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The final Mercury retrograde of the year is fast approaching this fall, so broken technology, late buses, missed meetings, poorly interpreted text messages and plenty of hijinks and mishaps are about to ensue.
That's because Mercury never misses an opportunity to keep us on our toes and remind us that we're not really in control at the end of the day; that's what this planet's retrograde period is all about, controlled chaos!
Mercury will station retrograde on September 27 and will continue moving backward until it stations direct on October 17. That's when most of us will be experiencing all of the Mercury induced life hiccups, but with every retrograde there are also its shadow phases. Two weeks before and two weeks after a retrograde is called a shadow phase. The pre shadow phase, which comes (2 weeks) before the retrograde, can sometimes have more hindrances and be more stressful than the actual retrograde itself. It also gives us some information about what to expect in the 2 weeks span that Mercury will be retrograde, so it's always good to pay attention at that time!
However, for those of you born under a Mercury retrograde, you actually have nothing to worry about because Mercury retrograde is your home base energy. Since you were born when Mercury was in its retrograde motion, you tend to have good luck and good fortune during a Mercury retrograde! Retrograde dates are actually a great time for you to travel, buy electronics and excel where everyone else needs to proceed with caution.
So, if you have a natal Mercury retrograde, September 27 to October 17 will be easy street for you! For the rest of us, keep reading to see how this final retrograde period of 2021 will affect you (and your loved ones) personally.
Mercury Retrograde
Mercury is a fast moving planet-the closest one to the sun-and because of that it appears retrograde 3 times a year; other planets station retrograde once a year, and some only go retrograde once every two years (the sun and the moon, however, are never retrograde). Mercury retrograde periods last for 2 short weeks, but the pre shadow and post shadow period each last 2 weeks as well (so Mercury retrogrades for like 6 weeks in total).
Usually Mercury finds itself in one element (fire, earth, air, water) for each of it's 3 retrogrades of the year. In 2021 Mercury has been causing cosmic chaos in the air signs, so the emphasis has been on messed up communication and mixed signals.
The Mercury retrograde dates for this year are as follows:
- January 30 to February 20 in Aquarius
- May 29 to June 22 in Gemini
- September 27 to October 17 in Libra
But what is a retrograde exactly?
Each planet in our solar system has an elliptic orbit, meaning that it's more egg shaped than a perfect circle. So at certain times in the year it's closer to the sun than others. Astrology is a geocentric study, meaning that we study the movements of the planets around Earth (don't worry we totally know that the planets actually orbit the sun), so at certain points in a planet's orbit it appears to be moving backwards in relation to Earth. This is where a planet's apparent retrograde motion comes from. Of course, the planet never actually moves backwards-it's more like an optical illusion-but the distance between Earth and the other planet does grow.
SHOP SOZY
During a retrograde period the natural order of the planet in question gets turned around as the planet appears to move away from Earth. Planets with shorter retrograde periods like Mercury, Venus and Mars tend to have a harsher effect on the collective. That's because they have to pack all their retrograde life lessons into a shorter period of time. Venus and Mars only station retrograde once every 2 years, so there's a lot of pent up energy when they're reverse in the solar system.
The reason for the retrograde
So, during a Mercury retrograde, things get a little wacky because the planet Mercury appears to travel backward away from us here on Earth-rude!
This pulling away phenomenon pushes us to re-evaluate, re-organize, re-duce, re-educate... basically anything starting with "re" is what we are being called to do during a "re-trograde" period.
We know that Mercury's final apparent retrograde motion this year will be from September 27 to October 17. Mercury rules communication and travel, so it's always good to double check everything you write for typos and to leave the house 5 minutes early during a Mercury retrograde! However, this Mercury retrograde period will affect everyone a little differently depending on where it is in your chart specifically.
To make sure you're reading the right horoscope, and therefore preparing for all of Mercury's little chaotic mishaps accordingly, be sure to read for your rising sign!
Aries
Mercury's backward spin will be causing some minor roadblocks in your serious one on one relationships for a few weeks. If you have a romantic partner it's best not to put the relationship on autopilot at this time because Mercury will be highlighting any and all snags in the relationship fabric. Be sure to give extra time and attention to your best friends and romantic partners for the next few weeks in order to avoid any unnecessary conflicts. You may also want to avoid signing any legally binding documents at this time, especially pertaining to business partnerships, just give yourself 2 weeks to read through the fine print before you make any big life decisions around partnering up.
Taurus
You're going to need to stay on your toes at work during this Mercury retrograde, Taurus risings. Before Mercury stations direct in October you might find that you're just not on your top game when it comes to the day to day grind. Things such as showing up for your company meeting on the wrong day, forgetting to cc the person on the email thread, or completely forgetting about a number of tasks you have to do, are all annoying-but likely-occurrences during this Mercury retrograde. If you're not usually one to use a planner, you might want to consider it for a few days during this transit because you're going to be pretty dang busy!
Gemini
Mercury is the ruling planet of Gemini, so unlike the retrogrades of other planets, you might thrive more so than others at this time... or you may struggle more since your ruling planet Mercury will be running away from you. Either way, this Mercury retrograde will probably have you in some confusing romantic entanglements. You're likely used to people thinking that you're flirting when you're actually just being friendly, but that's bound to happen more often, and it might even get you into some trouble in these next few weeks. The bottom line is that Mercury rules communication, so your fun, flirty style of communication will likely get you into some awkward situations in the next few weeks!
Cancer
This Mercury retrograde cycle will have you pulling out your hair over things such as family drama or the plumbing-that you just paid to get fixed-failing at your house. Things related to your family and your house/apartment are going to be the playground where Mercury does it's chaotic dance this retrograde season. You'll also find that things you'd thought you'd left in the past might try to resurface, some ghosts (read: ex's) from the past may even come back to haunt you. The best way to deal with this Mercury retrograde is to simply deal with one issue at a time until Mercury stations direct. Also, since the moon is your ruling planet, pay attention to where the moon is during this transit and try to plan your days and weeks out accordingly.
Leo
Communication mishaps are bound to happen in any Mercury retrograde, but especially for Leo risings. You'll want to double check every email and text message you send to make sure there are no typos (you'll also make sure you're sending it to the right person tbh). There's nothing more embarrassing then sending your grandma that risky test that was meant for the person you're flirting with, but that's just the kind of uncomfortable situation you might find yourself in during this retrograde! And if you know your car needs a check up, it's better to take it into the shop sooner as opposed to later, because Mercury will get a real kick out of your car breaking down at the most inopportune time in the next 2 weeks!
Virgo
You'll want to avoid making big purchases during Mercury retrograde this fall; wait until Mercury stations direct, or until it's out of its shadow period, because money is the area of your life where Mercury will be fooling around. Do your research while Mercury is reverse, but if you decide to bite the bullet and spend a lot of money on something you'll likely end up disappointed or wish you'd waited a week to buy it (because, whoops, now it's on sale). Also, avoid signing contracts and important documents if it's going to impact your financial standing. If, for whatever reason, you can't wait until after Mercury turns direct to sign those papers, ask for some help from your peers; an extra set of eyes will help you from getting into a sticky situation.
Libra
This Mercury retrograde is not the perfect time for you to not make any hair, tattoo appointments, or anything else that will directly change your appearance. Since Mercury will be in air sign Libra, this retrograde will directly affect you and your physical appearance. In short, makeovers probably won't go exactly according to plan while Mercury is in its retrograde motion, in fact they could go embarrassingly wrong. If you're expecting a perfect spray tan, it will probably end up streaky; if you go to the nail salon you'll probably end up with crooked nails. It's probably best to just Pinterest your beauty ideas for now and make the appointments for after October 17th when you can rest assured that astrology will be on your side again.
Scorpio
For the next few weeks, you may feel like you're stuck out in the middle of the ocean on a row boat with no oars and no help in sight during this Mercury retrograde period. Libra is arguably the most challenging sign for Mercury to be in for Scorpio risings at any time, but particularly during a Mercury retrograde. That's because while it's there, guilt and shame may creep in about some of the past work you've done or the some things you've said recently. You're an analytical person who can sometimes struggle to let things go because you hold yourself to way too high of a standard, and those qualities will become exacerbated. Mercury's retrograde motion this fall is not about beating yourself up for the past, instead it is about connecting more deeply with your spirituality and finding a deeper sense of gratitude.
Sagittarius
Expect communication among friends, coworkers and groups to get a bit wonky over the next few weeks starting on September 27. While Mercury is in air sign Libra we'll all be feeling more inclined to socialize and hangout with friends more, but games of telephone will lead to periods of awkwardness and confusion, misinterpreted texts could cause some passive aggressive communication, and invites lost in the mail could have you beefing with old friends. You're not completely doomed to wreck your friendships though, Mercury retrograde is just a good time for you to be diligent with your words and make sure your friends, coworkers and community members know how important they are to you.
Capricorn
While Mercury is reverse in the sky this September and October your career and public appearance will be tested. If a rumor about your life starts going around the office you'll know astrology is to blame this time around! With Mercury in air sign Libra this time around there is likely to be some hot gossip around the water cooler, and some of it could be centered around you and what you did this past weekend. With that being said, be careful how you use your cell phone, because Mercury governs communication and electronic devices, so if some of your nosy coworkers follow you on your socials they might not be inclined to keep your personal life on the back burner for the next few weeks!
Aquarius
Despite Mercury retrograde being in air signs all year long, you'll likely have a pretty chill Mercury retrograde this go around. The first retrograde was in Aquarius, so that one might have been a bumpy ride, but the other Mercury retrograde periods this year have likely been more of a breeze for you compared to your friends. It's unlikely that anything too annoying will happen, but you should still pay extra attention to detail when you're traveling, especially if you're going anywhere on a plane. Travel mishaps, like lost luggage or missing a delayed flight, are some of the ways Mercury can play tricks on you while it's retrograde.
Pisces
This Mercury retrograde in particular isn't a good time to make any big choices with money, especially regarding other people's money. If there's an important document in front of you that you need to sign, you should call in some friends, your parents, a lawyer, or any other educated person to help you double (honestly, triple) check that everything is a-ok before you put your name on the line. Things like opening a joint bank account, getting a student loan, or taking out a mortgage are things you might want to try to hold off on for about three weeks before signing those aforementioned important documents. Ghosts from your past are also liable to return at this time as well, especially people that you had a deep sexual connection with. So, if your toxic ex hits you with a "u up?" text it's not a sign from the universe, it's just Mercury retrograde testing you!
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