MERCURY RETROGRADE

Today Mercury enters retrograde until December 15.

Retrograde motion of the planets in astrology is a phenomenon when during certain periods some of the planets slow down, which makes it feel like they are rolling back in the opposite direction. Mercury is the fastest-moving planet in the solar system & enters its retrograde period when it sweeps past the Earth.

Mercury rules all types of communication, including listening, speaking, learning, reading, editing, researching, negotiating, selling & buying. All formal contracts & agreements, as well as important documents such as book manuscripts or term papers, agreements, deeds, contracts, leases, wills & so forth.

When Mercury is retrograde, we tend to notice more issues in the areas of communication, in the way we interact with others & in our surroundings & neighbourhood.
Mercury Retrograde distorts the usual way of perceiving information, therefore, during this period there may be difficulties with learning new material, especially in children. The energy of the planet will help students to repeat & remember the material they have already learned, therefore they are able to better deal with the material that seemed difficult.
In these three weeks, in general, the ability to concentrate on tasks will greatly decrease & mistakes are very likely, the consequences of which will take a long time to clean up.

Mercury Retrograde always introduces an element of uncertainty in the sphere of commercial activities, communications & travel. During the retro cycle of this planet, electronics malfunction more often than usual, plans change & lost contacts resume, expect the loss of emails or confusion with documents, the complexity of their design.
There may be delays in payments, delays in meetings, or disruptions in negotiations. We may also be in for some bad financial news during this period.
During the retro cycle there is a weakening of the external function in business, which can lead to minor changes in the meeting schedule, small losses in profits & clientele. Especially if the business is related to the communications, the stock exchange, the entertainment sector, the tourism business & the delivery of goods.
Promises are likely to be broken & important meetings could even be forgotten about when Mercury is in retrograde. Important events & meetings are better to postpone or cancel.

It is better to postpone the purchase of electronic & household appliances until the end of the month. The equipment purchased during the retro cycle may fail, or you will realize that the purchased item is too difficult to manage or is not needed at all.

During the retro phase of Mercury we are more scattered than usual, our attention is focused on the subjective perception of reality, not on the facts. Universe offers us to practice the ability not to miss details, to be more attentive & aware.
During this period the interest in spiritual techniques like meditation & reciting mantras, the issues related to past incarnations & the influence of these factors on current life may awaken.
This retrograde cycle can stir up unpleasant emotions from the past. Fears that we have already seemingly successfully coped with. Feelings about family, home, our inner foundation.

Mercury Retrograde is a good time to sit back & review where we put our energy in our lives.
To take a moment to reflect.
It will be possible to achieve certainty in the projects we are interested in, which have been postponed due to lack of understanding, some details.
Mercury retrograde periods can be times of heightened inner awareness, when meditation, benefiting from keeping a journal, reworking old plans & reviewing past work are favored.
Mercury retrograde is powerful for studies, particularly for returning to old studies or for re-learning or refreshing knowledge in a subject already taken.
This is a productive period for the revision of materials, disassembly of table contents & cabinets.
Review projects & plans at these times, but wait until Mercury is direct again to make any final decisions.
We should plan ahead, have back-up plans & be prepared for angrier people & miscommunication.
This time is suitable for gathering information, improving the organization & carrying out preparatory work for projects & activities.

When we are stressed, we have a harder time getting to sleep & during Mercury retrograde our stress & anxiety levels can be through the roof.
Sleep deprivation can cause even more problems like being tired, anxious & distracted, only furthering the effects of Mercury retrograde.
Mercury retrograde disturbs the energy of our nervous system & affects our adrenal glands & regulation of stress hormones. It makes us stressed & exhausted.
It also affects our digestive systems, causing a nervous stomach.
Backache during Mercury retrograde reflect money concerns.
What we need during this period of turbulence are herbs that soothe & ground us.

Nervines like Lemon Balm are very soothing to the nervous system. It’s a gentle herb that grounds, nourishes & soothes the digestive & nervous system. It's also heart-opening.

St.John Wort is very stabilizing herb, doesn’t cause drowziness, but starts showing the effects after couple of days. Peppermint.. Cold Peppermint tea is energizing, warm tea is soothing & calming. Chamomile, Hops, Rose. Grapefruit helps with morning drowsiness.

Root herbs are especially grounding. One powerful root herb is Brazilian ginseng, also known as Suma. As an adaptogen, it strengthens & protects the body by balancing hormones, strengthening the adrenal glands & boosting the immune system.

Valerian root.

Using crystals for mercury retrograde helps us to stay grounded, calm & focused.
To harness their energy, they can be held in our hand, placed on a bedside table or in our purse or pocket.
We can also create a crystal grid during this time to hold our intention for the retrograde period.
Crystals that can help us through Mercury Retrograde:

Black Tourmaline assists in letting go of fear & anxiety.
It works with the root chakra, grounding us into the energy of the Earth.
Black tourmaline also a powerful protective stone, helping us to feel safe & supported.
Carry, wear or place in office/house for protection. Place near electronic devices to protect from EMF.

Amber allows us to find solutions in the most difficult situations,
strengthens our willpower & intuition, gives us faith in our own abilities, invigorates or calms when necessary.

Peridot relieves mental tension, helps us to be more active & stressfree.

Labradorite helps with the RE portion of Mercury Retrograde (re-examine, re-visit, revise).
Protective, labradorite allows us to see that little bit that is hidden within ourselves that needs to re-examined & brought into the light so we continue to grow as an individual while feeling safe & secure.

Tree Agate allows us to feel supported & nurtured. It instils a sense of inner peace & connection with the Earth. It has a calming energy.

Amazonite promotes clear communication. It is calming & soothing. Carry, wear, keep in the office or at home for harmonious communication. This crystal will help us express ourselves with clarity & grace. Amazonite will help remove fear & anxiety.

Fluorite encourages peace & harmony. It's a wonderful crystal for stress relief & anxiety. It has the ability to neutralize negative energy & bring harmony & balance. Carry, wear or keep at work place for balanced thoughts.

Hematite is a grounding stone. It has the ability to pull any negative energy from our body into itself to clear our energy fields. Carry, wear, place at home or office, or place it in a car for grounding & protection.

Aquamarine enhances clear communication & it has a calming energy. Wear, carry or place it at home or office to keep emotions calm.

Jade is a stone of wisdom. Jade helps us to communicate, whether it be by voice or through the written word, with wisdom, thus avoiding potential pitfalls.

Lapis Lazuli. Carry or wear this for clear communication.

Moonstone, Carnelian. Carry or wear if you are prone to mood swings.

Selenite, Rose Quartz, Amethyst. Carry or wear to keep stress & anxiety away. Keep under pillow if you tend to think about worrisome issues at night.

Prehnite. Carry, wear or place at home or office to promote positivity in self as well as your surroundings.

Blue Kyanite. Wear or carry if you have a meeting or upcoming negotiation.

Tigers Eye, Snowflake Obsidian. Travel safety.

Crystals that will help to bring us into space of calm would include, Blue Lace Agate, Celestite, Turquoise, Chrysocolla, Petalite or Sugilite. Amethyst, Blue Calcite, Charoite, Dumortierite, Obsidian, Selenite, Emerald, Rose Quartz.

Howlite, Lepidolite, Moonstone or Rutilated Quartz will help to ease anxiety & allow us a greater sense of organization.

Ametrine, Fluorite & Ruby will help us to focus & bring us back to focus any time we find ourselves wandering in a different direction. Selenite gets us re-centered.