Several times a year, messenger planet Mercury starts to slow down in the sky, creating annoyances amongst us earthlings, as communication and travel starts to go haywire. Yes, it’s that time of year again! Drama, arguments, and chaos abound: welcome to Mercury Retrograde.
Hours before Mercury starts its journey backwards, Venus — the planet of love and money who had been retrograde since the beginning of May to June shifts out of its rearward rotation, moving forward. This may cause complications in matters of the heart and finances. ATM’s may malfunction, checks may unexpectedly bounce, and we may implode on our significant others for not giving us enough attention.
This Mercury retrograde glides from the signs Gemini to Taurus. Moving from air to earth can make us feel emotionally overwhelmed. With such intensity, we all may experience temper tantrums as we feel rushed to express ourselves or out of breath trying to keep up with the pace we kept in Gemini. Remember, this is your cosmic time to revisit and revise the past and to heal, to transform your world if you want to take it.
While Mercury retrograde officially starts on May 10, the story begins on April 25, during the pre-retrograde phase, which is when the planet starts to move more slowly around the sun than earth. On June 18, the post-retrograde phase will end, clearing up all the Mercurial mishaps. The planetary moonwalk brings some confusing information our way as secrets are revealed and exposed. Stay calm, because a few days later the missing links to who, what, when, and why are resolved.
May 19 brings clarity to the chaos, as Mercury retrograde and Jupiter align, creating a both sweet and rational time to discuss partnerships, contracts, and travel. The caveat is that May 25 brings Mercury retrograde and Pluto together, revealing a ton of drama as past secrets and clandestine matters may come pouring out from nowhere! You may accidentally receive a text or email which was not meant for you or hear information from a third party that will rock your world. Try to use your higher mind to understand and get the truth, before reacting today, we all may argue back defensively, spreading the Mercurial chaos. As Mercury backspins into Taurus on May 22, expect some more Mercurial tricks to flare up in your world. These may be the best days out of the retrograde, as intense energy fills our hearts and words with passionate declarations. Don’t expect to get out of this vibe when Mercury turns direct on June 3, as the post-retrograde period, which is often marked with even more miscommunications. Be sure to triple check your finances: make sure you’re paid in full from work, items purchased are returnable, triple check your travel itinerary, and look forward to re-exploring old relationships. Just be on the lookout for bumping into old flames or friends, which may cause a little bit of mutual jealousy.
This Mercury Retrograde will make you feel like a fish out of water, but try to keep your cool as information filters in and use the quiet in between storms to understand your emotions more deeply. You will survive and come out transformed with a whole new perspective!
How mercury retrograde will affect each Sun sign
Aries
Although you love receiving all the best in life, it doesn’t mean that you like the limelight. Taking a public stance on a social matter and just cause will create buzz around you. But, you can and will shine through brightly as long as you courageously stand by your beliefs. Don’t back down. The more you believe in yourself, the easier it will be to know where you are headed and going in all areas of life. Only you have the power to make this happen, Aries. Use it wisely.
Taurus
By not paying attention to minor details and skipping out on the obscure facts of matters, you are actually creating bigger issues for yourself. Focus on the minutiae of situations and conversations in order to gain clarity on matters. Then, you will be able to make exact, educated, and analytical assessments in determining your next actions without it becoming messy. The more you lean into your emotions and thoughts, the easier it will be for you to make the necessary choices throughout this planetary retrograde.
Gemini
You like to have a set schedule— even though you are a free spirit. The caveat is that life has other plans for you. Meaning, you may not be able to stick to your daily regimen. Don’t freak out! Just learn to go with the flow and handle every situation day by day. If you feel as though you need help in maintaining your appointments and obligations, then you may consider buying a desk calendar or setting up an app on your phone that reminds you of the errands and tasks that need to be taken care of.
Cancer
Your finances are a little out of whack, which means that you may have to ask a friend or family member for a small temporary loan. Before you accept their money, be sure that the terms of the loan are very clear to avoid arguments with them down the road. As long as you are clear that it may take you a while to repay them, then it is a good option for you to ask them for additional funding. If you feel uncomfortable, then you can always try to sell items that you create on the Internet for extra cash.
Leo
Your friends are leaning too much on you and not reciprocating your needs. You are beginning to feel like you are giving too much to them at the moment and ask them for a little more attention than they are currently giving to you. Relationships are meant to be on equal footing, if yours aren’t then it’s time to make changes. Be honest with your feelings. Talk it out with all the people you love to ensure that there are no hard feelings and that you can find peace within.
Virgo
It’s time to take control of projects that have been left on the sidelines and back burner for quite some time. This retrograde will give you some time to repurpose ideas and make them better. You can flush out a few outdated notions and projects that you’ve been working on, but haven’t had the motivation or inspiration to complete. This will help you live more efficiently in the upcoming months and give you the chance to complete tasks on your to-do list.
Libra
You can be an emotional hoarder at times. After all, it’s important for you to be the life of the party and popular amongst your peer group. But, now it’s time to tie up the loose ends in your life and evolve past relationships that aren’t allowing you to showcase the best version of yourself. Let go of people who don’t need to be in your life anymore. Get closure from others, if you need to. More importantly, temporarily move on if you can’t commit to them at the moment.
Scorpio
Take a step back and reassess your values. By rethinking your ideology, you’ll be able to make transformative changes in your personal life — some of which will rock your world for the better. Don’t be afraid to evolve with the times. Move forward, not backwards to avoid inner turmoil. Throughout the process of the four retrogrades, you will be able to connect with the truest and realest parts of yourself — but only if you allow yourself to heal the wounds within.
Sagittarius
Self-reflection can lead you towards comprehending the past, present, and future. Don’t be scared to get deep and real with matters and feelings that you haven’t allowed yourself to explore in years. Doing the hard work that is necessary to heal will allow you to reach emotional highs, rather than lows. Plus, you’ll be able to squash a lot of pain that you have pushed down within yourself. By the end of this transit, your heart should feel energetically lighter and open to new possibilities.
Capricorn
Taking your power back starts with having control over finances (at least that’s what it means for you, as an earth sign who relishes in monetary success). Once you are in the driving seat of your bank account and formulate a budget that works for your lifestyle, you’ll be able to save a few pennies for a rainy day and create a sense of security for yourself. Being financially independent is freeing, as well as being able to treat yourself when you please from savings.
Aquarius
You are constantly giving your time, energy, and resources to others. Now, being cosmically tasked during this planetary retrograde to take back some of your power and put it all into yourself. Take 90% of the tender love and care that you give out to others and sprinkle it on your life to heighten your vibe and frequency. The moment you do this, you’ll feel cosmically able and willing to raise your confidence. It’ll give you the chance to see the light at the end of the tunnel.
Pisces
You have a few secrets that you absolutely don’t want to come out right now. Keeping your clandestine activities undercover will prove challenging, as one of the skeletons in your closet may accidentally come out. However, you can control the collateral damage it causes by admiring fault and moving on. The more you keep your indiscretions close to your heart, the lesser the odds are of them coming out. This will allow you to relax your anxiety and calm your sentiments instead of being fearful of the catastrophic results.
-Lisa Stardust
photo: //unsplash.com/@wyron?utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&;utm_content=creditCopyText”>Wyron A on Unsplash
