Wednesday was the start of the first Mercury retrograde cycle of 2015 - are you ready?! For those of you new to Mercury Rx and what it's all about, here's a bit of a synopsis:
Mercury Rx cycles are times when communication, travel, and maintenance issues crop up in our daily lives much more often than usual. This is because Mercury is the planet of the mind and perceptions, and when it appears to be going backwards from our perspective on Earth, we feel the effects intensely. Unexpected short trips, mechanical failures and computer/technology issues, and miscommunications are just a few hallmarks of these cycles as Mercury plays his role as trickster and gives us a run for our money!
The good news about Mercury Rx periods is that although things can get exceptionally hectic and stressful - especially at the beginnings and endings of the cycle - they have a round-about way of working things out in our favor in the end. Maybe you get stuck in traffic for an extra twenty minutes before finally making it to the restaurant you're having dinner at...and at the exact moment you walk in, you run into a friend from high school you haven't seen in years and would have missed them completely had you been on time! You've now set up a lunch date to catch up with them - something you've been meaning to do for a while but never got around to it. You'll get to see that friend, plus have dinner with the friend you were about to have dinner with in the first place (and all will work out just fine, since they were probably running late, too!). Events like these aren't all that uncommon, since retrograde cycles bring us back to review, rethink, and revisit people, concepts, or issues that it's time to address.
Navigating Mercury Rx With More Grace and Ease
"How can we navigate Mercury Rx without losing our minds?!" This is a question I'm asked frequently at workshops and in one-on-one consultations. As someone who used to try to push through the natural rhythms of these cycles and end up experiencing a lot of grief in the process before I delved deeply into astrology (and before I learned some key life lessons in inner peace and harmony), I can tell you firsthand that when I finally learned to go with the flow, life during Mercury Rx cycles became infinitely easier.
As with many situations in life, the more that we can relinquish a need to feel in control of all the details and any particular outcome of a situation, the more mental clarity and peace we will have. It brings me back to reading A New Earth by Eckhart Tolle and experiencing the slow epiphany of learning how to observe events and my feeling responses to them rather than getting caught up in the dramas themselves. By becoming a more neutral observer to situations and the feelings they give rise to within us, the more we stand in a place of true power and solidity. We are less likely to be influenced by the stress of external events and more likely to make sounds choices based on what is happening in our now, and will experience a great deal more peace and contentment within ourselves.
The very best advice I could ever give regarding how to move through Mercury Rx cycles is to go with the flow. It's perfectly fine - and to be expected - that things will not go as planned now. It's the way of the cosmos to help get us back on track for these brief periods of time, and rebelling against the outer scramble of potentially chaotic events doesn't serve us. If you are able to bring a "surfer's" attitude to ride the waves of life while maintaining a good sense of humor (the humor part is key!), you're well on your way to getting to the other side of Mercury Rx with your sanity intact! Also make a mental note to follow seemingly skewed events through to their conclusion and to connect the dots back to see how the mishmash might have helped things to ultimately work out for the best. To that end, gratitude for the gifts of these cycles is another key piece to weathering the storm with sanity intact!
In terms of other practical steps you can take to enjoy smoother Mercury Rx periods, I would suggest the following:
These cycles are excellent times for gathering information and letting new ideas coalesce in your imagination. A solid example of this is that I'm currently pulling away from doing frequent social media astrology updates to focus on expanding the astrological services I offer, as well as getting ready to revise my business name, create flyers, and launch the next phase of my career! When Mercury goes direct on February 11, we'll have a chance to move forward on our new goals with more clarity of mind!
How are you weathering the Mercury Rx so far? Are you finding any "gifts" in the process? What helps you maintain a sense of inner balance and calm during these cycles?
Mercury Rx cycles are times when communication, travel, and maintenance issues crop up in our daily lives much more often than usual. This is because Mercury is the planet of the mind and perceptions, and when it appears to be going backwards from our perspective on Earth, we feel the effects intensely. Unexpected short trips, mechanical failures and computer/technology issues, and miscommunications are just a few hallmarks of these cycles as Mercury plays his role as trickster and gives us a run for our money!
The good news about Mercury Rx periods is that although things can get exceptionally hectic and stressful - especially at the beginnings and endings of the cycle - they have a round-about way of working things out in our favor in the end. Maybe you get stuck in traffic for an extra twenty minutes before finally making it to the restaurant you're having dinner at...and at the exact moment you walk in, you run into a friend from high school you haven't seen in years and would have missed them completely had you been on time! You've now set up a lunch date to catch up with them - something you've been meaning to do for a while but never got around to it. You'll get to see that friend, plus have dinner with the friend you were about to have dinner with in the first place (and all will work out just fine, since they were probably running late, too!). Events like these aren't all that uncommon, since retrograde cycles bring us back to review, rethink, and revisit people, concepts, or issues that it's time to address.
Navigating Mercury Rx With More Grace and Ease
"How can we navigate Mercury Rx without losing our minds?!" This is a question I'm asked frequently at workshops and in one-on-one consultations. As someone who used to try to push through the natural rhythms of these cycles and end up experiencing a lot of grief in the process before I delved deeply into astrology (and before I learned some key life lessons in inner peace and harmony), I can tell you firsthand that when I finally learned to go with the flow, life during Mercury Rx cycles became infinitely easier.
As with many situations in life, the more that we can relinquish a need to feel in control of all the details and any particular outcome of a situation, the more mental clarity and peace we will have. It brings me back to reading A New Earth by Eckhart Tolle and experiencing the slow epiphany of learning how to observe events and my feeling responses to them rather than getting caught up in the dramas themselves. By becoming a more neutral observer to situations and the feelings they give rise to within us, the more we stand in a place of true power and solidity. We are less likely to be influenced by the stress of external events and more likely to make sounds choices based on what is happening in our now, and will experience a great deal more peace and contentment within ourselves.
The very best advice I could ever give regarding how to move through Mercury Rx cycles is to go with the flow. It's perfectly fine - and to be expected - that things will not go as planned now. It's the way of the cosmos to help get us back on track for these brief periods of time, and rebelling against the outer scramble of potentially chaotic events doesn't serve us. If you are able to bring a "surfer's" attitude to ride the waves of life while maintaining a good sense of humor (the humor part is key!), you're well on your way to getting to the other side of Mercury Rx with your sanity intact! Also make a mental note to follow seemingly skewed events through to their conclusion and to connect the dots back to see how the mishmash might have helped things to ultimately work out for the best. To that end, gratitude for the gifts of these cycles is another key piece to weathering the storm with sanity intact!
In terms of other practical steps you can take to enjoy smoother Mercury Rx periods, I would suggest the following:
- Expect the unexpected!
- Allow extra time to get to destinations when traveling
- Avoid taking long trips if possible; if you do plan or take a major trip, expect delays and schedule changes, and double-check itineraries and any other arrangements that have been made
- Take extra time to review written communications and any important correspondence, since errors and miscommunications are more likely now
- Back up data on electronic devices and save work frequently
- Avoid signing any important documents or starting something brand new during this cycle (the exception to this is if you're making an agreement that you'd like the opportunity to review and revise later on)
- Avoid making major purchases, since perceptions and communications are not as clear now
These cycles are excellent times for gathering information and letting new ideas coalesce in your imagination. A solid example of this is that I'm currently pulling away from doing frequent social media astrology updates to focus on expanding the astrological services I offer, as well as getting ready to revise my business name, create flyers, and launch the next phase of my career! When Mercury goes direct on February 11, we'll have a chance to move forward on our new goals with more clarity of mind!
How are you weathering the Mercury Rx so far? Are you finding any "gifts" in the process? What helps you maintain a sense of inner balance and calm during these cycles?
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