Mercury Retrograde Ends: Thinking About The Road Ahead
Mercury retrograde ends on the 18th of October 2021 at 10° into Libra ♎︎, the planet of communication, short distance travel, learning, and IT Mercury turns direct. Mercury retrograde started on the 27th of September 2021 at 25 ° Libra ♎︎. Mercury retrograde can be a completely different experience to a Saturn retrograde, and a Jupiter retrograde mainly due to the nature of the three planets being so different.
What is Mercury’s Role in Astrology?
Mercury is what would be considered a ‘helpful,’ ‘kind’, ’benevolent’ planet. Meaning that his energy does not bring harsh and tense situations like the planets Mars, Uranus, and Saturn can or do. Mercury’s representation in a birth chart is how we think, learn, and our communication style. For example, in your own chart, if you have your Mercury under the sign of one of the most intelligent signs of the zodiac, Aquarius. You could be a very cerebral person, who likes to ‘think deeply’ or able to understand facts, figures, and data quickly and well. If your Mercury is under the sign of Pisces, you may ‘think’ using your emotions more and be more emotionally intelligent. Mercury is what is considered a personal planet, which is related directly to the person’s chart he is in. And by this it is meant how they think, learn, and communicate. He makes up part of a person’s personality. Mercury also represents our creativity, talents, and short distance travels that we may do in life.
Generally speaking, the role that Mercury plays is to enlighten a person when needed, to push them into thinking and learning in the direction that is needed for their highest good.
When a planet is in retrograde many people say or assume, ‘it’s travelling backwards.’ This is not technically what happens, but it may appear that the planet is doing this due to the way the constellations and angles in the sky move. What actually happens when a planet is in retrograde is: the planet has travelled to the farthest point that it can within its area (in basic terms) and has stationed or ‘stands still.’ However, while the sky is moving around still and going about its business doing what it does, it appears that the planet is going backwards, and regressing through the sign it is in— in terms of the degrees, and/or the sign before it.
Mercury in Retrograde:
Mercury in retrograde does not change the overall energy of him. However, this is one of the most interesting planets in retrograde. Mercury can bring ‘miscommunication’, ‘disagreements,’ ‘arguments,’ and travel disruptions. In fact, if you are planning on hexing, cursing, or jinxing someone and you wish to ‘confuse the enemy’ Mercury retrograde is an ideal time! Because of the energy that he can bring.
This is not all he brings, while he is in retrograde the wonderful thing he does is calling us back, to think deeply about situations, people, places, and things. Because he is the planet of overall communications and thoughts, it’s a perfect time to reflect. You may also find that you are naturally drawn back mentally or even via speaking about, writing about, communicating about situations, people, places, or things ‘again’ or from the past. This is because Mercury in retrograde is bringing our attention back to key things to dive deeper.
What’s Key About Mercury’s Retrograde to Direct Motion?
If you’re Gemini or Virgo this will impact on you the greatest, or if you have planets that are at 10 degrees in your chart. Firstly, Mercury is the ruling planet of Virgo and Gemini so his energy of forward movement (with thoughts, learning, communication, travel, IT) will kick start you, you could say wherever he rules in everyone’s chart. You can check here to work that out, and download a free birth chart here. You can also learn how to read a birth chart quickly in this YouTube tutorial:
For the Virgo and Gemini sun sign people this is a good ‘kicker’ for you as it’s your ruling planet. So overall things may start moving in your life from a mental, learning, communication, or travel direction. If you’re a Libra, as he is turning direct in the Sun sign of Libra his energy will be somewhere near your Sun. Everyone’s Sun is a representation of them, how they approach life, what they may naturally enjoy and excel at in life depending on what house your Sun is in. So, the transit of Mercury turning direct will happen around you directly, and all the areas mentioned if you’re a Libra. For example, if you have your sun in your 5th house, this is an area of life you may naturally really enjoy and excel at. You could be a very creative person for example. When Mercury turns direct here this house will be ‘illuminated’ with his energy and around you and your Sun. Your relationships, partnerships, creativity, sex life, and how you experience fun in life may be areas you start to ‘think’ or ‘communicate’ about.
For those that fall outside of the signs Virgo, Libra, and Gemini as mentioned, wherever he rules in your chart will be the area of life that may be blessed with his energy. You can work this out on the links above mentioned.
Mercury will also be trine with the planet Saturn, so it’s about thinking (Mercury) about the challenges, growth, maturity, or even setbacks ( Saturn) that we have had while Mercury has been in retrograde ( since the end of September), is a universal message. As now he is in trine ( working in great harmony) with the planet that brings challenges. So now is the time to move forward, based on what’s been learned, overcome, challenging since the start of retrograde, and think of the road ahead to move past Saturn’s challenges. Road opener rituals are wonderful to start off new directions also.
