Mercury Retrograde Survival Guide
(The current Mercury Retrograde in Virgo and Leo lasts from August 4th-August 28th, 2024)
It happens more times a year than some of us visit the doctors office, but that doesn’t ever seem to keep it from shaking things up any less; Mercury Retrograde. Unless you’re living under a rock, I’m sure you’ve heard someone in your life excuse all of their bad days, relationship issues, acne breakouts, or general feelings of chaos, to “mercury retrograde”, and hey- that’s not all illegitimate! Whether you believe in astrology or not, mercury retrograde is more than just a hot it-word, and i’ve personally felt the thematic upheaval of all that no longer aligns in my life, come quickly to the surface during these retrogrades.
What IS a Mercury Retrograde? The “Planetary Society” writes,
“When we say that a planet is in retrograde it means that from the perspective of Earth, a planet’s motion across the sky goes backwards night after night compared to its usual direction for a period of time. This happens when Earth overtakes a slower-moving planet in its orbit around the Sun, or is overtaken by a faster-moving planet.”
So yes- there is an actual, scientifically-proven, shift in the way the planets are moving in relation to Earth during this time, but whether you believe it to be the cause of communication and, technology issues, or simply just need a refresher on how to manage any kind of shift in your life, I’ve put together a little “survival guide” of sorts. Here are three ways to put yourself at ease, the next time you hear “omg it’s mercury retrograde AGAIN?”:
WORK WITH IT rather than AGAINST it - JOURNALING:
In anything, rather than running away from uncomfortable moments, we always have the harder but way more rewarding choice of “sitting with it” and approaching it with curiosity. Instead of shying away from something that comes up during these times, ask yourself “Why is this coming up for me today?” or “What is my body telling me today?” or “Is there something in my life that needs adjusting or shifting?”. Mercury Retrograde doesn’t always mean monumental changes or unraveling, and more often than not, it’s more-so about the little shifts we can all be making, regardless of what the planets are doing, to continuously evolve and improve ourselves, how we show up in relationships, and what we hold true or important. One tool I find helpful during Retrograde, is Journaling. Try this easy journaling prompts (preferably in the morning, but can also be done at night by adjusting some of the wording in the questions) during our current retrograde, and see how you feel after practicing it daily. Before you start, close your eyes and take three deep inhales and exhales, then allow your words to flow, without judgement. Nothing is too small or silly!:
How is my body feeling today? Am I calm, stressed, sore, or holding tension anywhere?
How might I practice showing up as my best self today?
Is there something I’ve been wanting to do, but am hesitant to try?
Is there something i’ve been burying that I need to get off my chest?
What’s one thing I can do for myself today?
What’s one thing I can do for someone else today?
What’s one thing I can allow myself to practice saying “no” to today?
2. LEARN about it with CHANI:
If you haven’t heard about Chani Nicholas yet, I highly recommend you check her out! Chani is my absolute favorite astrologer, because not only is every single reading she’s done for my specific sun, moon, and rising (the “big three” components based on your birthday, birth time, and birth location) been INCREDIBLY accurate, but she also provides extremely thorough information for all of your other planets, as well as daily and weekly readings, meditations and affirmations tailored for your sign, and weekly journaling prompts specific to whatever is happening astrologically.
I’m very picky about where I get my astrology info from, because let’s face it, there’s a lot of misleading and incorrect information out there, but Chani is by far the most accurate AND current, that I’ve come across. She also has a big focus on activism and how to use your specific strengths and weaknesses to your advantage in helping make this world a better place. You can find her on tik tok, instagram, her website, or download her app (this is where all of the in depth and personal fun is). She also makes a yearly “Astro Planner” which is a planner and calendar with all of the year’s astrology, as well as prompts for how to work with it, and lots of fun stickers and exercises! I’ve been using mine every day since January 1st, and it’s been so great!
3. When all else fails, BASK IN THE FEELS:
Sometimes, you gotta just accept that a moment is tricky, and give yourself compassion and quite frankly - a break! I think in this day in age, there’s so much pressure on “becoming your best self” or "leveling up”, but sometimes, the best thing you can do for yourself is truly to just let it all go, to not overthink it, and to allow yourself to really just feel how you’re feeling without rushing to change how you’re feeling, and risking being dishonest. These are a few playlists I love for when you just need a moment in the feels.
Good luck babes <3