Mercury retrogrades are one of the most misunderstood transits of astrology. This is because, when they are approached in an unconscious way, they seem to cause chaos and disruption. For seekers, however, this is one of the best possible transits to do your creative work and to organise your alignment.
Mercury retrogrades are a powerful time for manifestation and co-creation.
Mercury is the planet of the mind, therefore the planet that rules our focus. Our focus is our core creative tool – it is the key to our creative lifestyle. Where we focus is where we create. During a mercury retrograde, our ability to focus deliberately and guide our awareness intensifies. This makes it an excellent time to create magic through intentional thinking.
Mercury retrogrades are a powerful time to create magic in our lives through deliberate focus and intentional thinking.
It is a time when our thoughts slow down enough for us to easily become the observer of our own mind and thought habits – this is the purpose of Mercury in retrograde. Wherever we direct our thoughts, our reality flows. Therefore, when we think thoughts that feel good to us (combining our thoughts with our emotional guidance system) we manifest a reality that feels good. A good day or a good experience, is initiated and then propelled by a series of good-feeling thoughts that you had. The same is true for whenever we have thoughts that feel bad. This is a recipe for a bad day.
Your guide to a successful Mercury Retrograde:
Slow Down & Observe: Our thoughts slow down and encourage introspection, making it easier to observe our thoughts and mental habits. Become the observer of your mind.
Identify Patterns from the oblivion: The adjustments we need to make to our typically unnoticed and unconscious automatic habitual thoughts become much more obvious. This gives us greater creative control over the thoughts we think. Stay conscious and aware.
Address Confusion & Misunderstandings: These occur when we’re not being mindful of our thoughts and are approaching life in an unconscious manner. Use these moments as indicators to observe and adjust your thoughts.
Reframe Negative Thoughts: When you catch yourself thinking negatively, acknowledge it and let it go. Challenge your negative thoughts and ask for proof of their validity.
Weed Your Mind Garden: Remove thoughts that take you off track and replace them with thoughts that create your desired reality.
Align Thoughts with Intentions: Refuse to entertain thoughts that are not in alignment with the life you wish to live. Harmonize your thoughts with your desires and emotions to manifest a more satisfying reality.
Learn & Improve: Revisit past thoughts and actions, learn from them, and make different choices for better outcomes.
Set Clear Intentions: Be specific about what you want to manifest or improve. Use visualizations or vision boards to support your intentions.
Manifest & Awaken: Know that every thought you have is directing your focus and creative flow. This is an excellent time for powerful manifesting. What you think now will become your reality in the days, weeks or months to come. Deliberately use your most powerful co-creative tool – your focus.
Keep a Journal: Write down your thoughts and feelings to process them better. Use prompts like: “What thoughts are not serving me?”, “What do I truly desire?”, “What can I learn from past experiences?” Using journaling to embed creative thinking into your subconscious.
Mindfulness and Meditation: Practice mindfulness to stay present and aware of your thoughts. Avoid spiralling into the past or becoming preoccupied with the future. Meditate to calm your mind, gain clarity and imagine your dreams into reality.
Practice Patience and Self-Care: Be gentle with yourself and others. Engage in activities that bring you joy and relaxation.
So, why the bad reputation?
‘Bad’ experiences during Mercury retrograde simply indicate that our thoughts are out of alignment with our true desires. It’s not punishment; it’s a nudge to deliberately align our thoughts.
All transits have a shadow side and we often have to enter this shadow side in order to get to the light side of the transit. If you get stuck in the shadow then you must ask yourself what part of this transit am I missing? Confusion and misunderstanding are your indicators that you are not conscious enough of your own thoughts. It is time to observe how your thoughts are creating this confusion or misunderstanding.
Where your thoughts go, your creation flows.
As Mercury slows and spins backwards through the zodiac, our thoughts slow and can even spin backwards – having the effect of bringing up the past. Mercury retrograded is often associated with all the “re” words. When Mercury is in retrograde, it is a time for us to reassess, revisit, reanalyse, redo, rework, retry. There is an emphasis on the past but this isn’t about going backwards, it is about exploring what did and didn’t work for the purpose of improving your practice moving forward.
Avoid dwelling on past issues, as this is not the direction you are heading. However, they may resurface to be addressed, such as an ex-partner reappearing or a familiar situation recurring. When this happens, recognize it as an opportunity to make different choices. Reflect on what didn’t work previously, and then consciously choose a different path to achieve a more desirable outcome.
Don’t dread it; embrace it.
I personally love the Mercury retrograde period! During this transit, I find that I am able to do my most powerful manifesting and I can make the most headway in aligning my thoughts with Source and bringing my awareness to new levels of awakening. These retrogrades are times when I weed my mind garden of thoughts that are taking me off track and replace them with thoughts that resonate with the reality I desire. This, to me, is the most profound spiritual practice I can engage in, with effects that ripple outwards, influencing not only my reality but also the reality of those around me.