Mercury Retrograde in Sagittarius November 14, 2005 Through December 3rd

Yep, it's that time again! Mercury, communicator planet and planet of "flow," is in retrograde. This time it's in the fiery sign of Sagittarius, which by its nature is a "get things done" kind of sign. During this period, we could feel some internal frustration building to a boiling point. Deep down, we WANT to get things done, but delays, setbacks, or lack of clarity could prevent us from achieving our goals as quickly as we might desire.

It's a bummer, I know.

Good Things Can Happen During Mercury Retrograde

I don't mean to say that NOTHING will get done during this Mercury retrograde period. But things that might usually take you an hour to do could require a full day to complete. Or a key business meeting which is needed to resolve an important matter might be delayed, and the issues you're dealing with might take a little longer to settle.

Mercury influences the flow of energy between people, those "ley lines" of energy and emotion that allow effortless communication to happen. Mercury retrograde times throw this flow off a bit, making us more prone to misunderstandings and fits of pique.

Mercury also affects the magnetism of electronic devices, so mechanical snafus are more common during Mercury retrograde. If you haven't had your car tuned up in a while, you could find yourself needing some sort of repair during Mercury retrograde. If your watch has been acting a little wonky, it might finally give out on you. If your computer has been getting viruses, it might run slower or have a meltdown.

Stop and Smell the Flowers During Mercury Retrograde

Mercury retrograde times CAN be positive. It's simply a matter of pacing yourself, keeping your cool, and slowing down. We tend to live with this underlying agenda that all things have to happen fast, if not immediately. But this isn't really true. Just because something takes a little longer to complete doesn't mean that we're a failure or that the world will end. (At least, last time I checked, it didn't seem to be ending.)

Mercury retrograde reminds us to take a deep breath and stop and smell the flowers. Value this moment for what it IS instead of moaning about what it ISN'T or passing judgment on what is happening. Access the innate ability that all humans have to simply BE. It's a lot less stressful living without an agenda and learning to be in the flow. Give that a shot during this Mercury retrograde time. It's a good time to learn it!

I've written in the past about simple things you can do to ensure that your Mercury retrograde ride is a smooth one. You might find it helpful to check this one out:

Can Mercury Retrograde Be Positive?

In the meantime, don't push yourself or others too hard for the next three weeks. A gentle, compassionate approach will help you to preserve the peace and master these energy challenges.