Mercury stations retrograde today, August 19th, in the beginning of his journey backward in the sky which will continue until September 12th when he stations direct. When a planet stations either retrograde or direct it essentially pauses in the sky (from our perspective here on earth, anyway, the planet itself is not stopping) and this can be an excellent time to harness the energy of that planet. Though, harnessing the power of Mercury right before it goes retrograde isn’t nearly as beneficial as the power right before it goes back into direct motion.

Even people with the most rudimentary knowledge of astrology have heard about this Mercury retrograde period as a period of chaos and mischief, when good communication and work flies out the window and you can’t get anything done. While this certainly can be true of Mercury retrograde it does not have to be.

Any time a planet retrogrades it brings in a reversal of that planet’s energy, so the normal things that Mercury brings in (communication, travel, logic and rational faculties, intellect, commerce, etc.) are going to be disrupted and have to be worked with in a different way. Since Mercury is the planet that stations retrograde and direct the most often (approximately 3 times a year) and because it controlls such everyday things people tend to pay attention in one way or another whenever Mercury goes retrograde.

When a planet is retrograde it quite literally looks like it is moving backwards in the sky. Of course, the orbit of the physical planet in the solar system has not changed, but it appears this way because of our position in the solar system in relation to it. Retrograde comes from the Latin retrogradus which translates to “backward-step” and from this we can understand what retrograde planets mean for us.

Another aspect of retrograde planets to consider is the simple fact that, when retrograde, a planet is passing through the degrees of the zodiac it was just in, allowing us to back up or step back and reflect on what has just happened and the choices we made while the planet was in that sign or those signs that the retrograde planet is going through. And then once the planet stations direct we have a chance for a do-over, to use the energy of the sign(s) again and maybe better than we did before.

Mercury from today until September 12th will be travelling backward through Virgo and it won’t be until September 28th that it returns to the same degree that it is today when it stations. So, you have until the 12th to do what Virgo does best: analyze. Look at the ways you have been using Mercury in Virgo in the past month and allow yourself to back up and use Mercury in a different way, figure out how Mercury retrograde affects you, and how you can do Mercury in Virgo even better the second time around after the 12th. You have until October 3rd, when Mercury moves into Libra.

Retrograde Mercury is generally not a good time to actually do anything Mercury is associated with, such as making new deals or planning trips, getting in heated debates, or, you know, thinking or working. Unfortunately the last two are difficult not to do, but with Mercury retrograde we must learn how to think and work in a different manner, in a “backwards” manner, perhaps, or at least one that is foreign to us. This is why Mercury retrograde can be extremely disruptive, especially for the first few days.

However, if you keep in mind the positive aspects of Mercury retrograde in Virgo, that it can lead to greater awareness and reflection on communications and all those other things associated with Mercury, you can try to harness Mercury retrograde energy as best as possible and (hopefully) not be too thrown out of whack by it. Of course, this is easier said than done and takes some practice, but it can be done.

This is a broad look at the effects Mercury retrograde can have. How you personally will be influenced by Mercury retrograde and Mercury’s transit through Virgo will also depend on your birth chart: if your Mercury is direct or retrograde, the sign and placement your Mercury is in as well as the house and planet(s) you have in Virgo. To find out your own planet and house placements you can cast your own chart for free online. For a personal chart reading I am available for consultations.