When Mercury goes into retrograde, it can seem to travel backwards in the sky at night. According to astrology, this can cause issues for those of us on Earth. In classical Roman mythology, Mercury is believed to be the messenger of the gods and in astrology, the same planet is associated with communication, transportation, and relationships. During retrograde times, things in these areas can feel unbalanced and have issues. While retrograde cannot be stopped, there are precautions that can keep the worst of things from happening. These are shared below.

Spend Time With Yourself

During retrograde, communication with others may feel harder, but those who believe in the effects of retrograde think retrograde increases self-awareness and the ability to talk to yourself. Schedule some quiet time to yourself and relax a bit so you can spend time with yourself. Try taking a nightly walk to clear your mind. Do not worry about a destination, just walk slowly and mindlessly. If walking is not possible, start each day with five minutes of meditative breathing to start out with a refreshed feeling. Another option is to journal or write letters to yourself. Following retrograde, look back over what you have written to see if there is a specific area to work on and improve.

Assess

Mercury retrogrades are a wonderful time to direct energies to the self. Reflect on how you feel about where you are in life and ask yourself important questions like “Am I happy with what is going on? Do I have unfinished business? or What is taking up a majority of my time and energy and is it having a positive impact?”

Reflect on Relationships with Others

During Mercury retrograde is a great time to step back and think about your relationships with others and how they are doing. As you reflect, think about whether the relationship is beneficial to both sides or if it is draining and potentially toxic. Figure out who brings joy, who authentically cares, and whether there are some who you want to know deeper. If problems are uncovered, decide whether you can fix them or let that person go.

Make Future Plans

With all the self-reflection, you may want to start thinking about what you want for the future. Perhaps you want to start a new project or even a new job or go on a trip. Whatever you decide, hold off until retrograde ends. Hold off on any big, life-changing decisions because retrograde can mess with successful planning of these things. It will only last a few weeks, but you can create a vision board until that time. Who knows, you may have a different viewpoint by then.

Take Extra Precautions

              Mercury rules over travel so retrograde can mess up travel plans and actual commutes. When traveling during retrograde, plan for the worst just in case. If you are flying, get to the airport early. Take the car for a checkup prior to a road trip and if using public transportation, be early and double check schedules.

Do Not Sign Contracts

If you can hold off on signing a contract, lease, insurance policy, or other important documents, do so until retrograde ends. If you cannot put it off, double check everything before signing, especially the fine print.

Double Check

Mercury retrogrades are notorious for messing up communication. This can mean an embarrassing text to the wrong person, missing an important message, or hitting reply all by mistake. Before sending anything to anyone, read it over, check the address, and make sure it is right. It is also best to double check appointment dates and times, as well as reservations. Plan to arrive early to be safe. To top this off, back-up all electronic files on a hard drive or flash drive during retrograde. This is not just new or written files, but photos and calendars as well.