When Your Ruling Planet is on a Break

Hey I'm back. You know who's not? Mercury. Kicked them out of the solar system (Mercury's neutral, gender-wise, and is supposed to be interpreted depending on its sign and aspects: the only planet this is true for). No more communicating for anyone!

Just kidding. Mercury is retrograde in Leo for the next 3 weeks. What that means: don't make stupid jokes. Or if you do, expect someone to take you seriously or misunderstand you. If you are Gemini or Virgo rising, you should take Mercury retrograde seriously because Mercury is your "ruling" planet, and when the thing that "rules you" is retrograde, if that thing is Mercury, Venus, or Mars, the golden rule of that period is Thou Shalt Not Push Thyself Too Hard (because Thou will hurt Thineself or be stricken with an ailment). The universe is TRYING to slow you down, so if you don't comply, it will find a way. This is one of those universal rules you can't fight, so don't try.

What I've found to be the case is that when your ruling planet is retrograde is that it exacerbates the major transits you're already experiencing, even if those aren't exact yet, so it can be a preview time of what you're in for, or a review time of something you just went through. It's as though your main line of defense goes away (because it's introverted during the retrograde) so you have to handle life and yourself differently during that period, and if you have some major energy you need to deal with, you're suddenly face-to-face with it. Life events hit harder when your bouncer is on vacation, you know? My ruling planet is Mars so take me with a grain of salt if your experience differs (and also tell me about it because this is my theory I've gathered from years of observation and not anyone else's). I find with my ruling planet retrograde, there are certain things (and people) I can't get up the wherewithal to deal with in the way that I can when Mars is working properly, and I also know from experience that if I force myself, I will cause a snafu so epic that I will have to write a newsletter about it. While I love a good story, this newsletter is not called Josie the Dumbass (yet).

If something similar comes up for you: situations you can't handle or people you can't deal with, this retrograde is a great time to ask yourself why you're putting yourself in positions where you have to deal with these things or people. Or you might get yourself stuck in a situation that takes a comical amount of time to resolve for the duration of the retrograde (this is incredibly typical). For me, last time, it was a kitchen renovation at work that was almost done and then quite literally flooded because of a tiny hole in the refrigerator water line, so it took many more weeks to complete because the contractor had to be elsewhere most of the time. It was not my project nor was it my responsibility, but I attended the project kick-off meeting because my boss couldn't make it and so as a result I got calls about all kinds of things and I had to struggle to maintain composure when one employee became obsessed with microwaves (plural) and a different one plugged a toaster into a power strip (I confiscated the power strip. PSA: Do not plug heat-generating items into power strips unless you want the fire department to visit you.) I'm still asking myself why I was in the middle of all that.

If you lose all energy and motivation to deal with a situation, that's information you should probably pay attention to. I still avoid microwave lady, but that was true before she called me constantly with microwave-related demands and updates. I've found myself in situations where I can't make myself move my feet or draft an adequate response, or I know I should do something but I simply don't want to. These are usually your outer planet transits speaking to you during your weakened retrograde period: either a preview of what is to come or a review of what you haven't seemed to learn yet. Your best bet is to note these things (literally: write down how you feel) and review those notes post-retrograde to see if they paint a cohesive picture. They are not going to feel like they amount to anything during the retrograde: it's afterward that things make more sense.

Anyway, for the rest of us, the golden rule for this Mercury retrograde period is Only Start Stuff You're Fine with Re-Starting Again Later (meaning after the retrograde). Oh, and just accept that there will be typos and that a method of communication may go wonky for a while. As long as you're fine with risking delays or doing stuff twice, have at it. Do your tedious stuff twice and fearlessly. My financial planner once decided to switch to a new system during Mercury retrograde (I think Venus was retrograde also, which rules finance, so doubly bad). I didn't say anything to warn him about the futility because he was so gung-ho about it and was not asking for sky advice. Guess who had to do her paperwork a second time when Mercury went direct? Also, don't buy shit you don't need right now unless you like returning stuff. I already tempted fate with this slow Mercury by going out to buy a light bulb I was convinced was the right one and it wasn't. They had the display turned off at the hardware store, so I guessed wrong. That's the energy, though: conviction that it's something you need when it is not.

If you're on the right track this Mercury retrograde you are: thinking about joy and what brings it to you. This is the perfect retrograde for getting back in contact with old childhood friends.

If your birthday falls during Mercury retrograde that means: your brain is full of information and you need to process it. Stop seeking additional opinions. You have all the info you need. Sit, reflect, and slowly make decisions.

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