What does Mercury Retrograde mean?
You may well be familiar with Mercury’s retrograde cycle. It is one of the best known, least understood astrological cycles. In reality, most planets go retrograde every so often. The retrogrades of Mercury get the most attention, because they cause the most problems. It doesn’t have to be this way.
A bit of preparation, and a little different approach can make all the difference in how troublesome – or helpful – a retrograde can be. To summarize the standard warnings: be extra careful with paperwork; avoid making final plans/decisions if possible; don’t be quick to jump to conclusions; be extra careful of accidents.
The above is just a short list of reminders. If you are unfamiliar with Mercury retrogrades, or would like a deeper understanding of how to prepare for and make use of the cycle please visit the MERCURY RETROGRADE section of this website.
This retrograde will last from March 30 – April 15th. He entered the retrograde shadow zone on March 16th so the effects have been gradually building. He will leave the retrograde shadow zone on May 11th, taking with him the last lingering effects.
It’s time for a retrograde
These are tricky times. In fact, Mercury is the mythological ‘trickster’ and he plays that role happily while retrograding. One of the reasons is, like any retrograding planet, the energies are turned more internal. Because Mercury is the ruler of attention itself, and all things mental, it’s easy to see why this is so problematic – and important.
We all get caught up in the external world of deadlines, details, demands, obligations, information, communication, schedules, meetings… Sometimes we get caught up in it to the point we neglect -or even forget- everything else. And everything else is what really matters.
All those things that can’t be defined, measured, and penciled into an appointment book can fall by the wayside far too easily. The internal, emotional, spiritual, and psychological aspects of existence often get neglected, as the external consumes our attention.
When Mercury retrogrades, attention is turned inward – it’s not so easy to ignore the spirit and soul. This is actually one of the reasons Mercury retrograde gets a bad rap. When the external and mundane can’t captivate your attention, you find yourself daydreaming not working; your mind wanders; it’s hard to track details. Maybe it’s not helpful in the office. It’s a reminder there is more to life, more to you, than dates, details, and deadlines.
Mercury retrograding in Aries
This particular retrograde occurs in Aries. This is the sign of fire, vitality, life force, spontaneity – it is the Ram, charging forward into spring. There is a bit of warrior in all of us. As attention turns inward, under this fiery sign, that warrior is stirring.
To start with the warnings, this is a sign associated with accidents – especially when angry or irritated, so don’t bypass safety precautions. As Aries is ruler of machinery, prepare for some mechanical malfunctions along with the electronic ones this retrograde. Short patience and/or temper is often a side-effect of this retrograde so try to keep it cool. Don’t jump to conclusions or assumptions too quickly – this is a recipe for arguments resulting from misunderstandings.
Beyond the warnings, there is much good to say about this retrograde. That awakening warrior means a lot more than temper and impatience. When we say ‘warrior’ or ‘fighting battles’ it doesn’t have to mean literally. In fact the most important battles are fought without violence or harsh words. These are battles with yourself, facing the challenges before you, and overcoming the obstacles in your path.
Inner fire is a strong theme of this retrograde. Wherever Aries falls in your chart there is passion, energy, fire and drive. Unfortunately, the mundane demands of daily life may not do much to spark this inner fire. As Mercury retrogrades through Aries, the fire gets a little closer to the surface, the spark a little easier to find.
When you find yourself feeling all out of tune, fed up with your life in general, or sick of the monotony – consider it a sign. Retrogrades are a time of review. This one is a good time to review a few things in your life.
Pay attention to what catches your attention. What are you craving new and different, or pining for from the past? What in your life brings out pure anger and frustration? What sparks a feeling of enthusiasm?
The life we lead is rarely an accurate reflection of what we need and want. To some extent this is out of necessity. To a greater extent it is out of uncertainty. We draw freely from inner wells of energy, strength and drive. Yet when these resources are spent on things that don’t matter – deep down – we aren’t fueling the fire we are using up.
As Mercury retrogrades through Aries, he will draw attention inward, toward the fire. He will point out what is smothering it, what is consuming it, and what fuel it is calling out for. All we have to do is listen.
Expect the month of October to start with a bang – Mars will square Jupiter on the 2nd (or 3rd depending on your time zone). This should be a fairly high energy time; channel frustrations into getting things done! Be careful not to over-react and blow things out of proportion the first week of the month. When Mercury conjoins Saturn on the 6th and Venus trines Neptune on the 7th chaotic situations should settle down a bit. 
