Mercury Retrograde - Our Favorite Scapegoat

Mercury & its dreaded retrograde. What actually happens during a retrograde? And what do you actually need to know?

Quick note: this post is from a blog post I wrote last year, much of the content is the same, but I have re-written parts to make the information more current to this particular retrograde beginning on August 4th. Enjoy!

It is that time of year again... the dreaded Mercury Retrograde! Even those of us who know absolutely nothing about astrology have heard the term "Mercury Retrograde" and for some reason, I speculate that because it happens much more frequently than other retrogrades, society has taken note of these time periods and thrives on using it to blame all current problems in our lives. It has become a fun, trendy thing to blame for any current hiccups, regardless of whether they are truly related to the retrograde or not. That said, as much as I love joking about it, I wanted to take some time to explain these time periods and how we can use them to our advantage. If you find yourself wanting a more in depth guide on what this retrograde will look like for you specifically, I highly suggest investing in a guide to the month!

At their core, retrogrades can be very useful. Life is full of cycles, ups and downs that are inevitable, and a retrograde marks a slower cycle for us. This is a time when we tend to look backward at past commitments, decisions, or relationships. All retrogrades are associated with "re" words: revisit, reassess, review, refocus, you get the idea... This is a natural time for us to stop, pause, take stock, and really take the time to process an area of our life before moving forward again. All of that said, of course, each retrograde is flavored by the planet that is turning retrograde, the sign it’s in, and for you personally: what house that falls in your chart and any planets that come into contact with the retrograde planet. All of these pieces tend to give context to what the retrograde might be about for us.

Each retrograde is broken up into three notable sections. There is the pre-retrograde shadow, the retrograde itself, and the post retrograde shadow. We are all very familiar with the actual retrograde itself—the set of degrees that the planet is actually moving backwards in, which for this specific Mercury Retrograde are the degrees from 4º Virgo back to 21º Leo. That said, it’s also important to note the time frames before the retrograde, where the planet moves through those sets of degrees for the first time, and the period after the retrograde ends, where the planet is moving back through those degrees for a third time. We will get into these dates later on in the post, but for now I wanted to mention the relevance to all three sections. We tend to notice these retrograde themes come up even before the retrograde, during the pre-retrograde shadow, but things are usually confusing or unclear. Depending on the nature of the retrograde (planet, sign, house, etc.), this unclear area may differ, but it may not make itself obvious until later on in the retrograde cycle.

Mercury tends to be cerebral and rules our communication, learning, teaching, and technology. You may have heard that exes may text you during Mercury retrogrades or that it’s not recommended to buy new technology or sign any legal documents. All of these things can be true! Because Mercury rules these areas of communication, it’s totally possible that during a retrograde you misunderstand someone or that the details of a commitment sound a lot better than they truly are. In my practice, I tend to over-communicate what I’m trying to say, especially if it’s important or detail heavy. This retrograde partially falls in the typically detail-oriented sign of Virgo, so the information on the surface may feel straightforward, but with time, you realize the hiccups. That said, any major commitments or investments need to come with a lot of hesitation under a Mercury retrograde. Because of the nature of losing details and a blurred understanding is what is expected of you, I highly suggest waiting until the retrograde is over for major commitments if at all possible. That said, sometimes life doesn’t stop just because we want it to, and if you find yourself in a position where you need to move, buy a car, start a new job, etc. please make sure you have read the fine print of the commitment thoroughly and there are no grey areas. This is not the time to assume you understand the details of something.

Another fun thing to note, Mercury Retrogrades tend to stay in the same element each year. This year, the retrogrades fall in the fire signs! Mercury retrogrades three (sometimes four) times a year, which is why it’s commonly talked about and seems like one of the more obvious retrogrades. It can be helpful to look back at recent retrogrades in Leo to get an idea of what might come up for you. Those dates were July 26, 2018 - August 19, 2018 and July 7, 2019 - July 18, 1019 (this specific retrograde also involved some time in Cancer). Think back to these time periods — you may notice that the themes present during them cycle back.

Back to the details of this retrograde, we entered the pre-retrograde shadow on July 16, 2024, when Mercury crossed over 21º degrees of Leo. You may have already noticed some areas of life that might feel confusing or not entirely straightforward. Again, at this point in the cycle, things might not feel super obvious to you, and that’s ok, things will become more clear over the coming weeks. On August 5th, just after midnight, Mercury will station retrograde at 4º Virgo 06’ and will turn around to head back to 21º 21’ Leo. This is the period that sometimes feels the most obvious, though you may not be aware yet of the consequences of this time. Again, this is the time to over-communicate to ensure others understand you and be thorough in your understanding of commitments. Finally, on August 28th, Mercury will station direct at 21º Leo 24’ and begin the last phase of the retrograde, the post-retrograde shadow. During this time, things may be way more obvious than they were before; puzzle pieces will begin to fall into place, and you will gain the clarity you’ve been looking for. By September 12th Mercury will pass 4º Virgo, clearing its shadow, and our retrograde story will be wrapping up.

I have a tendency to process information slowly, so my retrograde lessons don’t tend to be super obvious right away, but in the months after a retrograde, the pieces really begin to fall into place. Again, these periods are meant for slowing down and being more intentional. We are meant to dig up things from our past, things we may have thought we worked through, in order to reassure ourselves that we’re in the right place now. Though retrogrades can be annoying, especially when we want to run full steam ahead, they’re necessary times for us, so try and lean in as much as you can!

Here is the houses that will be activated for you based on your rising sign (note: more in depth on how Mercury rx will impact you based on your rising sign here):

Aries - it will start in your sixth house and retrograde back into your fifth house

Taurus - it will start in your fifth house and retrograde back into your fourth house

Gemini - it will start in your fourth house and retrograde back into your third house

Cancer - it will start in your third house and retrograde back into your second house

Leo - it will start in your second house and retrograde back into your first house

Virgo - it will start in your first house and retrograde back into your twelfth house

Libra - it will start in your twelfth house and retrograde back into your eleventh house

Scorpio - it will start in your eleventh house and retrograde back into your tenth house

Sagittarius - it will start in your tenth house and retrograde back into your ninth house

Capricorn - it will start in your ninth house and retrograde back into your eighth house

Aquarius - it will start in your eighth house and retrograde back into your seventh house

Pisces - it will start in your seventh house and retrograde back into your sixth house

If you’re unsure of all the house meanings and need a guide you can find that here <3

Xoxo,

Lauren