September 2nd ~ 9th

Whereof what’s past is prologue; what to come, in yours and my discharge. ~ William Shakespeare (The Tempest, Act 2, Scene 1)

On September 9th/10th Mercury will station for its retrograde phase which lasts until October 2nd. This is often when we expect the computer to crash, communications to break down, or our commutes to be riddled with delays. However, as inconvenient as these periods can be for our everyday lives, these are also very important times for assimilating and processing all that has occurred in our lives over the recent months and weeks leading up to this time. In addition to Mercury, all of the outer planets, from Jupiter to Pluto are also retrograde. And so we are being asked to slow down and do this important work to process and examine our lives, before we make any major decisions or commitments. 

Mercury slows down for its station at 8º Libra 55’, opposite Jupiter in Aries, and trine Mars in Gemini. The opposition to Jupiter is exact this weekend on September 2nd, and again on the 18th, and October 12th after it is direct again. Therefore we enter this retrograde phase with high hopes and an optimistic outlook. Jupiter is daring us to expand our vision, and be willing to look at our lives from a full and more expansive perspective. 

Because it is in Libra, we could find that initially relationships and alliances will be under the microscope, as we go into reflection mode. But once Mercury returns to Virgo on the 23rd many will find themselves taking a deeper dive into their own psyches. The understanding that can be achieved during this retrograde phase can be both healing and insightful as a result.

In astrology, Mercury rules communication, commerce, travel, the nervous system, the senses and technology ~ so all of these areas seem to be a little out of whack for the 3-week retrograde phase. The general advice is to avoid making major decisions, or starting something new, as you are likely to have to come back later to revise and redo. It is all right to finish, review, edit, revise or renew commitments. This is a good time to gather your thoughts, and examine your life, so that you can implement plans later, after Mercury is direct again.  

Mercury is the planet associated with our rational minds and our perceptions. Its energy is focused within during the retrograde phase, so that many of the impressions we are receiving during this time will be filtered through our own subjective experiences. Communications go awry, we make assumptions, and feel unheard. 

What these retrograde phases of Mercury are good for: 

• Reunions: getting together with old friends. It is not unusual for people to pick up the phone, or look each other up. Allow yourself to reminisce, take a walk down memory lane, pull out the old photo albums, recall, remember and laugh about the old days.

• Reminiscing and Reflection: this is a time of processing and assimilating the information that we have been receiving over the previous weeks and months. This is our opportunity to make sense of this information, and arrive at a place of understanding. In this way, these periodic retrograde phases of Mercury are necessary for our own mental health, well-being and inner growth.

• Letting Go: of unresolved issues. Tie up those loose ends, practice patience, forgiveness and understanding, both for others and yourself. Forgiving does not mean that you should make excuses for other’s behaviors, so much as giving yourself permission to be able to move on.

• Mental Health days: look for positive ways to de-stress. Mercury has a connection to the nervous system, and it is not unusual for anxiety to increase during these retrograde phases. But it is an excellent time to focus on our own inner health and well-being. Meditation, introspection, therapy, mindfulness techniques are all positive modalities for this retrograde phase. Sometimes by merely looking at things from another perspective we are able to reset ourselves and our minds.

• Tying up loose ends: finish those projects that have been lounging on the back burner. Clear out the clutter in your environment and in your own mind. Mercury trine Mars will bring us the energy and motivation to do so in this first week of the retrograde phase. Use it in a positive way. As you clear up those papers, and piles of things, there is no telling what is going to come to the surface in the process.

• Personal and creative insights: this is when our minds and our brains go into reflective mode. In order to get the most benefit from this period, allow some silence, and down time. This will allow you to connect, and gain understanding through introspection and reflection. This may be difficult to do at first. There will be distractions and busyness with these Mercury transits to Mars and Jupiter. But finding these moments for solitude and inner reflection can work wonders for the mind, and bring helpful and much appreciated insights.

For Mercury retrograde for your sign, or by house, see this week’s horoscopes:

HOROSCOPES