Mercury in Sagittarius is now retrograde, creating waves of panic throughout the internet. Everyone loves to scapegoat the messenger planet for wrecking havoc on their plans and communication, rather than prepare for the potential mishaps it can cause. I urge you to focus on the later, and allow room in your schedule and life for a little chaos. Malfunction and rerouting doesn't have to be negative! Sometimes getting lost leads to an astonishing discovery.

Since Mercury appears to go backwards in the sky through high-minded Sagittarius, the expression of our ideals are muddled if you're not precise. Sagittarius likes to talk and loves to argue so be wary of circumstances or conversations where you're more motivated to prove a point rather than listen to another perspective. When any planet is retrograde, it's a cue for listening. In the context of Mercury, it can manifest in a literal sense like allowing other people to speak or it can mean taking time to consider the needs of your heart. Meditation, quiet time, and prayer are lovely practices you can incorporate to work with retrograde energy. 

Work is the key word here. And I'm not just saying that because I'm a Capricorn. If you don't work with Mercury retrograde, it's going to feel like you've been steamrolled. Take responsibility for the disarray of your expectations and the turmoil of everyday life. Frustrations are usually clues as to what you're not investing enough energy or time into, or aspects of your reality that are thoughtless and empty. While everyone is likely to experience their own internal or external conflicts, consciousness and communication is an important theme to consider. As Sagittarius rules philosophy and our belief systems (whether religion, politics, ethics, ect), Mercury retrograde asks: Does your way of speaking and listening reflect your ideals? Are you speaking just to speak, or to engage and understand? In what ways can you grow beyond mindless thoughts and idleness to become more aware? 

While Mercury emphasizes our consciousness, Mars in Pisces is illuminating how our subconscious drives our actions. Intuition and our dreams will be the focus of this transit, further emphasizing the necessity of introspection. Neptune is also in its home planet Pisces, meaning that clarity is elusive. This will irritate the Earth signs, throw off the Fire signs, scatter the Air signs, and comfort the Water signs. Whether or not you like or dislike this transit, it's important to consider one of the key traits of Pisces: fluidity. Nothing is fixed for this sign; just as water doesn't have a beginning or end. It's a consistent flow. If we can expect anything from Mars and Neptune in Pisces, its ability to push us along with the tides.

While the qualities Mars in Pisces may appear to conflict with Mercury retrograde's necessity for precision, I think it reflects the extremes in the cycle of growth. How else do we understand clarity without first experiencing vague ambiguity? Or of not knowing? We need Mercury to think and we need Mars to do. When we act without considering the impact, we're unbalanced. When we think too much, we hesitate and remain inactive. Mars in Pisces and Mercury in Sagittarius are giving us the opportunity to align our conscious mind with our subconscious soul. Our actions and words must reflect our interior worlds to better foster connectedness with the external world.

And who do we have to help us in this struggle for balance? Venus in Libra bestows us with her grace, imbued with newfound wisdom after traveling to the underworld and back. Venus retrograde didn't drudge up our baggage and drag us on Twitter for no reason. Her purpose was to illuminate the underbelly of our consciousness for the sake of integrating the shadow self. For the sake of exposing what we reject, refuse, and shame. Only through this process of digging and uncovering our roots can we understand how to grow bigger branches. Not to tell you I told you so, but astrology is all about the work. Are you committed? If not, this astrology will be apocalyptic. If so, you won't even need a Mercury Retrograde Survival Guide. You're already on the path of becoming. 

Stay Mercurious,

Cassidy