The fast moving planet of Mercury is at it again; Mercury retrograde goes for another 3 weeks beginning on August 23 until September 15!

Learn why Mercury retrograde affects us and what you can do during this time to nurture your inner peace and nourish your self.

We are currently under the influence of Pluto, Saturn, Neptune, Uranus, and Venus retrograde - that’s a lot of retrogrades at one time! We do experience several retrogrades every year, with quite a few overlapping with others, but adding a Mercury retrograde to all of these is going to shake up energy in a big way!

The Sun enters into the mutable earth sign of Virgo the same day that Mercury takes its indirect transit through the same sign. Mercury also happens to rule the sign of Virgo, so the alignment will no doubt demonstrate meticulous mental order, detail analysis, and deep inner wisdom.

With Mercury being the closest planet to the Sun, its transits are rapid compared to other planets. It takes just about three months to orbit the Sun, while it takes Pluto, the furthest planet in our solar system 248 years to make the same journey.

Not all retrogrades are considered equal either, but Mercury’s retrograde has become probably the most widely known for its challenging influence over communication, boundaries, contracts, travel, messages, and technology.

 Why does Mercury Retrograde Affect Us? 

When inner planets, such as Mercury, Mars, and Venus go retrograde, they tend to have a stronger influence over the day-to-day, while the remaining outer planets are more influential towards major life events and global issues.

Mercury also has the shortest retrograde period of three weeks, but has the most frequent retrogrades, tallying 3-4 each year.

All retrogrades have one thing in common - the re-evaluation of particular patterns in your life that are governed by that planet. With Mercury, it’s going to be all about memory, communication, travel, interpretations, timing, agreements, and electronics.

The sign of Virgo is ruled by Mercury, expressing strong traits of being conscientious, detail-oriented, meticulous, analytical, wise, and resourceful.

These areas will be under examination over the next few weeks as this retrograde moves through the sign of Virgo.

What to do during Mercury Retrograde?

Be aware that this is a great time to self reflect, rest, and reassess your thoughts. Observe your style of communication, how you interpret what others say, how ideas flow, how well you listen, and stay organized.

This is a great time to journal and meditate. These resources will be a great support to process thoughts, emotions, and to stay grounded.

It doesn’t mean that you cannot start any new projects, a new job, purchase a new house, or car, but it absolutely does mean to stay patient and read the fine print before you sign anything.

Be prepared for unforeseen delays, hiccups, and bumps in the road. 

It’s a great time to learn how to better manage expectations. Expectations lead to suffering, a traditional Buddhist principle that I have been fortunate enough to be reminded of many times in my life. When you expect nothing, you cannot be disappointed. A concept that is definitely not as easy as it sounds, but a practice to adopt and often remind yourself of to maintain the joy of presence and stillness.

When you understand your mind, you can control the workings and direction of the thoughts that manifest. Especially because your thoughts create the beliefs that shape your entire life! The thoughts and feelings that circulate your existence speak through you in vibration. That’s the vibration that speaks to the Universe, and the same vibration that the Universe reflects back to you.

Try to recognize the difference between the voice of your higher self and guides, versus the voice of the ever distracting ego. Practice often to be in the flow, and breathe deeply & intentionally to maintain balance.

This is an incredible time to continue or take up practices that nurture inner peace and nourish your mind with kind thoughts, generous compliments, and gratitude.

Top Crystals for Mercury Retrograde

1. Blue Calcite helps to filter negative energy and ease stress so you can improve communication in your relationships and is known as the stone of emotional intelligence.

2. Flame stone also known as Yooperlite is the stone of truth and helps you over come fears to find your truth.
3. Dumortierite is known as the stone of order and helps to understand your mind and control your actions to overcome self sabotaging behavior.
4. Bloodstone is the stone of courage and helps to encourage strength, courage and vitality. Some go as far as to call this stone the "Spiritual Warrior."
5. Aquamarine is the stone of purification and peace and helps to purify the body and bring closure to unresolved situations.
6. Lapis Lazuli is the stone of wisdom and encourages a deeper connection to your mind and channels a higher consciousness.

Best Herbs to Use for Mercury Retrograde

1. Thyme Steep in your bath to promote courage or burn dried thyme after an argument to regain balance in your home.
2. Peppermint The scent of peppermint helps to decrease brain fog or tension to increase clarity.
3. Lemon Adding Lemon to your water or tea can help you embrace the essence of Mercury with its ability to promote positivity. 
4. Vervain Also known as Verbana can be added to your altar or burned over charcoal to promote love, peace, and protection during Mercury Retrograde.
5. Cornflower Is great to use to dress your ritual candle to help remove psychic blockages to connect to inner wisdom.
6. Orange peel Carry dried orange peels around with you to improve vitality and confidence.
7. Mullein Place into a small bag to hang over doors or windows to ward off negative energy or place under your pillow at night to stop nightmares.

 Affirmations for Mercury Retrograde

“I trust my higher self to guide my words with clarity and kindness.”