Mercury was the messenger of the gods.  The planet Mercury rules those born under the signs of Gemini and Virgo and has influence on all of our day-to-day expression and communication.  It also affects technology and travel. Depending on the influence of these signs in your personal astrological chart, the depth of Mercury's influence on your life can vary.*  Even if Mercury isn't heavily present in your chart, interaction with others during the retrograde phase may still present confusion and chaos in communication. 

What is Mercury retrograde?
A few times per year Mercury slows down in its orbit around the Sun, creating an illusion of backward movement. Imagine being in the “way back” of a station wagon, watching another car on the highway. If the car is going slower, it’ll appear to be going backwards, when actually it’s going forward. The retrograde of a planet is this kind of optical illusion.
*from astrology.about.com

My general rules of thumb when Mercury takes its retrograde course are:
1- maintain a sense of humor, for self and others
2- confirm, re-confirm and re-re-confirm appointments, details and information
3- print a back-up map in case cell service isn't working, cuz at some point, it won't
4- remember to forgive, self and others, when these rules are forgotten and you've just finished a raving rant about a completely misunderstood conversation

Now that Mercury has gone direct, what have you learned?  What can you/did you release?  And, if too many disappointments or misunderstandings occurred, how will you fix them?  Mercury's energy helps to break things down, take them apart and then put them back together in more meaningful, effective terms.

Mercury is an opportunistic planet, unemotional and curious.  So, many of the breakdowns that occurred are for your learning, understanding and clarification, yet they are not personal.  This means that recovery is as easy as you make it.  The nice aspect of impersonal energy is that it doesn't have a memory or hold grudges or retain an adversarial posture. 

This is good news if you had a falling out with a co-worker, sent a misinterpreted email or forgot to follow-up on an appointment during the retrograde period.  And, if any of these were directed at you, revisit the situation with a clear head and you might just see the intended perspective or a new point of view.  (You are also not inclined to hold grudges and openly find opportunities for reconciliation and moving forward.)

Retrograde periods always provide a cosmic "second opinion" on the diagnosis of a planet's area of influence.  With Mercury, the focus is about communication, technology, personal expression and travel.

In reviewing the past three weeks, look at where the lessons showed up.  If they aren't popping out at you, remember when you got "shot down" in a conversation, or where you might have shot someone else down.  What was the subject and what did you do about it?  If there are missing pieces or a broken connection, go fix it.  Or, maybe you were making great progress on a project, only to get derailed with a little drama.  Go back to the project and pick up where you left off.  New insights will abound.  Maybe relationship or contract negotiations stalled.  Get back to the table and you will see a higher level of responsiveness and cooperation.  Just remember to take with you the tools that you learned out of the breakdown - listen better, pay clearer attention, extend patience and compassion, go at it from a different perspective. 

Now that Mercury has resumed forward movement, get back to work.  And remember to use the gems you discovered/re-discovered during the retrograde period. 

Mercury can be a blessed and divine teacher when we pay attention to the gifts of its influence.

I wish you brilliance and clarity in your communications and connections ~


*If you're looking for a good Astrologer to give you more details about your personal chart, let me know.  I can recommend a good one.

Got another question and here's another answer ~ I like these writing prompts!


Q: I was wondering if it was better to obtain a reading on a full moon or new moon?

A: I do not experience a difference in being able to read based on the moon phases. I have worked with my intuition for long enough and have established an open channel of communication that doesn't seem to shift based on external influences.  If anything, the opportunity to sit with a client balances the forces of nature around me, brings me back to my core and aligns me more clearly in the energy of pure light.  This is an instantaneous shift for me, once I set my focus on the energy of another, my sense of self shifts and I become only the messenger, without a personal agenda about the information brought forth. 

I do notice a natural willingness in clients to open up about certain subjects or allowing release when the moon is in different places.  Often this is in relationship to the client's personal astrology and reactivity to the moon's influence and not necessarily the position of the moon we all see in the sky. 

If a client is ready for a reading, they've  chosen to open and give permission to peak at the soul of their being.  It is at these times I am most able to serve the focus of one's experience. 

Since we brought up the moon, here's a little insight on how to interact with the lunar energy that influences every being on the planet.
The full moon is about release, destruction, giving up and moving away from things that no longer serve us.  This energy likes noise, beating drums, fire and the intention to move forward through elimination and completion.
The new moon is about creation, attracting new/changes and ease in shifting course.
This energy prefers a more meditative environment, ambient music, and creative focus and concentration.  This is a good time for vision boards, journaling out intentions and beginning new projects or endeavors.  

Both phases are helpful in personal evolution and awakening.  Infusing just a little moon ritual into the day can bring big changes.  Give it a try the next time the moon is full in the sky or when it is invisible to the eye.  We all have a little of that moon magic inside.