The second Mercury Retrograde phase of 2015 begins early next week so if you haven’t already backed up your computer data and double-checked trips, meetings, important paperwork, etc. jump to it.
Mercury Retrograde has become one of the best-known astrological phenomena and most people by now know that the three weeks when Mercury’s retrograde can be a time of communication chaos and snafus.
It helps to plan in extra time to your schedule, to remain flexible and to keep your sense of humour if bureaucracy, call centres, technology and/or other people seem to be going all out to drive you mad.
Get In Flow
Yet like all astrological timings, there’s often a deeper lesson to learn and by getting in flow with what’s happening on a universal level, you make life easier for yourself. Plus, there are certain activities that are positively recommended when Mercury’s on go slow.
Before looking at examples of these, it’s helpful to know more about this specific Mercury retrograde as it is particularly powerful. Mercury turns retrograde on Tuesday 19th May at 02:50 BST and turns direct on Thursday 11th June at 23:23 BST. (n.b. the times given are for the UK, New York is 5 hours earlier and Sydney is 9 hours later). What’s super important to note about this retrograde phase is that Mercury is strong in its sign of rulership, Gemini. Mercury turns retrograde at 13º Gemini and turns direct at 4º Gemini.
Mercury in Gemini is the communicator, clever with words, witty, lively, quick. It’s a perfect planet/sign combination. This Mercury thrives on diversity and a busy social scene and craves knowledge, trivia, gossip. It’s the talk-talk planet in the chattering sign.
So what can you expect when Mercury turns retrograde in Gemini? This inevitably slows things down and if you’ve been running at top speed, firing on all cylinders, something’s got to give. This is a chance to be quieter, to turn inward and to listen to your inner guidance, your inner voice.
Noisy World
We live in a noisy world and today’s kids are constantly tuned in to technology, gossip, social media, the internet, the TV, more so than most of us adults were when we were growing up. It’s no wonder that the younger generation are reportedly more anxious and that attention-deficit syndromes are on the increase.
They are constantly being bombarded by noise and external stimulation. It’s not just the young either, many of us are guilty of having constant noise in the background. I know one friend, a Sun Gemini, who has Radio 4 permanently switched on. She lives on her own and likes to hear voices as soon as she walks through her front door.
Where in life are you suffering from too much noise? Are you drowning under an excessive amount of emails, texts, phone calls, demands on your time? Are the voices in your head growing louder? Internal chatter, an inability to quieten your mind can be just as detrimental to your health, your level of inner harmony and peace. Where can you unplug, detox from noise, seek quietness?
Make Peace With Your Past
I heard an anecdote recently about a friend who’s finding it hard to control her mind after a recent accident. She’s been advised to go for a short course of therapy to deal with the flashbacks and this will coincide with Mercury’s retrograde phase in Gemini. Using this powerful Mercury retrograde to deal with any problems from the past, especially when they’re related to the mind or communication, is perfect.
Re-words are Mercury retrograde’s nirvana. What can you go back to in your own life to review, reassess, rework, revive? This is potentially a fertile and creative Mercury retrograde when your ideas are bubbling away underground. Write them down and come back to them once Mercury turns direct to see what gems you’ve unearthed.
Mercury Square Neptune
When Mercury is retrograde, there’s usually one planet that it connects with three times and this time around it’s a square aspect to Neptune. These aspects take place on May 9th, May 29th and June 23rd. Neptune’s a boundless planet, God of the Sea, vast and expansive. This is the realm of dreams, fantasy and imagination. Yes, it’s a square so you have to lose yourself to find yourself but it’s wonderfully vivid and conjures up all kinds of magical thinking.
Make sure you have your anchor to hand before you set sail on your personal journey but know that there’s huge potential now to find inner guidance, discover new ideas and find answers to your questions. This can be an important stage of exploration that will take you down one or two diversions along the way but hey, there’s no rush.
Take Your Time
Quieten the mind, enjoy the scenery, soothe your soul. Let go of frantic frazzle, divert away from stresses & strains and streamline your life to run more smoothly. It won’t happen overnight but with the right attitude you will find your way. Take your time, switch off, turn down the noise.