Mercury is going into retrograde, but what exactly does this mean? Mercury goes into retrograde three or four times every year, making it one of the most frequent celestial events we have to look forward to. Keep in mind that I’m using the term “look forward to” loosely.
Really, retrograde transits aren’t all that bad; they offer us a time where it is completely acceptable to stop and take time to think things through, change our minds and carefully consider every angle of a problem. In a world where things are so rushed day in and day out, this isn’t a bad thing at all.
This particular Mercury retrograde transit will be staying in Taurus from April 28 to May 22. Of course, there is always a shadow period of about two weeks before and after any retrograde transit (of any planet) where things kind of wind up and die down.
Typical retrograde issues and how to get around them
Generally speaking, when we’re in the midst of a retrograde Mercury transit, you can expect things to go awry. Astrologically speaking, Mercury is the ruler of communication and transportation. It’s what determines how we think, how we take in and process information, how we speak and how we converse with others.
In mythology, Mercury was known as the messenger as well as the trickster. He was kind of all over the place, to be honest. A little chaotic and crazy is how things can feel under a Mercury retrograde transit, depending on where the retrograde hits you the hardest.
Wherever you have Mercury in your chart will be affected the most. You can pretty easily determine where all of your planets are by generating a simple birth chart.
When Mercury is in a retrograde period, the planet appears to have slowed down to the point of moving backwards. FYI—No planet actually moves backwards; it just looks that way.
This causes the aspects of life that are governed by whatever planet is stationed retrograde to become slower, more confusing and totally off kilter. We tend to feel the impact of Mercury retrograde transits so intensely due to the fact that Mercurial energy is so ubiquitous in our day-to-day lives.
Things you want to avoid at all costs include making any major purchases (such as a car, house or even a new smart phone), signing any contracts, getting into new relationships, moving or any other major life decision.
The reason being that things started or done under the retrograde transit will very likely have to be re-done at some point in the future.
So what should you do under a retrograde Mercury transit?
Well, planning and lists are a great place to start. Use this time to really think about things in your life that you aren’t completely satisfied with. ‘Re’ is in the very name, making this the best time to rethink, redesign, reorganize, re-…you get the picture.
Being that Mercury rules over message giving and receiving, it’ll be important that you make sure messages you send actually reach their desired destination. Better check the sent folder in your email and follow up with people you leave word with just to be safe.
Mercury in Taurus: Finding common ground
With this retrograde transit happening all in Taurus, there will be a lot of Taurean-themed issues. Others may come off as being more stubborn than usual, and romantic relationships will definitely be feeling the stress of Merc the Jerk.
Taurus rules over the second house of the zodiac and is ruled by Venus, leaving personal finances and your sense of stability open to attack.
Also, your sense of value and how we perceive things will feel the weirdness of this energy. Self-doubt can creep up under this transit, so be aware of that and don’t be too down on yourself. Remember: make lists now, make decisions later.
Situations or events to look out for include broken phones, cars breaking down and misunderstandings with anyone you talk to, and this particular retrograde may even mess with your finances.
It could become extra difficult to find common ground with other people, especially with Mars in Scorpio, also in retrograde, opposing Taurus during all of this.
Things will get more complicated before they get better, and working together will be stressful, but you can get through it with a little extra diplomacy and the right attitude.
So how will the retrograde Mercury affect you, specifically?
My sister, who is a Leo, once broke her new phone walking up a flight of stairs. It was a porch, so it was actually just two steps. Anything can happen, so be prepared to fix, repair or just handle whatever situations come up.
Earth signs—Taurus, Virgo and Capricorn—will feel the impact the most. To find out exactly where you will feel the retrograde energy the most, check out next week’s horoscopes for each sign!
By the way, if you’re interested in seducing a Taurus man, I recommend you follow Anna Kovach’s advice in her new book Taurus Man Secrets.
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