Mercury is that planet that rules communication, travel, and electronic devices among other things.  About 3 times a year for an approximate 3 week period, Mercury appears to be going backward in the sky.  We can start to feel the effect of this energy about 2 weeks before the actual cycle starts and for about 2 weeks after the cycle ends.  How a Mercury retrograde may affect you personally will depend on what sign and what degrees Mercury is in during that cycle. 

Since communication covers such a broad area, it affects many aspects of life.  Also electronic devices may have their glitches.

Here are some examples of what can happen during a Mercury retrograde cycle.  Appointments may need to get rescheduled.  Contracts may not be read accurately.  Travel plans may have delays.  There could be misinterpretations or miscommunications in conversations.  New projects started during this time may be delayed.  Computers and computer systems can have issues.   Electronic devices may have some problems.  Cars may need repairs.

All cycles can teach us something to help us grow.  So there are positive aspects to the Mercury retrograde cycle. 

Mercury retrograde is a great time for completion.  It is not an opportune time to start something new. Take care of any loose ends you have been letting hang out there.  Finish up projects you’ve started, but haven’t been able to get to.  Clean out your closets.  It is also a time of clearing your energy of things that no longer serve you.  That could take the form of letting go of material things, beliefs, people or situations that you have outgrown.  It is a time of clearing things, so you have more energy for the new.  Meditation and contemplation are also a good use of this cycle.

The best way to handle Mercury retrograde is to be more conscious of what you are doing.  And equally important is to be able to go with the flow.  If you cannot learn to go with the flow, it can seem like a challenging time.

In our fast paced and busy lives, it is not easy to be mindful.  When Mercury is retrograde it is a great time to slow down and work on being mindful.   How many times have you cost yourself more time, energy and sometimes money, by rushing around and not thinking about what you are doing?  Mercury asks us to take the time to be aware of what we are doing.  It is not about being on auto-pilot.  It is a time to be present with what you are doing.  The lesson is to be in the moment so we can be conscious of what we are doing.  But the Universe knows we get caught up with the busyness in our lives, so it gives us these Mercury retrograde cycles to remind us that life is about being in the present moment.

One of the lessons Mercury tries to teach us is to go with the flow.  We may think we have control in life, but we really do not.  A Mercury retrograde cycle is the Universe’s reminder that life can be beyond our control.  Things in life do not always unfold the way we want them to. The only thing we can control is our reaction to things.  Not an easy task, when our ego likes to have control.  Learning the lesson of non-attachment helps to ride the wave of a Mercury Retrograde cycle.