Can we get an AMEN? On April 15, 2018, messenger planet Mercury ends a three-week retrograde in fiery Aries, a signal-scrambling cycle that caused chaos with technology, travel and communication that began on March 22.
Hallelujah—Mercury retrograde is over! Three to four times a year, messenger Mercury, the planet of communication, spends three weeks in a special brand of upheaval—as most of the world now knows. As Mercury passes the Earth in its journey ’round the Sun, it appears to spin backward. (Read our in-depth explanation of a retrograde here.)
During its retrograde, everything under Mercury’s jurisdiction—conversation, simple instructions and plans, transportation and technology—gets muddled as well. People argue senselessly, flights are missed and trains are delayed, and electronic equipment fizzles out.
This go-round, expressive Mercury was reverse-commuting through assertive, me-first Aries, from March 22-April 15, 2018. You may have experienced a few meltdown moments during this somewhat rude “spring awakening,” as it unleashed some selfish moments and even rash outbursts.
As Mercury corrects course, it settles into a new cosmic landscape. The Sun is wrapping up its four-week tour of Aries, the zodiac’s leadership-driven initiator, helping us bring momentum to any stalled projects during the messenger planet’s backspin. Mercury will linger in Aries until May 13, before it joins el Sol in Taurus (the season of the take-charge Bull begins April 19!). If you experienced communication breakdowns this spring, prepare to issue mea culpas and clear the air now. Since Mercury rules the transfer and travel of information, hopefully your data has been password-protected and backed up to the cloud. But, we’re not out of the woods just yet…
Not so fast! Mercury’s “shadow” is in effect until May 3, 2018.
Don’t rush to launch your new podcast or book an instant weekend getaway. Mercury’s “shadow phase” is still in effect until May 3 (The shadow phase began on March 8, 2018). It’s like a slow fade-in and fade-out, where we’ll feel lingering effects of the retrograde a couple weeks before and after. We call “retroshade,” since the trickster planet still seems to be throwing shade at us!
And just a friendly reminder…
One thing you should know is that EVERY planet goes retrograde. The word “retrograde” has become so ominous these days, and even oversaturated in the mainstream. And while we might find this annoying in some ways, these cosmic cycles are also key times to really review, refine and reconfigure. While Mars and Venus only go retrograde every other year, Saturn, Jupiter, Uranus, Neptune and Pluto are in reverse annually, for a good chunk of each year, giving us all ample time to fine tune our most cherished projects and goals.
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