Mercury retrograde. Two words we never want to hear. If you know, you know — but if you don’t, about three times a year, we collectively experience a chaotic few weeks known as Mercury retrograde periods. You’ve probably heard of them, or at least experienced some of their headache-inducing effects. It isn’t super fun.
Mercury is the planet that rules communication, and when it retrogrades (which means it temporarily appears to move backward in the sky), it can cause miscommunications, technology issues, anxiety, travel problems, and other dramas — so, you know, all the really fun things.
Every Mercury retrograde manifests a little bit differently depending on what zodiac sign it falls into, making some periods a little less intense than others — but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t take precautions. There are things you should and shouldn’t do during Mercury retrograde to ensure you remain as cosmically “safe” and drama-free as possible.
Mercury Retrograde Survival Tips
- Take a closer look at your finances
- Try to avoid making big purchases or big decisions during this time
- Try to avoid travel (hahahaha, excuse me while I catch my breath)
- Let go of old grudges
- Get in touch with people from the past (sometimes this just happens). Be aware of exes resurfacing.
- Take lots of deep breaths and try not to take things too seriously.
- If you can avoid it, don’t sign any contracts or start new projects
- Give yourself more time to get anywhere or do anything — expect delays and they will be less annoying
- Don’t speak without thinking things through completely — communication can suffer during this time
- Listen to your gut — this is an intuitive time
For your reference, the 2021 dates for Mercury retrograde are:
- January 30 to February 21
- May 29 to June 22
- September 27 to October 23
Good luck, everyone!