- March 12th in Pisces through April 4th in Aries
- July 14th in Leo through August 8th in Leo
- November 6th in Scorpio through November 26th in Sagittarius
Though we may feel challenged by the communication & technological breakdowns inherent during this period, it also brings us an the increased sense of inner-awareness… breakdowns lead to breakthroughs! This is an opportunity to REflect on alternatives ways of connecting with the people we love, REconnect to our heart’s priorities, and/or simply take a break from the information superhighway to REst.
From Dana Gerhardt Planets in Mercury – “To increase its capacity to listen, busy Mercury must be willing to slow down from time to time. And that to me is the primary benefit of Mercury’s notorious retrograde period, the three times a year when Mercury slows and appears to be moving backward in the sky. Even people who know nothing about astrology have heard about this time. Communications falter, machines break down, contracts are suspect, and schedules go awry. Mercury-ruled activities seem to fail because, during the retrograde, Mercury loses its usual efficiency. The consummate connector disconnects, which is as healthy for the mind as dream, though tricky if you’re trying to keep a tight schedule or handle heavy machinery. If you pay attention a week or two before the retrograde, you can start to feel it when your mind begins drifting away. There’s an invitation here, to release your Mercury burdens and allow your mind to relax and unwind, like letting the air out of a balloon. Or to use Howell’s metaphor, the retrograde means your shoelaces will be untied for three weeks. If you insist on running, you just might stumble and fall.”
Enough said.
Resource: *Alice O. Howell, Jungian Symbolism in Astrology taken from Dana Gerhardt’s wonderful blog article Planets in Mercury
