Yes, It's Totally Possible!
Mercury Retrograde(Mercury RX) is a time of learned lessons and second chances.
While they may not always present in the most smooth or(ahem) subtle of ways, the fact that we get to re-do some of our past mistakes, is truly a win!
Yes, even if it doesn't always feel that way...
It's not often in life we get a do-over, but every Mercury RX- we usually do! We regress through some of our most engrained patterns in an attempt to clear them out once and for all!
So surfs up, because although it's a wild ride, you can learn to ride the astrological waves like a pro.
What Is Mercury Retrograde(Mercury Rx)?
Mercury Rx is when the planet of Mercury appears to be moving backward in the sky/its orbit/rotation. Mercury is the planet ruler of the signs of Gemini and Virgo and it is all about communication. Which is where a lot of the chaos of this time generally lies.
Misunderstandings, misreadings of situations, and miscommunication via portals like e-mails, the internet, and other technology could abound. Also, all these forms of communication could experience some serious hiccups right now- spotty internet connections, passwords not working, Zoom meetings getting rescheduled, etc. Yes, the wing-footed messenger of Mercury can certainly be a trickster and just loves to play games and create chaos in the human world. So fun right?
But as with all games, there are rules and lessons to be learned along the way. So if you discover the rules, and learn how to play the game, you can actually have a little fun during the Retrograde season. Remember, it's all for our highest growth so try not to take it all so seriously. I tend to think of the Retrograde like a scene from Shakespeare's Midsummer Night's Dream. I picture Mercury as "Puck" and we as the actors in the play, as he sits back wreaking lighthearted chaos laughing "Lord, What Fools These Mortals Be" as we take it all so seriously. So let's see how to lighten it up and navigate this game as if it were but a dream...
1. Learn The Rules of the Game
Once you learn the reason behind the season of Mercury Rx, it's really not so scary.
Mercury Rx isn't here to make our lives hard(even if it feels that way) it is to help us see where we have learned the lessons and where we might need to improve a little. We don't always get things right the very first time around, so Mercury RX is here to give us second chances.
When it comes to our old outdated patterns we are actually being given an opportunity to utilize different behaviors and decisions to create a different outcome.
What a gift!
Sometimes these rerunning lessons can present in the form of a returning ex, a fake apology from a not-sorry friend, a low-level job offer, a bait to fight with a coworker, whatever it is, can you make a different choice this time around?
If you are being presented with the opportunity to try again remember this...
'Anything Done Twice is Done Better the Second Time.'
Keep this in mind with everything from ex-interference to computer crashes. On more than one occasion I have had to rewrite entire articles during Mercury Rx due to some unforeseen and unexpected computer glitch. But you know what? Every time I had to rewrite one, it was SO much better the second time around.
So if you find yourself in the throes of a rewrite, be it in your life, partnerships, work, or anything in between just remember this: This is your opportunity to make it better, to make the ending of the new story, one where you are the hero, you overcome the challenge, and you defeat that old patterning for good!
2. Prepare
The best way to ace a test is to prepare! For example, how did you pass your high school or college tests? You would study for days, sharpen your favorite Number 2 pencils, get plenty of sleep the night before, and maybe even prepare a cheat sheet to help you study, right?
That's exactly the method you can apply here! Well, maybe not the pencil part-- but everything else! Not only are you going to make sure you are getting rest and practicing your highest forms of self-care (good food, lots of sage, etc.) but you are also going to create a "Cheat Sheet." I make these with my clients all the time and they are SO effective.
So knowing what you now know about Mercury Rx,(Or Mercury EX) as it is sometimes referred to because of all the ex pop-ups-- let's create a cheat sheet. If Mercury is about second chances, especially around communication, what are some things that might pop up for you?
Creating Your Cheat Sheet...
What are some patterns you see in your love life? Or things you would change if you could...
If given a do-over in a relationship, or situation, what would that look like?
What was the first relationship or situation that popped into your head on the "do-over" question? (If it's two or three that's fine too!)
What are 3 things you could do, say, or think differently that would have created a more positive outcome in them, back then? How can you implement those now?
If the situation presented itself again, today, what would you do differently? What are the 3 action steps, mindset shifts, or actual words you would use?
Example: Maybe it's not responding and blocking their number, maybe it's never getting involved with them in the first place, maybe it's apologizing for a mistake you made, holding better boundaries, being calmer during disagreements, recognizing gaslighting when you see it, staying out of their relationship with their family.
It could be all sorts of things!
**Yes, not getting involved with someone or a situation at all is a perfectly valid one.
In fact, it is the one that has been coming up most recently for me. One of our greatest gifts is Discernment. Walking away from things that aren't a good fit for us and walking toward the things that are. So seeing a relationship, situation, or experience just isn't for you, and choosing something more aligned, is a huge lesson, especially in the realm of relationships.
So maybe it is yours too! If so, the retrograde will let you know!
3. Take it One Step(Or Pattern) At a Time
Did you ever take SAT prep classes in school? Or something similar? If so, you can use some of those same tips and tricks for this type of astrological test.
The main thing you learn for test taking is to take it one question at a time. Tests, especially of the Mercury Rx kind, can feel overwhelming. If a lot of tests, patterns,(or exes) happen to be popping up one right after the other or even at the same time, it can be overwhelming. Just remember, take it one step, or pattern, at a time.
Use a journal and keep notes of what is popping up for you--this allows you to really see the patterns as they are forming. It can help you see what the situations remind you of.
Even if what is popping up is in a new relationship, does it remind you of something that happened in an old one? Why? How are they energetically similar? What can you do differently in this one, to create a more positive outcome?
Also, remember this can be a chaotic time for everyone. So if other people are a little short with you, miscommunications are abounding and the technology is tweaking out--just take it one hiccup at a time. One breath, and step at a time.
P.S. Don't forget to amp up your self-care! Sage regularly, take long, luxurious baths, listen to calming music, meditate, eat well, and get lots of sleep. Implement the same pre-test practices you did in school and watch your wisdom shine! I see an A+ in your future!
4. (Bonus Tip)- Laugh
Again, remember to try to not take it all so seriously. Mercury is a trickster and sometimes he just wants your attention. If something is happening like you've misplaced the keys you literally just had in your hand, give him some love. Say out loud "Hey Mercury, I see you, now give me back my keys please." Chances are you will find them right away. It's all a game, it's all for our higher learning and when you see it as such, it can actually be kind of fun!
You can even begin to look forward to acing it, think of playing a game you are really good at or acing a test you studied super hard for you. You get kind of excited to show off your skills.
With these simple tips, you too can become a spiritual master and play Mercury at his own game!
At the end of the day think of Puck-
"If We Spirits Have Offended Remember This And All Is Mended, That You Have But Slumbered Here, While These Visions Did Appear."
To Sum It Up...
Remember, anything repeated is done better the second time around!
Computer crash killed your article? Get ready to write a masterpiece! Boundary bouncing ex popping up? Have them watch a pro on boundaries in action! New relationship presenting the same problem as the old one?
Watch the master at work as you navigate this problem like a champ!
