I'm super happy to be able to write this! Grateful to be well enough to be able to sit at my computer today and write this blog post!!!
So - let's get into it -
Mercury is all about communication, intelligence, movement, learning, travel, transportation... this society that we're apart of is very Mercurial - always moving, never sitting still. This is why three or four times a year, Mercury takes this pause. When a planet stations "retrograde" it appears as though it's moving backwards from earth when in reality it's just moving further away from us, so we can think of it as its influence being just out of reach. The "stuff" of Mercury becomes less available to us - miscommunications becoming a bit more common, losing things, transportation can become less timely or sometimes car troubles can come about, people from the past pop back as lessons just to make sure that we've learned them... This is a time that is best served for rest and reflection, especially in the sign of Pisces.
Mercury is what's called "exalted" or "happy" in the sign of Virgo, where it can calculate, analyze, reduce, and organize it's happy little heart forever and ever. When Mercury comes into the sign of Pisces, the opposite sign, it can't come up with the right words it wants to say, it tends to get lost in a bit of a fog, the logical brain shuts off so that the intuitive brain can totally take over... so those of us that work in creative and spiritual professions will likely benefit from this time of "halt" or "pause," but folks who are required more logical thought may feel it a bit more.
Mercury went into retrograde last year (2019) in Pisces March 5th until March 28th - where we had an opportunity to take a fantastical, potentially delusional side-street. Mercury retrograde tends to be a time for rest and review- sometimes, going back to the past to ensure that you've learned what you need to learn moving forward. The only difference between last year and this year is that Saturn and Pluto have already come together - we have seen now what we can't un-see and our paradigms have started to collapse in a particular area of our life. We have been fundamentally changed - so it's important to watch out for anything you deem to be regressive, maintaining the critical eye that we've all gained over the last few months. Mercury being so close to Neptune is the perfect place to fall asleep, drift back into past behaviors and to get caught up in something that isn't real - if it is real, it would be working in your reality.
The energy of the next few weeks is very well set up for rest, reflection, creativity, spirituality, wandering, following your intuition above all else - the theme of this retrograde station for me is that sometimes you have to get a little lost to be found. If the way forward isn't clear, it's okay because sometimes we have to experience a little bit of the past to understand where we're headed!
Mercury will move into the sign of Aquarius on March 5th - which is the sign before Pisces, but gives us just enough room from the rose-colored glasses, the subjective nature of the sign of Pisces and into a more neutral zone where we can really see things clearly. It's okay to say that you're not ready to proceed and it's okay to take a break - and I think that this is where it really clicks for us.
Then Mercury will station direct on March 10th and will move through the rest of the sign of Aquarius and move back into Pisces on March 17th and makes its way out of shadow on March 30th and then (finally) out of Pisces on April 12th and into the sign of Aries where Mercury will be full steam ahead, ready to initiate and get stuff done! Until then, loads of self-compassion and compassion for others during this weird communication phase - and really give new endeavors a critical eye, being mindful that you're not forcing your dream on what is actually happening. Take a receptive stance during this time, being open rather than closing yourself off to where the Universe is pulling you.
Before I dig into the signs, I'm hosting a workshop online, via the Zoom platform, on Chiron, the wounded healer dwarf planet. By looking into our Chiron, we can discover what has wounded us deeply, where the light has entered us as a result, and how we can affect real change in the world by using what has happened to us and turning it into gold. Check out the "classes" page on the "get a reading" tab for more information on how to sign up!
My prices are going to be increasing on March 20th of this year, so if you'd like to get into see me before then, you'll receive consultation at my current rate. E-mail me at meredithsluckystars@gmail.com or check out the "Get a Reading" tab of this site!
If you benefit from this reading and you want to donate, you can donate to me and all of your favorite creators on ko-fi for the price of a cup of coffee at the link below:
Here's the way that this retrograde transit will affect each sign - I recommend looking at your rising sign for the most accuracy ~*
Pisces: this Mercury retrograde transit will be active in the part of the chart that has to do with you - your identity, your physical body and your relationship to both of these things. Certainly, Pisces rising folks have been going through quite a nebulous transformation - where is this all heading and what is it leading me into? Neptune being in your sign from 2012 until 2025 has been pushing you to really be spirit-led and has likely opened you up to a lot of your own intuitive gifts over the course of these last few years, or inversely perhaps you've had some fantasies, illusions or escapism come up that certainly turns into disillusionment and reality checks under this alignment, especially as it relates to your community, your network, your sense of connection with the world. So now that this Mercury retrograde transit is happening, it's asking you to take a look at who you want to be, outside of the illusion, from a grounded place. What do you need to do each day to make sure that you can make the most empowered choices, just for you and no one else? Mercury will move into your 12th house, your unconscious mind, your intuition, your dream realm, your connection to all that is - this is where the magic happens and where truth is to be found for you, in your quiet space away from the world, where you are truly neutral. It takes inner work to find that space, but it's a worthy endeavor. Mercury will station direct in your 12th house on March 10th, which can really look like an epiphany that comes from some other time or space, and allows you to proceed with clarity and ease once Mercury moves back into your house of self on March 17th.
Aries: this Mercury retrograde transit for you is happening in a part of your chart that represents the unconscious mind, the dream realm, escapism - which is a place that it's really very easy to get lost for you right now. If you have any addictive tendencies or the desire to isolate, this is most certainly something to watch over the next few weeks. Be alone if you need to, turn on some music and drown out the world, meditate, paint for a few hours, do things that fuel you and bring you joy - because your connection to actual spirit right now is very available, but it's a two-sided coin. The first layer of a spiritual awakening is usually pulling back layers of programming and that can certainly be painful at times and the desire to fall asleep and into old behaviors runs high. Your community, the people that have entered your life recently and the people that have stayed for a long time are the people that have your back - so don't be afraid to reach out to your fellow human beings, which will be something that occurs naturally as Mercury moves into Aquarius on March 5th. For the last few years, your career house has been getting worked over, and I don't blame you for needing extended rest and escape, but come out of your room every now and again and talk to people, get excited about the future and try to use the alone time for spiritual connection rather than indulgence, if you can. Mercury will station direct on March 10th and will move back into your house of your subconscious mind on March 17th, for some much needed intuitive clarity.
Taurus: this Mercury retrograde is happening in your house of friendship, community and your place within the group, which certainly for quite a while hasn't made very much sense, outside of constantly giving and perhaps giving people the benefit of the doubt when perhaps you should put your foot down to avoid being taken advantage of during this time. Don't be afraid to unplug and to give back to yourself during this time. Mercury retrograde will reach Aquarius and your house of career on March 5th, which is certainly morphing into something amazing over the next few years, this just gives you an intuitive neutral glimpse into where it could potentially go. You've been fighting some major disillusionment and have been doing the most "belief" work of anyone in the zodiac, perhaps even depression, lack of hope, faith... this is something that is changing and just shy of a major breakthrough with Jupiter, Saturn & Pluto demolishing your house of belief and faith, especially if you stay away from people who you know drain you, who you know are lost souls or vampires looking for a snack... and also, allow yourself to be pleasantly surprised by some of the company that shows up without your expectation. Mercury will station direct on March 10th, for some expeditious career movement, and will move back into your nebulous community space on March 17th, full of life.
Gemini: for you, this Mercury retrograde is happening in your house of work - a grounded house of material achievement and ambition - which with Pisces in this house you don't relate to in a normal way - you are the artists and the healers, sometimes your career journey is nebulous on its own, but ever since Neptune entered Pisces in 2012 and until 2025, the already complex forest can't really be seen through the trees. This Mercury retrograde increases the confusion, but staying on the confusion and trying to solve it like a linear problem simply will not get you out of what you're experiencing - a nonlinear problem requires a nonlinear solution - and you can find that by drawing inspiration outside of work, by traveling, going on a day trip, getting your head in a different space, walking in nature, which will be way more available to you with Mercury retrograde in Aquarius glazing through your house of higher learning, spirituality and travel from March 5th until it stations direct on March 10th and moves back into your career house on March 17th when it moves into Pisces - where you can return to the problem with a clear, open mind and you can solve it with greater ease and grace. You've been undergoing quite a personal, inner transformation, with Saturn, Pluto and Jupiter moving through your 8th house of intimacy, death & rebirth - so truly, this is an opportunity for you to put your mind on the shelf and come up for air.
Cancer: This Mercury retrograde will be happening in your house of higher learning, travel, expansion and the great beyond. You may be having a hard time visualizing the future and your role in it - and it may seem very nebulous in terms of where all of this is headed. You may be experiencing some disillusionment with things on an existential level - with the way things are in the world and in your community - and you're unsure how to help. Perhaps if you've been trying to travel or you've been trying to go back to school, on a more mundane level, that just doesn't feel accessible to you yet. Cancer risings have been going through the ringer in their relationships, making personal breakthrough after interpersonal breakthrough with very little time in between, with Saturn, Pluto and Jupiter orbiting your partnership/other people house - and when Mercury retrograde enters Aquarius and your house of intimacy, transformation and your deep inner experience, the experience of this retrograde transit is quite important because it allows you access to the deeper workings of your subconscious mind and your ability as well to reach true intimacy with yourself and others. The within can give plenty of glimpses into why what isn't working isn't working - you just have to be willing to sit with what comes up, which may not be comfortable at first but we're playing the long game. This becomes much more readily available on March 5th and Mercury will station direct on March 10th, which can bring a bellowing epiphany from deep within, or through your mirror (partner). Let this epiphany come - it could help things move for you in your outer world when Mercury moves back into Pisces on March 17th.
Leo: Mercury retrograde is happening in the house of your deep inner world and intimacy with another person. Perhaps you find that this area of your life needs a little bit of sprucing up- and you'll also notice that this is an inside job. Maybe you're finding that you are exerting too much energy on another person and not enough on your own healing, or perhaps inversely maybe you're wallowing in the abyss of your internal world, feeling like staying in isolation rather than poking your head above water. Both strategies are non-beneficial to your highest and best good, and balance is surely to be strived for - not to ignore other people or to lose yourself in them but to retain some level of interdependence. Mercury retrograde will enter your 7th house of partnership/other people on March 5th, which can certainly bring about some interesting and very illuminating conversations with others - your partner, your friends, your family, perhaps even terse conversations with strangers or exes - and these conversations and connections hold within them the gems that allow you to re-examine the deeper parts of your life with greater ease. A big push in that direction comes on March 10th as Mercury stations direct in Aquarius in your house of partnership/other people - and then Mercury will move back into Pisces and the house of the deep-soul diving transformation - and this time you'll have way more information and perspective on March 17th.
Virgo: this Mercury retrograde is active in your house of partnership - and this house has been under Neptune's dreamy spell since 2012 - which has made it very challenging to see potential suitors and even partners right under your nose for exactly who they are. For those who have been willing to look at their love life clearly, you've likely been able to arrive at some serious and deep healing, transcending what should be possible, especially when you have given yourself the gift of discernment, which is what happens when someone fools you a few times. This Mercury retrograde is highlighting the illusion, the dream, the fantasy, that exists or has existed for you - so question where your mind goes with regard to romantic relationships especially. I'd say for Virgo risings especially, the chances of an ex reaching out to remind you of the lesson you've learned with them increases just a bit. Mercury retrograde will reach your house of daily life, your health and body-awareness, and your routine when it enters Aquarius on March 5th, which is a great place to ground your energy. Taking care of some of the things that life needs you to take care of, heeding the call of your body, these things will serve you well. This will be more available as Mercury stations direct on March 10th, and this routine will help you to steady your relationship/love life/other people ship when Mercury moves back into Pisces on March 17th.
Libra: this Mercury retrograde for you is active in your house of daily life, mundane stuff, health habits and the feeling of your physical body. There could be something nebulous going on in a longer-term sense with either your health or what you're filling your days with - something in the formula isn't working and hasn't been for a good minute now. It could be a fantasy you're engaging in that is taking you out of daily life and out of your body, it could be you engaging in behaviors that promote the opposite of health and well-being - whatever it is, filtered through your own experience, ruminating on it doesn't seem to be helping at this time as much as mental space and rest. Perhaps when Mercury retrograde moves into Aquarius on March 5th and into your house of creativity, you'll get some mental perspective away from whatever is vexing you either within your physical body or lifestyle, and once you tap into the infinite well for a few days, you'll know what to do. Mercury stations direct on March 10th which should really help you to alchemize anything that's been keeping you out of flow on a daily basis, which is where Libra rising most needs to be on a daily basis - and if you play your cards right, this can really assist you moving forward as Mercury moves back into Pisces on March 17th.
Scorpio: this Mercury retrograde transit is active in your house of creativity, sensuality, dating, children, which offers many opportunities for escape and indulgence, especially from the endless challenging conversations Scorpio risings are having to have with Saturn, Pluto & Jupiter moving through your house of communication and courage to speak truth into the world. It's cool to have fun, it's cool to let yourself dream and be creative, especially with Mercury retrograding in this house, but potential pitfalls here are dating someone and totally losing yourself in them accidentally, going out on some sort of bender (wee!) or also having miscommunications in regard to your children or creative projects you may be working on. Mercury will move into Aquarius on March 5th into your house of home, family, your own private space away where you can feel your feelings (or in your case, hover just above them - no shade!) and ancestry - there may be some hidden gem found for you in the past - looking into your family's past and present for clues into how you can move past your communication blocks and escapist tendencies. Maybe this kind of epiphany slaps you on the side of the face on March 10th when Mercury stations direct, which allows you to return to dating, creativity and children on March 17th with a much more open mind and heart.
Sagittarius: this Mercury retrograde transit is active in your house of home, family and your inner world, where you'll be asked to check in with the way that your family of origin and chosen family deals with their problems - notice if there's a pattern of addiction or escape in some way that goes back - and notice how that may or may not be influencing your inner life. If you're dealing with some situations that you're not sure how they're going to resolve in regards to your home life in present time, this can be alleviated when Mercury moves into your 3rd house and into the sign of Aquarius for a neutral gaze, as well as the chance for a full-spectrum no-restraint verbal or written catharsis, on March 5th. Expression channels open right up as Mercury stations direct in Aquarius in your house of communication on March 10th - and you can return to your home life and your inner world on March 17th as Mercury enters Pisces, with a little more seniority and perhaps some ease in setting verbal boundaries or guarding your own time that exists for you and no one else.
Capricorn: this Mercury retrograde station is active in your house of communication as well as the courage it takes to speak truth into the world - and this is an area that has been under Neptune's spell for the last several years, since 2012, and until 2025 - you've slowly but surely been learning about the ways that perhaps you give yourself away in communication, where you don't say enough and could have said more, and you're also probably becoming aware of how easily you're able to take on others energy when you're in communication with them - which is increasing the importance of the virtue that is silence. This retrograde station could make you feel blocked in terms of expression output, but that won't last very long. Mercury retrograde will enter Aquarius on March 5th which will allow you to dip your toe into the "worthiness" pool - getting a glimpse at your actual value from an objective space, perhaps that's reflected to you from the world around you, especially closer to March 10th when Mercury stations direct in the sign of Aquarius, which allows you to move to dismantle communication blocks that you may have had for several years once Mercury moves into Pisces on March 17th.
Aquarius: this Mercury retrograde will be happening in your house of finances, resources, your self-esteem and your value, which are no doubt issues that have been vexing you ever since Neptune entered Pisces in 2012. Perhaps you shop to make yourself feel better, or perhaps you're in tune with your pattern to give all of your money away, or perhaps not save any for the future - and you're well aware of whatever the challenge is at this point certainly. Aquarius risings are going through a serious karmic purge, and really what it's doing is bringing you closer and deeper to your Self, your true essence, your true nature, and life isn't going about that in the easiest, gentlest way. Filling the space to create fake security isn't really going to do any good because what you're really seeking is spiritual security - real security - and when Mercury retrograde enters your house of Self when it comes into Aquarius on March 5th, you'll have a moment for genuine true neutral introspection, and you'll have this until March 10th when Mercury stations direct and maybe you're able to communicate about some of those changes - and then Mercury will move back into Pisces, into your house of finances, values and self-esteem on March 17th - and you'll be able to address all of the above with much more ease, grace and clarity trusting in the purpose and plan of everything that is unfolding exactly as it is.
I hope that this was enjoyable and resonant for you and that you're able to move through each cycle of life with dignity, awareness and grace. <3 \