Mercury Retrograde starts on March 5 (ending March 28). Here's how to prepare for a time that is typically associated with confusions, time delays and frustration.

1) What is Mercury Retrograde:

What the Planets Are Doing

Mercury has a faster speed than Earth in its physical orbit around the sun – 88 days compared to our 365 days. Because Mercury’s solar orbit is four times faster than Earth’s orbit, Mercury appears to catch up and pass the slower moving Earth around four times a year for several weeks during apparent backwards or retrograde movement. Since Mercury is still moving forward as it approaches the day-to-stop and reverse direction, it progresses along the path that it will later retrace during retrograde over the following few weeks. This is called “shadow ingress” and occurs for a few weeks after the day-forward motion starts.

To illustrate this, imagine you are standing side-by-side with a friend. Have the friend walk forward slowly. Now you walk forward at a faster speed. Observe your friend’s movement relative to you. Initially, your friend begins to move farther away from you as they walk, and you eventually pass ahead of your friend. Once you’ve passed your friend, they will appear to be moving backwards relative to you even though your friend still actually walking forward.  

What This Means for You

Mercury Retrograde is known for roadblocking plans and scrambling rational procedures when it occurs. This causes erratic or unexpected sudden changes regarding communication, travel or any activities related to intellectual comprehension and technology. Mercury Retrograde is notorious for creating confusion.

2) What to expect during Mercury Retrograde: 

Mercury influences are neutral and the retrograde periods (as well as the before and after - two gradual “shadows”) allow us a time to step back and reflect upon mental activities. 

Mercury Retrograde affects communication including oral and written expression, listening, learning, negotiating, speaking, document editing  and transmission and research projects or studies.

Unusual technology problems appear involving computer hardware and software, electronic device and machine malfunctions. 

Travel plans, trade  and commerce, and real property transactions may go awry. Other possible activities include, legal contract delays, new client instructions causing reassessment, and order delays, like newly discovering items out of stock.  

During retrograde it is hard to confirm plans or receive firm decisions from others. Romantic couples tend to create confusing miscommunications that, in turn, can cause a cascading effect that spirals toward temporary breakups. 

3) Things to avoid for all elements:

Resist making important life-changing or possible long-term/permanent decisions or signing documents that cannot be easily reversed after Mercury Retrograde.  

• Don’t start new endeavors, new advertising or publicity campaigns and avoid simple verbal agreements. 
• Avoid completing employment or business contracts as well as real estate transactions. 
• Try not to jump to conclusions in all communications and keep striving for clarity.
• Arguments leading to temporary relationship break-ups may get reversed after Mercury Retrograde.

4) Things to prepare and embrace for all elements:

Acknowledging Mercury Retrograde periods can allow you to increase your productivity and avoid some of the frustration with an intent of flexibility, fluidity and faith in the universal reordering of plans.   

• Conduct background research and review communications, plans and procedures
• It is a favorable time for completing old pre-retrograde business activities, since new revelations assist thoroughness and completeness yielding greater success
• It is an excellent time to temporarily experiment with new technological and business methods and procedures.   
• Reassess and redesign present plans and projects focusing on improving quality and innovative solutions to accomplish performance objectives.
• Take a pause to clear perception and intending approaches incorporating curiosity, cleverness, and versatility.
• Make extra records and backups of documents and software. 
• Re-confirm scheduling and travel plans for alternative solutions for risky or uncertain endeavors.  
• If you have a choice whether to sign papers or initiate an action prior to or after retrograding, wait and act afterward.  
• Rather than trying to beat the Mercury Retrograde reversal day deadline, waiting until a week or two after Mercury moves forward again is always the wiser option.
• Spirituality and intuitive communication insight are strongly highlighted (especially dream messages) late in March.

Although a portion of planetary influences affects all of us somewhat collectively, a greater personal influence could result if we have Mercury positions interacting with a sensitive point in our astrological birth blueprint near a beginning or ending Mercury Retrograde reversal days. 

 

How Mercury Retrograde Effects Each Element (in alphabetical order):

Sun signs with element of Air (Gemini, Libra and Aquarius) are influenced intensely particularly early in the month around March 5, especially for any Air sign born around the 20th. This occurs again near the end of the month around March 28 for any Air sign born around the 5th. Gemini is the most powerfully challenged sign, while Libra and Aquarius are weaker and neutrally influenced. 

What to expect:

• You might experience computer hardware and software, electronic device, and machine malfunctions.   
• A pause to clear perception and extra discussion is required to excel at adapting approaches incorporating curiosity, cleverness, and versatility.
• Be extra careful with social media postings.   
• Former social and business contacts may reconnect with issues and ideas from the past.
• If you have a choice whether to sign papers or initiate an action prior to or after retrograding, recommend waiting and acting afterward rather than trying to beat the Mercury Retrograde reversal day deadline, waiting until a week or two after Mercury moves forward again is always the wiser option.

Sun signs with element of Earth (Taurus, Virgo and Capricorn) are favorably influenced with an emphasis early in the month around March 5 especially any Earth sign born around the 20th and then again, another emphasis near the end of the month around March 28 for any Earth sign born around the 5th. Virgo is the most powerful and favorably affected sign while Capricorn and Taurus are weaker with Capricorn most favorably influenced.   

What to expect:

• Avoid impractical proposals. 
• Trade and commerce, and real estate property transactions may go awry.  
• Your daily routine may seem replaced by chaos and uncertainty.
• Avoid completing employment or business contracts as well as real estate transactions. Other possible activities include: legal contract delays, new client instructions causing reassessment, and order delays like discovering items are out of stock.
• It is an excellent time to temporarily experiment with new technological and business methods and procedures. 
• Adopt realistic time and budgeting goals.
• Use Earth sign’s knack for grounding to facilitate wise action and patient communication.  
• Reassess, revisit, readdress, redo, and redesign of present plans and projects focusing on improving quality and innovative solutions to accomplish performance objectives.  
• Favorable time for completing old pre-retrograde business activities, since new revelations assist thoroughness and completeness yielding greater success. 

Sun signs with element of Fire (Aries, Leo and Sagittarius) are generally intensely influenced with an emphasis early in the month around March 5, especially for any Fire sign born around the 20th and then again, another emphasis near the end of the month around March 28 for any Fire sign born around the 5th. Sagittarius is the most affected and challenged sign while Aries and Leo are weaker and neutrally influenced.

• Don’t start new endeavors, new advertising or publicity campaigns (even avoid simple verbal accords). 
• Travel transportation plans, trade and commerce, and real property transactions may go awry. Patiently accept project and travel detours.   
• Avoid projecting impatient fiery responses to misplaced anger. 
• Erratic, seemingly chaotic, or unexpectedly sudden changes regarding communication, or any activities related to intellectual comprehension and technology may seem to roadblock plans and scramble normal rational procedures.  
• Revelations of others’ unreliable or overly critical behavior can cause mental confusion.
• Apply and plan alternative approaches for creative and innovative solutions
• Stay focused on the big picture intending broad scale solutions tapping into your playful creative inner child.

Sun signs with element of Water (Cancer, Scorpio and Pisces) are generally very favorably influenced with an emphasis early in the month around March 5 especially for any Water sign born around the 20th and then again, another emphasis near the end of the month around March 28 for any Water sign born around the 5th. Pisces is the most powerfully and favorably affected sign, while Cancer and Scorpio are weaker but more favorably influenced. Spirituality and intuitive communication insight are strongly highlighted (especially dream messages) late in March.  

What to expect:

• Avoid emotionally scattered impatient overreaction to chaotic circumstances and mood swings.  
• Retreating is healthy to remain nurturing, but too much isolation may be overly depressive.
• Increased and erratic mental information may contribute to emotional overload. 
• Romantic couples tend to create confusing emotional miscommunications that in turn can cause a cascading effect spiraling towards temporary break-ups.  
• Release the need to emotionally over-control and go your with feelings.  
• Arguments leading to temporary relationship break-ups may get reversed after Mercury Retrograde.  
• Try not to jump to conclusions until feeling your way through situations and keep striving for clarity.   
• Embrace taking timeouts to re-center for a moment of calming clarity to allow your inner intuition to flow and assist in solutions. 
• Enlightened connections between individuals can be expressed through sharing dreams, mutual subtle esoteric energy exchange awareness, and identifying mythical archetype associations.