Messy Mercury Retrograde in Sweet Sag
November 9-18
🥷My friends, let us remember: we do not fear the astrology. We work with the astrology, we prepare for the astrology, and we take care of who and what we need to.
🤡That being said, Mercury just left Scorpio where it was doing deep work and moved into Sagittarius where...it struggles. You feel it already, don’t you? Not only is Mercury in detriment in sweet Sag (meaning it’s its worst placement), but it will also retrograde here. Yay! Adventures ahead: time to get flexible and pull out your toolkit.
⏸️This messy Mercury retrograde may feel a little more disruptive than usual, thanks to this particular transit (see the Mercury in Sagittarius scroll for details.) So in addition to the usual (see “What to do now” below), let’s take a note from say, Mars in retrograde or eclipse season advice. Do the following as extreme sport: Rest. Hydrate. Ground. Touch grass. Move your body. Avoid overscheduling. Avoid overheating. Avoid rash action. Sleep on major decisions. Rinse. Repeat.
⏳WHAT TO DO NOW: Complete unfinished projects. Back up electronic devices and drives. Plan for delays. Arrive early. Make Plans B, C, and D. Carry a spare tire or bike pump. Use the checklist. Listen to your gut. Double check. Most importantly: Triple edit. Read the fine print—if you have to sign a major contract, have someone reliable also read it, read it multiple times, and don’t skip a single word. Refer to refund and exchange policies. Avoid major commitments or investments when possible. Use these hiccups as they happen to streamline and refine your processes for day-to-day life and the year through.
Come November 18, Mercury will still be retrograde, but it won’t be as bad because it will be back in Scorpio. Then Mercury stations direct on November 29. Don't forget: it takes about 10 days for the post-shadow period to pass, during which the effects of any kerfuffles shake out.
💡KEEP IN MIND: Retrogrades are for integration. They encourage us to review what's not working, where patterns and habits are outdated, and give us the opportunity to update our systems. Mercury's energy facilitates the flow of information: communication, transportation, commerce, and to an extent, technology. The SNAFUs serve as teachable moments. Those that occur during retrograde are generally inconveniences and will not ruin your life (unless you sign that contract without reading the fine print a few times over or submit that proposal without having it proofread). But flat tires, delayed flights, miscommunications, lost keys, miscalculations…are all generally opportunities for us to tweak. The planet slow downs, we learn to slow down.