by Paige Curtin 

What Does Retrograde Mean?

Retrograde (sometimes stylized as RX) refers to a period of time when a planet travels between Earth and the Sun. The celestial bodies move around in big rings up there, and our perspective down here determines where and when we see them in the sky. When a planet reaches the Sun side of its ring, we see it in the morning instead of at night, and it appears to be moving "backwards". It hasn't really reversed its direction, it just looks like it, since one half of the path is always behind us. 

What Does Mercury Do?

Mercury (the planet) is named for the Roman messenger god of the same name, because it moves so quickly around the sky compared to other celestial bodies. Mercury retrogrades about 3 times a year for a few weeks at a time, and this frequency means it tends to get blamed for basically anything that goes wrong, like, ever. Whoever owns the "is Mercury in retrograde" website domain really ascended the Mercurial altar with that money move!

Trickster Hermes was one of the few beings allowed to travel between the realms of the immortals, mortals, and even the ghostly Underworld as a psychopomp. Hermes liked pulling pranks on anyone who got in the way, but that swift-footed mail carrier also played a crucial role in the development of, well, society. Millennia of this mythology has built the ethos that the planet Mercury has cosmic rulership over the god Mercury’s earthly responsibilities: commerce, communication, and (during retrograde, supposedly) chaos. 

Why Worry About Mercury Retrograde? (Spoiler: Don't!)

That last bit sounds scary, right? And it’s probably what you hear about Mercury Retrograde most often: technological malfunctions and slips of the tongue abound, ex-lovers slide into your DMs... Some folks warn against entering into contracts, starting new jobs, or making other big life changes during Mercury retrograde.

I imagine Olympus's class clown gets a huge kick out of having so much perceived power over our flights getting delayed, and tbh we grow that power by freaking out about it. Staying tense for the weeks of Mercury’s RX could result in a sort of self-fulfilling prophecy; by putting so much energy into worrying about potential mishaps, you could overcorrect, or hyper-fixate on one thing and miss the obvious. It’s all a big cosmic punchline to Mercury, but remember that the energy isn’t evil, it’s mischievous! Maybe you miss your flight and bond with a cute stranger at the airport bar. That would make Mercury pretty happy too. 

Here's the bottom line: it's all about perspective. Mercury Retrograde is only a thing because we decided that it is. Mercury retrogrades almost as often as not, so really, who's to say what's backwards and what isn't? What's a mistake, and what isn't? Society sure tries to! Our world is built around commerce and competition, so when the supports that hold it up start going haywire, that must be bad, right? But what if... it isn't? What if, and stick with me here, Mercury Retrograde offers us permission to do things differently? For ourselves and our communities?

Anyways, however you look at it Mercury Retrograde is a frequent event that’s just gonna keep happening, so it’s best to find ways to fly WITH the wind instead of AGAINST it. It never hurts to be *cautious* about contracts and communication, but it's not always possible to delay paperwork until Mercury stations direct. So try to give yourself a break from the anxiety! There are tons of ways we can not only survive but surTHRIVE Mercury’s moonwalk. Take a Grounding essence and get your head in the game! 

7 Mercury Retrograde Surthrival Tips:

1. Make an altar to Mercury

Tending a shrine can anchor you into a routine if you’re feeling on edge. If now doesn't feel like the best time to hold yourself accountable for major moves (and you have a choice in the matter), hold yourself accountable for maintaining a sacred space instead.

You don’t have to be into deity work for this since there’s so much Mercurial symbolism to play with; Mercury rules the astrological sign Gemini and corresponds with the element of Air. There are magical plants like lavender and pomegranate that correspond with Mercury, and crystals like Snowflake Obsidian. You can even create your own symbols of communication: repurpose that old cell phone in your junk drawer! 

2. Carry Blue Crystals

Blue calms us down. Blue encourages communication. Blue inspires empathy. Blue is the Air and the Sky and Vitamin K and cotton candy and maybe exactly what we need when our internal wifi is disconnected. Carry blue crystals like Dumortierite or wear blue clothing to unscramble your nervous system. 

3. Be the ex who shows up during rx.

Kidding! Well, kind of. People blame Mercury retrograde for old lovers appearing, but witches don't just wait for things to happen to them! Take control and send the greeting cards you always mean to send, or reach out to that friend from high school whose posts you always like, but it’s been so long now that reaching out gets more awkward until eventually you stop even liking their posts because you feel guilty that it's been so long, but then hey, they haven't reached out either… use this Mercurial momentum for good! What’s a better conversation starter than “I heard people from your past re-emerge during retrograde… so here I am!” If we normalize getting in touch during Mercury retrograde, we’ve gone and created an innovative but semi-chaotic network of communication that depends on retrograde rather than resisting it.

3. Explore psychic communication

As a subletter of the Underworld, Mercury in its retrograde era reminds us to listen to the dead as much as the living. Let your thoughts flow free and see what messages come through from your spirit guides and ghosts without worrying that your Zoom audio isn’t connecting. Work with a pendulum, automatic writing, or other forms of divination and see what comes up- you might be surprised! 

5. Mercury as a nonbinary icon.

A lot of modern astrologers read Gemini-aligned Mercury as genderfluid, and the retrograde gives us even more of an opportunity to explore the flipside! Enby friends give yourself a pat on the back- you're honoring Mercury just by existing! And even if you're from the cis side of things, take this time as an opportunity reexamine gender roles and change it up as much as you want before Mercury stations direct. You might find a new style or hobby or heck, way of being, that you never knew you were missing!

6. Practice laughing off your own mistakes!

If you send that email before it was done or accidentally call your professor Mom, practice radical empathy on yourself by not making a huge, embarrassed deal about it. People are surprisingly understanding when you’re transparent about screwups, and as we move deeper into the Virtual Age mistakes are gonna happen. Pobody’s nerfect! Learn to live and laugh with it.

7. Give Em Hell

Cast your most subversive spells during retrograde- freeze the fascists, hex the patriarchy, summon the fury of Mercury's vacation home to topple empires. Mercury supervises bureaucracy, so while he's out of office hit em where it hurts- block every bill and filibuster every hearing, tie up the phone lines, overflow the mailrooms, use their own weapons against them. Give 'em hell. 

Maybe now is also a good time to examine your own relationship with work and money. Dip into the underworld of information and find out where your dollars are going- redistribute where you can! Give yourself a true day off (preferably a Wednesday, which is ruled by Mercury).

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Paige Curtin is HausWitch's Retail Manager, newsletter writer, and Mother of Trolls. You can find her at the shop, posting at @witchthevote, or enjoying popcorn + the late night horror show at Cinema Salem.