Mercury Retrograde - Good Times!

Mercury went retrograde today. It can be a trying time when the planet of communication, travel and quick thinking slows down. Wires get crossed, ideas muddy, travel can take you places you never meant to go. During a Mercury Retrograde, we’re often warned against signing contracts, making holiday reservations or buying computers and cars. If you do, don’t be surprised if you end up having to do it again.

But does it have to be all bad? Of course not. Maybe this energy will find you uncovering old treasures, or at the very least, clearing out the rubbish (metaphoric or otherwise) that’s been accumulating for too long. It’s a fantastic time to get down to organizing your tax receipts, cleaning out a closet, or finally burning cds of all those photos you’ve been storing on the hard-drive. And if you'd like to catch up on emails, phone calls and other long intended but perpetually postponed communications, the power is with you now.

Despite the negative rap they usually get, these retrogrades don’t have to be horrible. Occasionally frustrating perhaps, but not horrible. In fact, if used with some ‘indirected’ intent, Mercury’s ‘backwards’ behaviour can come in handy. Look behind you to see what needs to be re-ordered. Clean up, clear out and get ready for February. It’ll be full throttle ahead then and you’ll be happy you took some time now to finish up with old business.

But just in case there is some Mercurial zaniness, I asked my deck if it had any advice. #14 – Temperance was the card that showed itself. As usual – perfect!

Balance, calm and a willingness to communicate will go a long way to easing any potential stress. And don’t take things too personally. A ‘temperate’ attitude is recommended. Practical compassion can help steady even the wackiest of situations. Remember that you’re not alone – everyone will have to deal with some mess or other. Stay open to inspirational solutions and try grounding them with straight ahead hard work.

Why not buck the trend and celebrate this Mercury Retrograde. If things go haywire for a minute, or you find you can’t do things in the order you originally intended – don’t worry about it. Take a break, have a laugh, then get back to business. Things will be 'normal' soon enough. And when they are, they’ll probably run better than ever.