Here's What To Expect -From This Month's Mercury Retrograde Visit
Someone's coming to town! 🎅 But it's not Santa Clause.. it's good ol' Mercury,the planet of communication in a nice big Retrograde sleigh. Oh and you better believe he's making a list--and checking it twice.
As should you! Mercury Retrograde is a time of miscommunication, mixups and general mayhem brought special delivery by the winged messenger himself. Yet it is also a time of great gifts, ultimate reveals and big realizations.
So what does this Mercurial messenger have in store for you this holiday season? Let's just see shall we...
What is Mercury Retrograde?
Mercury Retrograde(Mercury RX) is when the planet of Mercury, begins its backward dance across the sky. Or it appears to, anyway. The event creates disruption in communication, technology, plans, contracts, and includes delays and general frustrations.
Mercury is heralded as the planet of communication, the winged God in charge of messages. He is a known trickster, enjoying shaking things up just to watch the fallout. Yet don't worry, while this celestial swindler might have some tricks up his sleeves, he also has a bag of giftse.
Mercury Rx often brings things to the surface all that has been hidden from sight. It is also the time of second chances, of things coming back around to give us an opportunity to handle them differently.
This is where the term Mercury Ex comes from, as ex's tend to reach out to us during this time.
These may not feel exactly like Christmas morning at the moment of their delivery, but they truly are gifts.
(P.S. To see how to not only survive but THRIVE during Mercury Rx(yes, it's totally possible) check this article out! )
What Sign is Mercury Retrograding In?
This time around Mercury is retrograding in two signs, on December 13th-23rd in the sign of Capricorn and the 23rd-1st in Sagittarius.
Capricorn ♑ is the ultimate to do list maker, lesson learner,cleaner and organizer. It rules the 10th house of career , and I do mean RULES. This Retrograde is coming to help you shape up your career. Is there something you've been pushing to the back in that arena? If so, Mercury Rx is here to help you clean that closet!
Sagittarius♐ is the sign of travel, philosophy, expansion and luck. Once things get cleared up in Capricorn, Sagittarius will help point the path to putting those realizations into action. That could mean your "why's" could come into question and your true hearts desires and passions could be revealed, especially as it pertains to your livelihood and lifestyle.
While the retrograde shows up in varying houses depending on your sign, career and Capricorn tendencies will still be a heavy lens for the collective followed by travel, philosophy, passions and big Sag vibes. Here is how it will affect each sign individually.
Aries:
Aries you great lover of leading. You are being called to the career forefront during this time. Mercury Rx is collectively retrograding in Capricorn, the ruler of the 10th house and it happens to be hanging out specifically in your 10th house.
Talk about a double dose of career consiousness!
The entire paradigm of careers are shifting, Since Covid 9-5 jobs are looking very different these days and Aries is being asked to expand that concept even further.
Born entrepreneurs Aries find the path where others only see forest. During this Rx you are being called to use all your spidey senses to see what others might not be quite picking upon yet.
So what does your career path look like if all the rules were off the table? What motivates you? Why do you do what you do? Is it your true motivation or what you feel you "should" do. What is the best way to spend your energy? What does an ideal work day look like for you?
(As an Aries these questions came early for me this year as I took a trip along one of my Venus lines, check out my own tackling of these career centered existential questions here.)
Taurus:
Taurus you great lover of luxury, it's time to expand your worldview and step out of your comfort zone. With Mercury Rx in your 9th house, the sign of Sag, with a little luck, things can get busy.
You love staying in your cozy comfort zone but Sagittarius is all about expansion, which is hard to do from under your faux fur Anthropologie throw. So get ready for wanderlust to kick in and big leaps to be made!
As it is a retrograde this travel location could actually be one from your past. It could be a childhood home or a place where you got your heart broken or dreams dashed. It could prove a second chance at redemption or even love!
This will feel even stronger towards the end of the retrograde when it transitions into Sagittarius. You are also being encouraged to look at your life, loves and career from a more expansive and out of the box view.
Take a step back to take a step forward.
Gemini:
While all the signs are likely to feel the hijinks, Gemini which is ruled by the planet of Mercury, usually gets an extra hit of mayhem. This Rx starts off in your 8th house of karma, transformation and intimacy.
It's time to dig deep and discover what lies beneath. Are there tough conversations to be had? Big decisions to be made? Motivations powered by the subconscious? Why do you do what you do, is it something from your past that drives you?
For example are you a lawyer because you want to prove your parents proud or those high school kids wrong? Retaliation is not a valid career choice my friend. So take a deep dive into your motivations and see what might be pushing you down a path.
Once you burrow your path out of murky mindsets to clear headed freedom, you are ready to take on the second part of the retrograde. Love and money are often tied so it's no surprise that they might go hand in hand for you during this retrograde.
It's all about digging deep to find the nugget of gold inside of negative experiences, transforming darkness into pure light. Learning from the experiences instead of letting them drive you or hold you back. Then take all that new wisdom, and move forward in your life!
Cancer:
Love and partnership is on the forefront of this Rx for you dear Cancer, as it infiltrates your 7th house of relationships.
Mercury Rx could usher in an alignment check for you, are you taking care of yourself or are you putting others first, even to your own detriment? Do your relationships feel more like a career, in the sense they are work and take up most of your time? Then it's time for an alignment check my friend!
If so then that will come into focus as the RX enters Sag in your house of health, service and systems. If your own mental or physical health has been taking a back seat in your service to others than it's time for a little self care. Your relationships should feel balanced, safe and supportive, if you are feeling burntout, insecure, or overburdened, then something is off.
Especially with the holiday season upon us, Cancer's nurturing instincts can kick into overdrive, so be sure to take some serious self care time during the chaotic Christmas season.
Leo:
Leo the lion, your leadership skills are being put to the test--is your empire built on something strong or simply on sand? Here's where the rubber meets the road...
Our daily habits build our businesses, create our empires and encourage our health and fitness. They matter a lot more than they may seem to. Leo's especially can focus on the big achievements, the big moments in our lives, but can sometimes forget all those big moments are in thanks to millions of small, daily moments.
The Rx in your 6th house is here to remind you of that. Ensuring your healthy and daily patterns and systems are in alignment are the building blocks for those big moments of success in your life.
When the Mercury Rx switch occurs then you will have the building blocks of alignment to help you pursue your 5th house of passions, which is excellent since you are the ruler of that house! The vibe is to align so you can shine!
Virgo:
Virgo, the great lovers of a place of everything and everything in its place. Like Gemini, as Mercury rules your sign, you are likely to get a little extra zing each time it begins its retrograde.
This time around you will start off the rollercoaster around passions, love and romance and end it around home and family.
So much of our childhood tends to play itself out in our love lives. It can also show up in our thoughts around career, how its supposed to look and what are "acceptable" or "real" ways for us to make money.
Virgo's are extremely good with money but can tend to think inside the box about it. But passions can be more than just projects, they can be careers, they can be sources of income. Yes, love really can guide your life!
So this week take a look at your life, which mindsets are running it? Are they old and outdated? Could they use a tune up? If so now is the time!
Libra:
Libra your house of home and family is going to get a little extra love at the start of this RX. You love to balance the scales and keep the peace. It's one of your most loveable qualities, yet sometimes you suffer from the illusion that for you to be ok, others have to be ok, especially on the home front.
It's ok to let people have their own feelings about situations, you don't have to sacrifice yourself and your needs for peace at any price.
As the holidays approach you may be learning that in a big way. Not taking on others problems or emotions can actually help create peace in an authentic and lasting way. Whether that means not attending holiday functions, setting boundaries or tying up loose ends, you are learning to keep your own peace.
Towards the end of the month your house of communication will come to the forefront, it will give you a boost in your communciation efforts. Remember, being authentic, is being kind.
Scorpio:
Scorpio, the great lover of zingers from their stinger. When wounded, communication can be a bit tricky for a Scorpio, their tendency to sting back when provoked is strong.
That is why Mercury Rx is here with a double dose for the Scorpio's in the room. Starting off the retrograde in the 3rd house, Scorpio will be playing in the realm of communcation. Where is your communication furthering your goals and where is it holding you back? Is it creating more problems than it is solving?
As the retrograde proceeds into your 2nd house of money and value, you can see how your communication comes across in your messaging. Are you getting across the authentic values of you and your business?
Sometimes we can get caught up in creating content because we think it is what people want to hear. But if you were the intended audience, wouldn't you want to hear an authentic message? There ya go!
Authenticity is your superpower!
Sagittarius:
It's all about the movement. You've never been one to fit inside a box, and that isn't about to change. Sagittarius are often visionaries, fire starters and change makers. By following their passions with fiery pursuit they often show others what is possible for themselves. It's a gift!
So how can you use that talent to make an income? With the retrograde kicking off in your 2nd house of finance, take a look at what you value and how you can have it bring value back to you.
As the retrograde moves on into your sign it also hits your 1st house. Who are you? What motivates you? What drives you? Often we seek "our thing" to help define us. We are musicians, writers, bankers, singers, etc. Yet who we are at our core is what truly defines us, those are just the ways we express ourselves, our medium for shining our inner light.
So if you dig deep to find out who you are...the rest will naturally fall into place!
Capricorn:
Holiday shopping, to-do lists and meal prep...oh my! You are not one to sit idly by during holiday festivities, in fact you are usually the one in charge of planning and coordinating the whole thing! Yet one question I usually ask overwhelmed Capricorns is..".Who asked you to?" "What?! What do you mean?" They sputter in response. "I mean who asked you to plan the entire thing by yourself. Or even plan it all?" "Well if I didn't then who would?!" Exactly. Who indeed? If you don't ask..you will never know!
Often Capricorns fall into these roles because people assume they are good at it so they must like it. And sometimes they do. Nothing makes a Capricorn feel more fulfilled than being useful, even needed. But it doesn't have to ALL be on you.
Your precious energy could be needed elsewhere, and with the regrograde hitting you hard this holiday season, take a moment to ponder if your efforts could be better spent elsewhere.
Then things get really uncomfortable as the retrograde spins into your 12th house of intuition and dreams. You are much more of a nuts and bolts person, the hard and sometimes dirty work of manifestation, the dreaming phase you like to leave to someone else. But not this time, there's no avoiding it you swerving little seagoat you.
The spotlight is on you and your dreams. How can you do what needs to be done to make your dream life, your work life? Go get 'em!
Aquarius:
Dare to dream big Aquarius! The retrograde kicks off in your 12th house of spirituality. The blend of dreams and logic are an unbeatable combination and one you don't have to be a stranger to.
Your public persona matters a lot to you, and you would rather veer towards logic than be labeled a "dreamer" but a dreamer is what you are!
A visionary at heart, you are the deliverer of new systems, the layer of foundations that others aren't always able to see right away. That is your superpower! Using your imagination can help you figure out answers to problems logic just can't solve. So don't be afraid to dive deep into the realm of the unseen this RX, it's where the answers are!
Then when the retrograde spins into your 11th house, which you just happen to rule, you will be ready to spread the good news. You have new ideas and answers and you want everyone to know it!
Pisces:
Network, connections and holiday cheer abound in your house of networking, yet as retrograde takes a spin through it, it might feel like mistletoe mayhem. How do you communicate with your network? What are the goals you are portraying to them?
While being spiritual and dreamy is certainly part of your charm, are you also ensuring you use some Capricorn earth vibes?
Pisces can have a difficult time separating dreams from reality, the seen drom the unseen, it's a beautiful part of how they combine the two worlds. Yet they can leave them a little shady on boundaries which in friendships or family in holiday season can be a must. Are you clearly communicating boundaries?
If not, how can you begin to separate your friend groups needs from your individual ones?
You'll get an additional dose of this when you head into the house of career later in the month. Check out your communication style at work.
For example, in a business meeting while speaking about your lofiter goals for a project might be initially motivating, what's the bottom line? Business is about money too after all. So be sure to include some of the logistics and numbers when you are communicating your needs to your network, coworkers, or out into the world.
To Sum It All Up....
Mercury can cause a lot of mischief and mayhem this holiday season but with these insights you can leverage a full on gift out of that lump of coal.
The Retrograde is not meant to torture us(despite how it may feel) it's here to help us!
Like a universal stairmaster it's here to give us a heavy spiritual workout. Sure we may work up a sweat but on the other side we are an Olympic athlete!
