I know, I know, it seems like we have just escaped the wrath of "Mercury Retrograde", but here it is to bite us again. As I've talked about many times before - this period of time DOES have an influence over how EVERYONE (regardless of sun sign/ascendant sign) behaves, and interacts both with those around them, and "normal" aspects of daily life, so it is an important thing to take note of when it occurs, and yes, it is occuring now - September 24th-October 15th, Mercury is Retrograde in the sign of Libra.
As I've written before. The general rules of Mercury Retrograde apply to every one although each period is different a bit depending on what sign the retrograde actually occurs in. (I.E - a retrograde in Virgo is going to be different than a retrograde occuring in Taurus)
First off, we'll cover the bases on the "general" information again.
- Mercury Retrograde occurs 3 times a year. It is a period of time where Mercury "appears" to be moving backwards in the sky (although it is not truly moving backwards). Consequently, during this period of time, it seems that everything in OUR lives is running "backwards", from our thoughts, our emotions, to past events/people resurfacing out of nowhere! In general most people seem to feel as though "little" if ANYTHING is in their power of control or influence, and like things have a mind of their own.
It *can* be a very crazy period of time! The past is very much the present, and our thought process can seem vastly different than normal.
-This Retrograde period is starting on September 24th (although effects associated with this particular retrograde started brewing on September 3rd), and Mercury will turn direct again on October 15th (although the influence will still be felt to a lesser extent until October 31st).
* Things to Expect During Mercury Retrograde *
- Plans, Meetings, Trips and other things that normally flow fine, may experience difficulties. You may experience problems in travel, and problems in communication.
- Electronic Devices may not work properly, may break, or may malfunction.
- Communication with Family/Friends/Coworkers and others important to you may seem strained. Others may be in tense moods, and you may find yourself desiring more solitude.
- Nostalgic thoughts - This is one of the things about Mercury Retrograde that may be upsetting. Thoughts of people or things from your past, regrets and good memories alike will seemingly come out of nowhere. Think long and hard before you undertake any actions as a result of these thoughts and figure out if you are really doing the RIGHT or BEST thing for your life and not just acting on a "whim" because there is a very real possibility that after Retrograde you may wonder "Why did I do that?"
- Past situations resurfacing - This is most common to situations that started in, or occured in a previous Retrograde period but as a general rule, things that were unfinished may come back to light. This IS a good time to resolve past issues. If you have previously started a project, and you feel the urge to reevaluate it, this is probably the perfect time.
- People from the past - This is also common. Because of those pesky nostalgic thoughts and memories coming to light, you may find that people you have shared things with in the past, seem to turn up everywhere, getting in touch with you, or running into them. Again - It may seem the easy thing to let these people back in your life, but do think long and hard before you make a decision to let someone back into your life that has been missing from it for awhile, revisit the reason that they were out of your life in the first place! This is not to say to be a snob, but just make sure that you are doing the right thing for you and your life. Some people do come back for a reason, but some of them will be out the door as soon as Mercury goes direct again.
- Expect the UNEXPECTED! Yes.. I know what you're thinking "Come on Andrea, how can I expect something that I don't know is coming?" Simply do this - stay on your toes, because Mercury Retrograde is not predictable in the slightest, and it could throw you a curve ball if you aren't paying attention to your surroundings. Those who are more aware of the influences and how it is affecting them are going to fare considerably better, armed with the knowledge, than those who aren't going to pay attention, and will find themselves in the middle of a crowded road, in the rain, soaked, screaming at the top of their lungs onto their broken cell phone... ;)
*Mercury Retrograde Do's*
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DO think about your placement in life, how you feel about your current circumstances (Job, Relationship, Friendships Etc). Take the time to think about what things mean to you and how the "cards fall" in your life. Are you happy in your current situation? If not, think of ways to change it. Mercury Retrograde is an excellent times for coming up with plans, just not a good time to put them into action just yet (wait until after June 19th to do that).
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DO allow yourself to think about your past. If something is coming up again, it is likely that you have not resolved it, or that you have not dealt with it fully. Really consider why you are feeling or thinking the things that you are.
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DO take a breather - This is a time to refresh, renew, and revise. Fix things that need to be mended, revise old ideas, figure out if what you are doing in your life is effective and satisfying enough for you.
*Mercury Retrograde Don't's*
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DON'T buy any new significant purchases (I.E - Home, Car, Electronic Equipment etc). Things like this that are bought during Mercury Retrograde generally encounter major problems.
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DON'T sign important contracts or paperwork - If possible, to avoid problems, it is best to wait until retrograde is over to sign binding contracts or paperwork.
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DON'T push yourself to get to the future, Mercury Retrograde is a time of the past. It is OKAY to think about the past, don't push yourself or tell yourself that you "cannot". This is a time of understanding and breakthroughs.
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DON'T get frustrated (yeah easier said than done I know...) but try to take things with a grain of salt as much as possible.
Realizing that things will be a bit hectic is the best defense than you can have.
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Now to narrow it down more specifically considering that Mercury is Retrograde this time in the sign of Libra, heres a run down of what you should expect additionally to the normal "occurences":
- Firstly, those with Libra sunsigns or ascendants are more prone to feeling the "burn" so to speak - also those in the signs of Aries, Capricorn, and Cancer will experience this retrograde more profoundly than those in other less affected signs.
-Mercury Retrograde in Libra seems to "disturb" the mental flow, essentially "shaking things up to even them out later". But the "shaking up" part of the phase is the one that can become very confusing. You may find yourself less "in charge" than usual and feeling very small compared to the big picture. Many people will search for their place, and consider whether or not what they are currently doing in their life is satisfying them anymore. Decisions are of course, best made after the retrograde period, but this will infuse the thought behind doing so. So expect things that have been buried (passions, thoughts, emotions) to be unearthed during this period of time, not to be buried again. This is certainly not a bad thing, but the "transition" in between is the difficult part. Expect to be confused about alot of things (some of which you may not have thought about in a long time), but expect that doorways will open all around for you to "figure these things out".
- Jealousy is all around - over your relationships, over financial concerns. You may find yourself feeling alot of jealousy or things that aren't in your character. Try to keep it in perspective, as it may be harmful later, so try to think before acting as all things pertaining to jealousy and possessiveness will come into focus during this period of time if allowed in.
- There is likely to be a problem in establishing a "gray area" in alot of aspects of life right now. It will either seem black or white, so middle ground is going to be hard to accomplish, but it is always important to keep trying.
- Communications are especially prone to be confusing in money matters, and partnerships.
- Like the "Scales of balance" that Libra shows... these shake ups are almost always related to a higher good that is down the line, so there is alot more intensity regarding "fated events' or things that seem fated. So be prepared for surprises. If you're not on the path you're supposed to be on, be prepared (and even expect) to be shoved onto it by the universe.
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Tidbits on how Mercury Retrograde will most profoundly affect you by sign:
Aquarius - You may find financial difficulties around you that are not expected, make sure that you take note of everything that you do on a financial level. It is *not* the time to make large purchases or sign into commitments on a financial level as these will most likely backfire on you later. Travel is also something that is likely to have issues, so plan ahead and have a back-up plan just in case!
Pisces - Watch what you say when it comes to those in your family/your significant other as problems in communication are very likely to occur. Make sure to clarify what you mean when saying something of importance. Exercise more caution in speaking with those around you about financial situations as mishaps are more likely to occur now.
Aries - Be careful in negotiations as you may easily end up with the "raw end of the deal" if you are not careful. Old issues with relationships may come up (good or bad), be prepared and be sure to tell the TRUTH, as telling a little "fib" might be a little more disastrous than usual. AVOID making long term decisions on a whim, think about them after the retrograde to make sure this is really what you want to do.
Taurus - Issues at work could arise now, also issues with your health should be taken care of. Don't cut corners as it will affect you shortly after. With work you will want to exercise caution in how you project yourself and what you say, you also may feel pulled to another career path. Thats great, but make sure you wait until after the Retrograde to actually put that into motion as you could change your mind!
Gemini - Since you are ruled by Mercury, all retrogrades effect you equally as strong as it would the sign its going retrograde in. Therefore, all warnings of retrograde are applicable to you, although specifically - you may want to make sure that arguments with your significant other, or children are not blown out of proportion as these things could last a whole lot longer than this period of influence and be hard to resolve later. The romance life looks bumpy, but truths that were previously untold may make their way into the light, try to be open minded. (As hard as that is during a Retrograde).
Cancer - The past will certainly be tugging at you, and there may be some issues that you *need* to look at and get beyond and this is the time to do so. You may find your "gut instinct" isn't up to par so look to things of the logical even though its a tendency for you to lean towards your intution. The simple fact is, during this period, your intuition may be biased. Make sure to attend to details in your life, the little things become big things if you're not careful.
Leo - Take special care with your finances as mishaps are prone to occur. Extra attention should be paid to communication as you may not be making the point that you *think* that you're making, be very clear and go over it twice! Old issues or people may resurface. Think carefully about what you want to do, because this can be either positive or negative. Transportation issues may arise (Car, Plane, Bus etc), so have back up plans if possible.
Virgo - You may feel misunderstood and as though people aren't paying attention to you. Watch your work environment as there may be something shifting on a financial level (either for the good or bad) but there seems to be quite a few strings attached so make sure you read the fine print! Take this time to get your finances in order so something doesn't surprise you later.
Libra - Communications lost in the past may be dredging up particularly for you, as you may find those out of contact, suddenly in contact, and things taking on a bit of a "whirlwind" type feeling. You should be very watchful of how you present yourself as others may think that you are withdrawn, or even snobby at this period of time even though you will not understand why. There may be issues relating to others around you, these will clear up after the retrograde period.
Scorpio - You will want to make sure that you do not involve yourself in any joint financial ventures with friends during this time as this is likely to cause sour feelings later on. You may feel your intuition is more clouded than usual, continue to trust your instincts, your lack of confidence is due to the cycle. Watch out on meeting new people and sharing personal details too soon as it could cause issues later if they're not trustworthy.
Sagittarius - Be careful what you say to friends - they will remember it for a long time (positive or negative) so do think before you speak. You may feel that those close to you are being more distant than usual, try not to read too much into this behavior or it could become confrontational. Old acquaintances/friends/lovers will most likely reappear during this period.
Capricorn - Avoid making deals or signing contracts, in work or otherwise, as these look to be edged with problems. There may be more delays in life in general - in travel, and in other things important to you (events etc). Try to go with the flow. There may be issues with authority figures, make sure that you are clear on what you are wanting and not cloudy as it is likely to be misinterpreted if not stated clearly.
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I personally do feel as though this Retrograde is significant for many regardless of sign, as I feel it holds an intensity in "destiny" and really ending up where you *need* to be.
I do believe that there is a high probability with this period of time that those distant from your life that are meant to be in it - will return. That those things that are unfinished in your life that you've been meaning to finish - will pop up, and that alot of people will have thoughts about what they REALLY need to be doing, which will initially cause confusion and then breakthroughs in all areas of life.
I do feel that the next few weeks of time are going to be upsetting in some ways, maybe even painful, but I do think that it will mark a time of "sorting things out" and ending with balance in alot of things that have been left undone/unsaid/unthought.
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Basically, as with any Retrograde - let us absorb the good, and let go of the bad. Take it as an opportunity to think about your life, your emotions, the people around you, and what is best for you and your happiness.
Libra does represent "balance", so take into consideration that those things shaken up around us, are only temporary, as we are all part of a higher path.
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Heres hoping you all have a wonderful Retrograde period!
Love and Blessings
~Andrea
(all content is written by Andrea DeLynn aka XPsychicVisionsX. All reproduction by permission from author ONLY!!) (c)2008)