Most everyone has heard the phrase Mercury Retrograde, but it’s important to know how to navigate life when it does that, which many do not. “Understanding is not a prerequisite for a happening” as Lavandar always says, which means that just because someone doesn’t have knowledge or understanding about something doesn’t preclude energy doing what it will do.
We are all vibrational beings, emitting our own particular blend of frequencies. The planets also have their own frequency emanating nonstop. This creates a mix, which can be in harmony with our lives or not.
From our vantage point on Earth, the planet Mercury appears to go backwards three times a year for approximately three weeks, as it circles the Sun. It’s just an optical perception from our standpoint on Earth, because it’s not really going backwards.
Mercury’s domain is in communication, information, details, teaching, learning, researching, electricity and technology. So, when its energies go retrograde, those are the areas that are most affected. An important thing to remember is that if you were born with Mercury Retrograde on your birth chart, you are one of the few people who do not experience issues in those areas, and the following areas of concern wouldn’t apply to you, because you were born with alignment to that energy. It’s the rest of the time that you’d have to take more care that you’re being clearly understood, or that you haven’t overlooked something.
Another thing to consider is the sign in which it goes retrograde. Some are more pronounced than others, as Mercury’s personality is filtered through the different signs. This year, all the Mercury retrogrades will be in water signs, with this first one in Pisces, which can be tricky, because Pisces is already a little absent minded. So don’t beat yourself up if you ‘step in it’, just try to laugh it off, because one thing Mercury is always good at is humor.
Areas that commonly need more of your attention during these times, assuming that Mercury was direct (not retrograde) on your birth chart are:
*Misunderstandings – you say one thing, the other person hears something else.
*Delays wherever communications are involved, like the mail being late or lost.
*Mechanical breakdowns – Computers, cars, electronic devices. For example, computer glitches are a huge by-product of this.
*Signing contracts – Avoid, if you can, until the energies straighten out. If you must, then go through it with a fine tooth comb to be triple sure that everything is understood.
*Buying anything electrical – The chance for getting a ‘lemon’ is heightened.
*Brain fog – It’s not uncommon for people to have more trouble focusing on details and getting clarity.
There are two ‘shadow’ periods for Mercury each time, when it seems to be slowing down before it does go retrograde, and they last for about three weeks prior to retrograde motion, and about two, sometimes three, weeks after. It’s kind of like a road sign telling you ‘Caution: Curves’.
An important thing to mention here is that many people who may have been born with Mercury Retrograde, usually have it go direct in their progressed chart at some point, and also vice versa. This can have an equalizing effect, with the best of both worlds. The Progressed chart is the natural evolution of your Natal chart, and the Progressed chart is always in motion, while the Natal is fixed.
The keywords to remember about possible issues with Mercury Retrograde are: rethink, reevaluate, redo, rewrite, rebuild, repair, re-work, and lots of other ‘re-‘ issues.
On the more constructive side, Mercury Retrograde is a time to finish up things that were already started, take a break, turn your focus to more spiritual things, think about what you want to do when it goes direct, or put your focus on more heart centered activities, rather than mental.
In 2026, Mercury will be retrograde from Feb. 25 to March 20, June 29 to July 23, October 24 to November 13.
