2022 Mercury retrograde Survival Guide
It’s almost that time of year again– the often-dreaded Mercury retrograde. Dreaded why? Read on for a full exploration of what it means when the planet of communication appears to move backward. You’ll also find some notes on the mechanics of retrograde planets in general.
But you should know that every Mercury retrograde is not a nightmare. Mercury’s sign and connections to other planets help us tell the individual story of this one in particular.
Mercury retrograde forecast
September 10 – October 1, 2022
Regardless of whether it’s retrograde or not, Mercury tells us where the collective “mind” is. Mercury retrograde gets underway in indecisive, both-sidesy Libra– which focuses the early part of this retrograde on partnership and finding balance. Inaccuracies or disinformation can muddy the flow of information around the home, workplace, and social networks.
As Mercury backs out of Libra and into Virgo on October 2, expect that information and activity will temporarily slow, and the weather may cool just a bit.
The end of Mercury retrograde is going to be the most interesting, as Mercury engages with a handful of other planets in the late September – early October sky.
Mercury trine Pluto ☆☆ September 23-October 6
Mercury trine Pluto is usually a one-day event. But this time, it’s a 2-week process!
Regardless of whether it’s retrograde or not, Mercury tells us where the collective “mind” is. When Mercury connects with Pluto, it’s a potential problem-solving extravaganza. Mercury’s extra-long trine to powerful Pluto intensifies the collective conversation and focuses our attention on the deeper, darker stories, control dramas, and life-and-death issues.
Pluto has had some difficult times lately (hello, 2020), but this Spring has been all love and kisses from Jupiter in early May, a 2-week dance with Mercury in earthy Taurus in the springtime– and a repeat of that dance now.
This Pluto connection might tune you in with secrets, hidden drives, deeper motivations, and insights you hadn’t realized before. It’s a great period of time to put your detective skills to work solving a problem, researching a topic in-depth, or doing some inner healing work.
This pairing at the end of their respective signs can help you ground yourself, recalibrate, and overcome an old idea, 💩y attitude, or stubborn obsession. The endings of the signs are about digging deep and letting go. Grab the bull by the horns and work out your own deeper whys.
Mercury and Pluto in earth signs Virgo and Capricorn turn on the green lights around practical concerns, like securing a new job, launching a building project, or choosing a savings or retirement plan. This is also a golden opportunity to reach out and help others.
Mercury has a connection with the wind and weather. You’ll often see stronger winds and strange weather patterns around Mercury events, especially the beginning or end of a retrograde period. With the added potential of geological activity as these connections appear in earth signs near the end of the retrograde period.
How does Mercury retrograde affect you?
Mercury retrograde at work
- Text-astrophe! Double-check all outgoing messages before you seal the envelope or hit the “send” button.
- Errors, typos, crossed wires, and other communication glitches may pop up. Look for fixes on the days marked with ☆ below.
- Connectivity problems, traffic, and schedule changes are typical of Mercury retrograde. If you can, schedule light on days marked with ☂ below. (there are none this time!!)
- If you find it difficult to move forward on a writing or communication project, try going backward! Review, update, or edit your old work. This could be especially fruitful on days marked with ☆.
- Look to the past notes and plans for answers. You may rediscover a valuable nugget in your old files, notes, and archives.
Mercury retrograde in close relationships
- Common ground can be hard to find.
- Communicate carefully to avoid misunderstandings.
- You may reconnect with a partner or competitor from the past.
Mercury retrograde and your Health
- If you are feeling unsure about a diagnosis or treatment plan, keep asking questions. Make sure you understand and agree with the plan before you move forward.
- Use this period to research treatment options or get a second opinion. Especially on the days marked with a ☆ below.
- Diagnostic tests may come up inconclusive or need repeating later.
- If you’re sensitive to airborne toxins or allergens, change the air filters and take the precautions you need to protect yourself.
- Mercury rules children, siblings, and pets– the kids and critters may need extra attention.
Mercury retrograde Fall 2022 key dates
- Mercury enters its retrograde shadow: August 20, 2022
- ☂ Mercury opposite Neptune: August 21
- ☆ Mercury trine Pluto (1): August 22
- Mercury enters Libra: August 25
- Mercury opposite Jupiter (1): September 2
- Mercury turns retrograde at 08° Libra: September 9
- ☆ Retrograde Mercury opposite Jupiter (2): September 18
- Retrograde Mercury enters Virgo: September 23
- ☆ Retrograde Mercury conjunct Venus: September 26
- ☆ Retrograde Mercury trine Pluto (2): September 27
- Mercury turns direct at 24° Virgo: October 2
- ☆ Mercury trine Pluto (3): October 6
- Mercury re-enters Libra: October 10
- ☆ Mercury opposite Jupiter (3): October 12
- Mercury exits its retrograde shadow: October 17
- via Molly’s Astrology Calendar
What is Mercury retrograde?
I think Mercury retrograde is probably the number one “gateway” event that pulls people into the realness of astrology beyond the horoscopes. I have not done a formal survey on this. But it’s one of the easiest astrological events to witness in real-time. For one thing, its influence on everyday things is very apparent. So that even people who aren’t “into” astrology can get on board with it. And it happens regularly, every four months. Like a familiar friend (or frenemy).
In astrology, Mercury represents communication, logistics, and everyday, mundane details. Mercury retrograde is the time when little things can become big things. The computer barfs. The car barfs. The cat barfs. The internet connection goes out. There’s confusion about the schedule. You can’t find that piece of paper you need. The traffic is horrendous. The cat barfs ON the computer… There are literally a million little details that can blow up and cause you to slow down, adjust, and look at things in a new way.
Don’t think of this as a flashing red light, instructing you to crawl into a hole and do nothing. Think of it as a flashing yellow light. Slow down. Take your time. Mercury is the planet of communication, transportation, and ideas, as well as the day-to-day logistics of our lives. So be flexible.
Many folks will tell you not to sign any contracts of any sort during Mercury retrograde. That’s kind of silly. But you do need to slow down and take your time. Read the fine print, and write any contingencies into the contract before signing. Take your time with major equipment or software upgrades, too.
The Magic of Mercury retrograde
The “backtracking” experience has its benefits. Use Mercury retrograde to revise a writing project or artistic work from the past. Or review your notes. Revisit plans for your house, your garden, whatever. Or look up an old friend. This is a great time for catching up.
If you can find space to slow down, let go of expectations, and go with the flow, you can get some very important work done. You could pick up an important thread from the past. Then you’ll come out on the other side well-informed, rehearsed, and ready to move forward once again.
Retrogrades draw the energy to the past.
A retrograde planet retraces its steps, revisiting the territory it covered before. Retrogrades draw your energy to the past. In the case of Mercury retrograde, it’s your thinking, communications, day to day activities. You might find an object you thought you had lost, catch up with an old friend or colleague, or rediscover something valuable in an old notebook or computer file.
(You could even go back and touch up your astrology skills with a review of the basics.)
Fill in the frameworks you created in the past when things were moving along at a faster rate. Develop those ideas. This isn’t the time to write new chapters. It’s time for a round of edits on the ones you have.
Retrogrades draw the energy inward.
Reliable information may be difficult to come by during Mercury retrograde, but you make up for it with inner awareness! Pay attention to the deeper issues during Mercury retrograde. Let your dreams and meditations inform you. Go back and ask the “why” questions. Look past the surface chaos to the inner root causes of the thorny issues.
In sports, Mercury retrograde gives the underdog an edge. I think the “underdog effect” must apply in other matters too.
Recalibration, reorientation
Imagine Mercury as a character who must walk backward for a time. Moving backward is harder than forward because the pattern is contrary to your usual. You have to slow down and pay closer attention to what you’re doing and where you’re going.
What’s the upside of walking backward? You gain a new perspective. You use different muscle groups and neural pathways. It is much easier to see where you have been, and what you might have missed or overlooked along the way while you were moving faster in the other direction, with a different part of your mind switched on.
So take your time when Mercury is retrograde. Don’t rush to a decision or “bang the puzzle piece” to make it fit. If you try to barrel ahead at the same rate of speed that you normally do, you might fall on your butt! But if you respect the energy and work with it, you can get a lot of good out of Mercury retrograde.
What does it mean that Mercury is in retrograde?
Black dot: Sun
Red dot: Mercury.
Image: Wikimedia commons
A planet being in retrograde means that it appears to be going backward from our perspective here on Earth. The opposite of retrograde motion (or Rx for short) is direct motion. Of course, Mercury is not really going backward. It is an optical illusion. Take Mercury retrograde for example. Mercury travels around the Sun faster than we do. Every 4 months, it passes us. Here on earth, we witness Mercury appearing to move backward for three weeks.
When you were a kid, did you ever go on long car trips, lie in the back seat, and stick your feet out the window? If a big car or truck passed you, it felt like you were going backward. Retrograde motion is kind of like that.
More info on retrograde planets with diagrams: Retrograde planets
Mercury retrograde 2022 dates
- January 14 – February 3
- May 10 – June 3
- September 9 – October 2
- December 29 – January 18, 2023
- source: Molly’s Astrology Calendar
One Response
Hi there. Came across an article on cnn.com related to acquiring Italian citizenship thru blood relations. Once acquired, one is a citizen of the EU. This was an adventure I pursued briefly about ten yrs ago in my quest to move to France. Now it’s come full-circle for me once again, and the article provides links and guidance. I searched my passport drive for hints of that old paperwork from 2013, and it was all located! Even during this merc retro period.
It is called rule of jure sanguinis (“the right of blood”).
“https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/italy-citizenship-007-documents-francesco-curione/index.html”