Make Mercury Retrograde Magic
July 17-August 11
Watch that inside lane! Mercury is overtaking Earth in its orbit ‘round the sun, creating the optical illusion that the little Messenger is rotating backwards. It's not, but we'll feel this retrograde phenomenon no less.
No. Need. To. Panic! Mercury Rx is a delightful opportunity to review and refine—if you allow it. Because there are ways to prep for Mercury Rx (after all, it happens thrice per year) befriending Mercury Rx can take you beyond minor inconveniences and even serve up a handful of discoveries.
Mercury, the messenger planet, is associated with communication 📣, transportation🚌, technology, 🔌, expression🎭, and mental processes🧠. That’s where the SNAFUs happen (not your entire life). It also affects whatever house it's in in your personal chart, as well as your personal Virgo and Gemini. In Leo, Mercury affects how we show up, how we harness our inner authority, how we use our voices, and how we create. How do you self-express? Is there a narrative to revisit? So many aspects to examine between now and mid-August.
The big one for Leo season: your inner authority. With the sun here, and the new moon happening in the same sign, the question is: are you inhabiting your self-leadership?
Reflection: Am I harnessing my own inner authority? Am I using my voice, and showing up in a way that comes from my soul, aligns with my purpose and reflects my true Self? Am I operating from my personal truth—authentically and honestly and passionately? How am I sharing my gifts🎁? (There’s another scroll for this)
Clarity comes on with the Sun-Mercury conjunction on July 31. A cazimi day is like the sun coming out right after a refreshing rain. Mercury begins a new cycle. This is the day the downloads come in, cues about the lessons we're learning this transit. If you’re intent on launching something that can’t wait until retrograde is over August 11, this is the one day to do it. (after you've edited it a gazillion times and had it proofread a trillion times, that is.) Mercury is still, after all, Retrograde.
What else is affecting this Mercury Rx? Uranus just moved into Gemini (ruled by Mercury) and Mars in Virgo (also ruled by Mercury.) Uranus, the ice giant we associate with electronics, technology, and revolution, amps up the qualities of a Mercury Rx, especially while it's in a Mercury-ruled sign. Our challenges and obstacles (truly minor inconveniences comparatively) are more pronounced.
What to do now:
Mercury Rx is a fantastic time to: write, create, revise a project (but not launch it yet), proofread, revise.
Reflect on how you communicate, particularly regarding your self-expression. Are you saying what you need, or what you think others want to hear?
Streamline your processes. How many tabs do you have open again? When's the last time you shut your laptop? Cleaned your phone?
Tweak your website (after a backup). Map out your online presence. Draft social posts for your big launch. Edit your novel.
Revise your resume, brainstorm video resumes and how to present your career river creatively.
To review how to prepare for a Mercury Rx, see the Retrogrades scroll.