and now mercury is retrograde (in virgo)
never fear!
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Mercury stationed retrograde in the wee hours of the morning at 4* of Virgo.
This retrograde will take Mercury back to 21* of Leo before they station direct on August 28th.
Because Mercury governs communication and writers, and because the term “retrograde” has accumulated a kind of fearful mythos on the internet, this period’s impact often gets blown out of proportion. Yes, it’s absolutely time to double check your contracts and build in a cushion around travel — things that, frankly, we should all be doing anyway. But I would never caution my clients to simply not do something, especially something of time-sensitive importance, during this period. Mercury goes retrograde three times a year, for roughly three weeks at a time, and most of us are not the kind of wealthy that can afford to simply take off such lengthy periods.
As ever, my goal with talking about this kind of astro-weather is to help you prepare. To know when to take the umbrella with you as you leave the house, so to speak. Working with the movement (transits) of the planets isn’t something I do so as to assert a definitive “yes” or “no” for your endeavors, but rather, to say “here are your options.”
So: what do you need to know for this particular Mercury Rx?
1. Remember the Big Picture
In precise, sometimes finicky Virgo, one of the two signs it rules, Mercury Rx can miss the forest for the trees, hyper-fixating on small details (like the wording of a phrase) in lieu of appreciating the overall big picture. Be mindful of where you may have a tendency to get nitpicky, because Mercury Rx in Virgo can very much amplify those things. And then with Mercury moving back into Leo on August 14th, there can be an over-sensitive concern with how what is being communicated does or does not fit with your identity or self-perception. Which is all to say: This is a time to over-communicate, to double back and check in for continued consent and interest, to try to not internalize someone’s words before you’ve clarified them.
2. Pull that project out of the drawer and revise.
Mercury Rx is one of my favorite times of year for revising and editing major projects. I don’t time my work specifically around this (it gets done when it gets done), but when a Mercury Rx coincides with an editing phase of a project, I get really excited, because I know the edits are going to be even better. (And, in Virgo, certainly more refined!)
What is revising if not going back and forth over line-level sentences with a fine tooth comb? Mercury Rx can be a bit exhausting in our relationships with others (see the prior note on over-communicating), but for the writer, it’s an absolutely idyllic time to hole yourself up at your desk and obsess over a project.
With Venus being co-present with Mercury, there is an added aesthetic lens to the editorial work we’re doing. This is a really helpful moment for all kinds of revision, from the over-arching structure to line-level word choice and proofreading.
The key thing with revision is to embrace the mess of it all, and Mercury Rx helps us do that. The vast majority of writing, after all, isn’t finishing a book — it’s writing it. So have fun.
If you’re looking to use this Mercury Rx period for your writing, but are feeling stuck or unsure, I’ve got a few things that might help!
Nonfiction writers! The vast majority of nonfiction is sold on proposal. I’ve got a 4-part, go-at-your-own-pace class that walks you through every part of the book proposal.
If you’re struggling with getting a writing practice in place that works for you, then my 3rd house birth chart reading is right up your alley. New spots on the calendar just opened up!
And if you’re looking for a supportive container and some new tools for spiritually grounding your work, then check out Fill Your Cup, a new experiential workshop my partner Meg Jones Wall (3am.tarot) and I are hosting in a few weeks. (Early Bird discount ends Wednesday!)
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