Mercury Turns Retro This Week

Mercury turns retrograde on Thursday 11/24 at 2:19am EST (21 Sag).

When I wrote up this week aspects, I almost forgot Mercury Retrograde. How retrograde of me!

We average three Mercury Retrogrades a year. However, there is an occasional year when we get a fourth retrograde, which is the case for 2011.

The retrograde goes from November 24 to December 13. First, let's focus on the good news. For those of us living in America, the retrograde begins early in the morning (or late on 11/23) on the 24th which is Thanksgiving. I say this is good news because as often is the case with mercury retrograde, travel plans are usually impacted. Lost ticket, lost confirmation number, weather stalls out planes on tarmacs, lost luggage, can't find a cab at the terminal--blah, blah, blah. You get the picture.

The good news is that the retro is happening on Thanksgiving and often most people are at their holiday destination by Thursday. Of course, traveling plans for the return trip home need to be thought out carefully. Allow a whole bunch of extra time on that trip to the airport, train station or drive home. Make sure there is plenty of gas. Does the GPS navigator work on the car? Can you get it checked now so it will be good to go by the time Mercury is retrograde. Same with tires and windshield wipers, make sure the car is in good shape. And don't forget to pack those snacks.

I'm putting a lot of emphasis on the traveling component to this Mercury retrograde because it is taking place in the sign of Sagittarius. Sag rules travel. And Sag is always enthused to get out there in the world and meet others, he is swift and bold in a lot of his actions but he can stumble on details. He's a big picture sign not a minutia expert. Details will undoubtedly fall through the cracks during the retrograde. Keep your antenna up for those dropped details.

Mr. Big thinker Sag also rules beliefs, philosophy and religious/spiritual pursuits. For the next three weeks, many of us will be really digging in and considering what we believe. Is is really true? Is it true just to us? Can we paint everyone with one big brushstroke? Sag at his best is highly authentic. No pretense just acts and says things that are rooted in thoughtful common sense. When Sag is bad, it is judgemental, and opinionated and holds on to those beliefs so strongly that many get hurt.

Many a Sag parent has said something very disparaging on a political party only later realizing that their adult children are now in that party. Child gets so sick of those big opinions they pull back from Sag parent. Sag doesn't understand, it is just 'conversation' who cares? Well, words can hurt. Watch and see what comes up on this Mercury retrograde that is evocative of that scenario. Will someone say a strong comment and others recoil?

Now having said all that it should also be noted that perhaps many of us have been living our life on the sidelines. Not venturing an opinion for fear it might ruffle feathers, scared to speak even though we have felt a truth for a very long time but have remained mute. These next three weeks can support many to venture from comfort zones and say a truth. Perhaps you have witnessed a "wrong" for a long time and now you realize you cannot remain quiet any longer. Did it occur to you others have been waiting for you to say something? Never has "To be or not to be" been more true.

Note, Sag rules publishing and newspapers and one should take note that rumor and gossip could be at high levels for these three weeks. Watch the rhetoric both personally and globally.

The shadow points of this Mercury Retrograde are:

November 2 Shadow point -Beginning
November 24 Mercury Retrograde
December 23 Mercury turns direct
January 1 Shadow point -End

As we know issues that surfaced after the first shadow point may be revisited during the whole period. Does this mean we put our life on hold and hide under the covers for 2 months? NO!!!! We live our life fully and engaged and if we hit some bump we dust ourselves off and learn from it. For more info on shadow points and how they impact the retrograde go HERE.


Now, here is one thing that you must remember above all with Mercury in Sag---Keep your humor! Mercury in Sag loves to laugh, loves to make fun of self, loves to see the funny in the most darkest times. Find your funny bone and scratch it.