On January 11, Mercury went retrograde, and will stay that way until February 1st (just in time for Imbolc). For many, this kicks off a panic. Emails lost in cyberland, flights delayed or canceled, lost luggage, and gross misunderstandings. The words just don’t seem to come out right. Everything that Mercury controls – communication, messages, travel – will seem to just stop working properly. Have no fear! First of all, this happen three or four times a year, and we always seem to make it through. Things can seem to go a little wonky during Mercury retrograde, but the world isn’t going to stop spinning, and the Sun will still rise in the east tomorrow morning. I promise. In fact, there is a positive side to Mercury retrograde.

How do you turn this normally negative event into a positive one? It might be a bad time to start new projects or take a trip, but it’s perfect for reflection and catching up. Tie up loose ends and clear space for new things that will begin once the planet goes direct again. Before you, and Mercury, move forward again, take some time to make sure you’re ready for the journey forward. Think of it as a “time-out.” Look to the past to see what you may have missed. Do you have any dreams or hopes that got lost in the shuffle of life? Bring those to light again and contemplate pursuing them in the future. Peruse your old journals, and reflect upon where you’ve come from.

So just what is “Mercury retrograde”? Three or four times a year the planet Mercury appears to move backwards. Instead of moving from the east to the west through the course of a night, it looks like its moving from west to east instead. This happens as Earth passes by it in our orbit around the Sun. Planets move at different speeds, and when we pass Mercury, compared to the stars in the background, this little planet seems to move backwards through the sky. Image you’re running through a park, and there’s someone else running ahead of you. You both seem to be moving in the same direction, right? Now picture yourself passing that person. To a third observer, the person you passed will appear to be moving in the opposite direction as you, compared to the trees and playground in the background. That’s what happens to Mercury.

When we pass a planet, we’re essentially creating an alignment. Earth, Sun, and the other planet line up with each other. This happens with every planet at regular intervals. How frequently it happens depends on the size and speed of the planets’ orbits. The energies of each retrograde correspond to the sign the planet is in during its retrograde period. This Mercury retrograde began with Mercury in Aquarius, but will move into Capricorn on January 21st. Curious about what that means, and how it will affect you? You’ll have to stay tuned – a future post will address just this. I also plan to include a reflection spell to help you make the most of it!