Your guide to Mercury retrograde from December 3 to 22

Mercury in retrograde
December 3-22, 2017 in Sagittarius

What is Mercury in retrograde? Does Mercury really move backwards?

Mercury, the planet that rules intellect and communication, travels very close to the Sun. In fact, its orbit is much shorter than Earth’s. It takes Mercury 88 days to orbit the Sun as compared to Earth’s 365 days. Mercury appears to be passing Earth and then seemingly goes backward while Earth catches up and passes it again.

Take the example of two cars: If you imagine yourself in a car and it went past you, obviously it would appear to be going faster. If it slowed down and you passed it, it would appear as if it were going backward. Such is the illusion of Mercury in retrograde occurring 3 times a year for around 2 to 3 weeks. This dance between the Sun, Mercury, and Earth creates a rhythm that many find difficult to move to.

Mercury’s shadow period

In the 2- to 3-week period prior to Mercury in retrograde, problems with communication and transportation will already be experienced. But Mercury is more powerful at the onset (December 3) and the finish date (December 22) of its retrograde.

During this time, there are more instances of acting out, accidents, planes being delayed, losing your phone, having your laptop crash, and all that jazz involving communications. However, there is no need to heed advice such as, “Don’t buy a house,” “Don’t sign a contract,” or “Don’t start a new relationship” during these times of seeming pandemonium. Why? Because while Mercury retrograde feels crazy at times, it can also serve as potent medicine for the neglected ailment if approached with a spirit of creativity and lightheartedness.

Here are 5 ways to stay on top of Mercury retrograde from December 3 to 22.

1. Go slow and feel your answer.

For the next 3 weeks, don’t stop living your life but slow down and take it easy. Be extra mindful of the things you initiate. You really can’t make a mistake if you’re going slow. Expect your intuition to grow stronger as well. Feel your answer instead of overthinking an answer to a situation. If we work with what we have, instead of against it, things would move along faster, wouldn’t it? Take this time to meditate, check in, and reconnect with your body, then dance to the beat of that insight.

2. Learn to get comfortable with all your emotions.

Yes, emphasis on all of your emotions. By learning to get comfortable with all your emotions, not needing to fix and deny them, you strengthen your relationship with yourself which is the relationship you should be focusing on this retrograde season. If you’re finding it hard to cry, take a trip to the beach or watch Pixar’s Coco, to let yourself release and feel. What support do you need to help yourself feel safe and emotionally full?

3. Keep your eyes on the stars, and your feet on the ground.

We all need to thank Scorpion Theodore Roosevelt for this nugget of wisdom. Staying on top of Mercury retrograde requires you to embody the sign it’s in – in this case, Sagittarius. You are encouraged to apply completely new, visionary, innovative solutions to the problems that come up. Think big and broad scale. Stand up for what you believe in and honor your truth while at the same time keeping your feet firmly planted on the ground.

4. Detect and fix glitches.

Mercury retrograde is a time to look inward and do the work we all dread doing: addressing our blind spots. When you tune in to your observer and listen more deeply, you can detect the glitches in your thinking and communicating. You can then work on breaking those patterns of behaviors that are holding you back. As for the external glitches, it wouldn’t hurt to back up your files, photocopy important documents, and to always clarify whatever you think a person has told you in times of doubt. Be careful of the negative stories you tell yourself and the times you get fixated on things. How can you take responsibility for your reactions?

5. Look backwards to go forward. #TBT

Mercury retrograde calls us to do everything with a re – reassess, review, readdress, redo, redesign. While you’ll want to reevaluate your current situation, you may also want to do a throwback session to your childhood. Plan a reunion with your high school and college friends, look at pictures, get closure from an ex, write a letter to someone from your past, reconnect with your relatives, say you’re sorry. You’ll be surprised by the healing that may ensue.

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Mercury retrograde is not something to be feared or to prevent us from moving forward.

When we honor Mercury and use this retrograde to revisit, reassess, and resituate, it helps us not only make better decisions but also catch our breath after the crazy events of 2017. This final Mercury retrograde can help tidy up our lives before diving into the new chapters of 2018. When you pay close attention, you’ll realize it’s all just an illusion anyway, so we might as well have some fun with it!

Your guide for Mercury retrograde in 2018:
March 22-April 15 in Aries
July 25-August 18 in Leo
November 16-December 6 in Sagittarius

– Rappler.com

Monica Lopez Gamboa, also known as Monch the Mystic, completed Debra Silverman’s Online Astrology Program in April 2016 and has been giving readings since. Her dream is that one day the entire country (and the world!) will be able to speak the language of the stars, not as taboo, but as an avenue for self-awareness and self-actualization. Book a reading with Monch on her website.