Mercury Retro-Upgrade

By Alexis Smith

This week, on September 9th, our beloved planet of technology, intellect and communication stations retrograde. That's right folks - Mercury Retrograde is once again upon us.

But is it really all that pop culture hypes it up to be?

My beloved teacher, Isis Indriya, once referred to Mercury Retrograde as "Mercury Retro-Upgrade," and this completely shifted my perspective on what this cosmological dance really means.

Pop culture says that Mercury Retrograde is all about communication breakdowns, technology failing, and your ex trying to get back with you...and while these are all symptoms of a retrograde, they don't reveal the entire picture. To really understand what is going on we have to ask the question "why?"

So let's talk about this month's retrograde.

On September 9th, Mercury stations retrograde in the sign of Libra, where it will appear to move backward in our sky back into the sign of Virgo (September 23rd) until it stations direct again on October 2nd.

This apparent backward movement is what creates the effects that we feel here on Earth - as it is above, so it is below. Old issues that we never fully dealt with re-emerge, and the electromagnetic fields that govern our modern technology go haywire. It's kind of like time travel if you really think about it.

There are a few key things we can expect, but in order to fully understand how this retrograde will affect you personally you have to take a look at where Mercury, Libra and Virgo all sit in your birth chart. I'm offering free 15 minute Mercury Retrograde Astro-Consults this week to help you prepare for the upcoming 3 week journey. Sign up here to get the best out of your retrograde cycle.

MERCURY RETROGRADE IN LIBRA

Libra is the sign of the zodiac that rules over partnerships + artistic creation. When Mercury turns retrograde in this sign, it can cause old arguments that were never fully settled to bubble to the surface within our significant relationships - especially in romantic + business relationships. Pay attention from September 9-22 when communication seems to get a little uncomfortable in these areas. Again, this is an opportunity to heal these dynamics. How can you show up in your relationships to tend to the actual healing of the friction? Reflect on this question. And remember, now is not the time to make major relationship changes. If you're feeling like your partner is being a little more overbearing or frustrating than usual, try to stick it out until the end of the retrograde period and reflect on those moments that push your buttons (however, I absolutely do not stand for taking abuse from a partner in any way - if you are in an abusive situation, please do not wait until the end of Mercury Retrograde to dump their ass). Burning Cedar and working with Rose + Rose Quartz can be a really helpful way to soften your heart-space (and your partner's) during this time.

MERCURY RETROGRADE ENTERS VIRGO

On September 23rd, Mercury glides back into the anaytical sign of Virgo. Usually, Mercury would feel pretty comfortable here, however in the case of a retrograde that energy hits a little differently. From September 23-October 2, pay attention to the moments where you are feeling overly critical of yourself. What does your inner dialogue sound like? How can you shift that? The communication planet turns inward as it shifts into Virgo and highlights the places in our self-communication that need healing. Where are you being to hard on yourself? Where are you lying to yourself? What is your inner voice telling you that just frankly isn't true? This half of the upcoming retrograde cycle can feel extremely anxiety + depression driven. Try working with herbs that tend to your nervous system like Rose, Lemon Balm, and Holy Basil to help you balance out that inner dialogue that is holding you back.

All-in-all, Mercury Retrograde doesn't have to be a scary time to stay on edge. Just remember to practice awareness, tend to your needs and the needs of your partnerships, and slow down. After all, as we discussed above, Mercury Retrograde is really time travel - an opportunity to reach back in time and heal the things that we avoided in the past. Go easy on yourself and enjoy the ride.