Revised to reflect 2021 dates

At times, the other planets “seem” to be traveling backward through the zodiac, but this is not what’s really happening. It’s actually an illusion called retrograde motion.

When Mercury is in retrograde it can cause our plans to go wonky. But this is an excellent time to reflect on the past. Intuition is usually high during this period and “coincidences” can be extraordinary. “Coincidence” is just a word that is commonly used; there’s really no such thing as a coincidence. Everything happens for a reason, whether good or bad, believe it or not!

As the planet of travel and communications, Mercury affects all forms of communication and travel – planes, trains, and automobiles as well as virtual and live conversations. Things tend to break during a Mercury retrograde. Travel plans can be delayed and adversely affected in some manner.

ADVICE

During a Mercury retrograde, keep the following tips in mind:

• Remain flexible
• Allow extra time for travel
• Avoid signing contracts if possible (You can review projects and plans during these times, but try to avoid signing anything and wait until Mercury is direct again to make any final decisions)

If you embrace the positive part of Mercury retrograde, you can learn to work with the energy instead of against it.

What’s Mercury retrograde good for?

If you know when Mercury goes retrograde, which is about every three months, you can work with rather than against its energy. Remember that there is a “re” in retrograde, which means that retrograde weeks are good for re-doing all kinds of things.

Here are a few ideas for activities that help you harness the energy of Mercury in retrograde for your benefit.

DO:

• Reorganize
• Research
• Reapply for a job
• Redo hair color
• Rewrite your resume
• Review your bank account
• Renew a loan
• Repair your car
• Revisit past clients

In 2021, Mercury will be in apparent retrograde motion during the following ranges of dates:

• January 30 – February 21
• May 29 – June 22
• September 27 – October 23

Be aware that there is also a pre-shadow and post shadow to Mercury retrograde, meaning that you will start to feel the effects of the retrograde days before as well as after.