful. As for money, try to avoid big purchases, if you can help it; if you can't, review it many times so you can be confident you understand the transaction exactly. And get the warranty (you'll likely need it!). Mercury Retrograde in the 3rd House
This is the house of the mind, so Mercury retrograde in the 3rd house can throw off your mental focus and hinder communication in a big way. This is one of the houses that Mercury rules, so you can expect to have the typical Mercury retrograde problems amplified. Misunderstandings can be everywhere, and you can feel scattered but also anxious.
How to survive: Your mind likely needs an outlet, so try to have a healthy outlet to channel your mental energy into. This can help you focus when you need to and not be so scattered. There's always a way out with the mind, so treat your mind well. Communication issues may have more to do with wires being crossed or not enough listening happening, so try to make sure you're being clear and listening. You can't expect others to understand you if you don't make a reciprocal effort. Mercury Retrograde in the 4th House
This is the house of home and family, so Mercury retrograde in the 4th house can bring unexpected issues at home (things like outlets sparking and pipes bursting), or with family. This house rules emotions, so much of what happens can impact you emotionally, and you can be more sensitive. Old issues that impacted you emotionally can pop back up, and you may feel like you hit bottom in some way.
How to survive: With this house connecting to emotion, it's important to give yourself emotional comfort and support. This may not be a good time to try anything too new or too different, or to push yourself outside of your comfort zone. Comfort and support is what you need, so do what feels comfortable and spend time with the people who support you in a healthy way. Tackle some of the emotional issues that do pop up, and if anything is really triggering you emotionally, you may need to get honest with yourself about why that is, and look internally. This can be a great time to reconnect with family, go back to somewhere you lived before, or to start something from the ground up. Mercury Retrograde in the 5th House
This house rules love, so Mercury retrograde in your 5th house can bring about issues with your loved ones. You may have misunderstandings or arguments, and they may annoy you more than usual. You may not have as much time for who or what you love, and can feel disconnected to your heart. You may want to avoid work to play, but responsibilities get left behind.
How to survive: Balance needs to be struck between the work and chores and tasks that have to be done, and the fun that you want to have. You need to make time to enjoy yourself and be with those you love, and connect to your heart, but you also need to make sure what has to be done gets done. Both are important. In general, you can feel pretty good during this period, so try to keep that up, and reconnect with what you love. Mercury Retrograde in the 6th House
This house rules work, daily life, and health, so Mercury retrograde in the 6th house can create problems for you at work, bring out issues with your work, or misunderstandings with people you work with or for. If you don't like what you do, you can really hate it. There may be lots of little things in daily life that come up and need your attention, and you may be so busy that you're super stressed. There can be little health issues that pop up, adding to stress.
How to survive: If you hate what you do, you may want to try to do something else. If a new job isn't an option, then you'll need to make sure you're doing something on a daily basis outside of work that you do love, so you can manage what you don't a little better. Leave room for the unexpected in your schedule, and try to maintain some structure and order as best as you can when the little things pop up. Maintain your health as best as you can as well, and it's a good time for routine maintenance. And have a healthy outlet for stress you can do quickly so you don't get stuck in the stress. Mercury Retrograde in the 7th House
This is the house of relationships and others, so Mercury retrograde in the 7th house can create all sorts of issues with the people in your life. You may have more misunderstandings and fights, and any existing issues you have with others can get magnified. You may be more indecisive than usual, and feel out of balance or surrounded by chaotic people.
How to survive: Patience is required when dealing with others, but also try to have some boundaries so you're not just dealing with one drama person after the next. Get some time away to restore peace and quiet. Try to find some balance with your focuses, and the peace coupled with balance can help with making you more decisive. Look at your relationships and partnerships, and see what can be improved. This can cut down on problems. Some issues may not be improved though, so you may need to make hard decisions there. Mercury Retrograde in the 8th House
The 8th house is where we hold our deepest darkest selves, so Mercury retrograde in the 8th house can stir that up. You may have to deal with things that you've been running from, there may be inner demons that resurface, and your emotions can be extreme, swing around, and you can get obsessed, fearful, or enraged easily.
How to survive: It's best to face what you're running from, and seeing it in the cold light of day. Reality can help you see what you haven't before and find solutions so you can be rid of it once and for all. A transformation might need to be embarked on, and this can be deep and profound, but ultimately positive and lasting. If something gets to you emotionally, this may be trying to show where you should focus. Passions can run high, so try to find ways to use that energy productively instead of blowing up. Bring some light into your life so you don't get lost in the dark. Mercury Retrograde in the 9th House
This house rules beliefs, so Mercury retrograde in the 9th house can bring some issues with your beliefs. You may hold to them too tightly, and this can make you preachy and closed-minded; or you may question them entirely, and this can feel very personal to you. You may think a little too big or not big enough, and you may be too optimistic or not enough.
How to survive: Maintain an open mind. You're not more of a believer if you're pushy about it, so don't be. If you're questioning your beliefs, there may be a good reason why, so think about whether or not the beliefs you've had really line up with who you are now. Stay open to opportunities, especially for second chances, and try to look at the bright side in a realistic way. This can also be good energy for learning, teaching, writing, or speaking. Mercury Retrograde in the 10th House
This house rules your goals and direction, so Mercury retrograde in the 10th house can get you off track. You can experience setbacks and delays when it comes to pursuing your goals, and you may question the direction you're going in. You may get attention you don't want, and can get kicked down from a high place (sometimes literally, so stay off ladders!).
How to survive: Leave room in your plans for your goals for the unexpected to pop up. Remain flexible, and if a better way is presented to you, look at it logically and rationally. If you're experiencing setbacks or delays, this may be because you're not doing things right in some way and need to change that, or you aren't really as invested as you think and may need a whole other goal. This can be good energy for picking back up old goals or reconnecting with old bosses or mentors. Mercury Retrograde in the 11th House
This house rules your dreams for the future, so Mercury retrograde in the 11th house can make you question those dreams. You may lose hope that it's possible, and can be pessimistic about the future. You may want change that isn't possible yet, or experience changes you don't want. This house also rules friends and groups, so there can be misunderstandings with friends or groups you belong to, and you can be more uncomfortable with groups or the masses.
How to survive: Try to be realistic about your insecurities around your hopes and dreams for the future. The insecurities may be linked to something else, so work on that. Try not to make big decisions about your hopes and dreams until after the retrograde ends. Be flexible with changes that are out of your control, and patient with the ones that are. Reconnect with old friends or groups, and do something good for the world. Existing issues in friendships may be amplified, and you can work on improving or letting go. Mercury Retrograde in the 12th House
This is the house of the hidden, the subconscious, the past, and endings, so Mercury retrograde in the 12th house can drain energy in a big way, and you may constantly feel exhausted mentally, emotionally, physically, and spiritually. Subconscious issues, motivations, and desires can become more of a problem, and the past can come back to bite you.
How to survive: Make plenty of room for breaks, rest, and naps, as much as you can. Everything can be draining on you, so you need to rest. Try to have healthy boundaries with others so you're not being drained even more. Tend to your soul needs, and get some quiet time. If you become aware of subconscious issues, work on them. Try not to run from them, or they'll come back again and again. With this being the last house and ruling endings, this can be an important period for clearing out, releasing, moving on, and ending something important. Suggested Reading: The Survival Series: Surviving Transit Pluto, Neptune, Uranus, Saturn and Full Moons in the Houses, and Hard Pluto to the Personal Planets and Hard Saturn to the Personal Planets Comments are closed.
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