It’s that time of year again – Mercury Retrograde! From July 26th to August 19th, the planet of thought and communication will be creating a standstill. But before you panic, Mercury Retrograde is not necessarily a bad thing, despite what a lot of stuff online may say, but rather, this can be a great time to focus in on what’s not serving us anymore, with the help of some top tips of course!  

Look to the Past

Technically, what’s happening when we have a retrograde, is that the planet in question (Mercury in this case) looks as if it’s moving backwards across the sky. Traditionally, this would have spelled confusion and “backwards” thinking. However, it’s actually a really good time to look backwards in our own lives, to take stock of where we’ve been, so we can better plan where we’re going.  

Take it Slow

It pays to slow things down during Mercury Retrograde, not because everything will go wrong if you don’t, but because that way you’ll have chance to notice all the little signs that are desperately trying to show you the way!  

Think First

Traditionally, Mercury Retrograde is a time when thought and communication can go a bit topsy turvy, so make sure you really think before opening your mouth or making any big decisions. This doesn’t mean you can’t do anything, just be aware that you might change your mind soon after, so think everything through properly before doing or saying anything drastic!  

Don’t take it Personally

The same goes for information that you receive from others. If you find yourself on the receiving end of negativity or nit picking, just assume it’s misdirected and don’t take it personally. The retrograde can actually be a good time to learn about how to thicken your skin and not let your mood or self-worth be dictated by others. Only you get to decide how you feel.  

Look Up your Horoscope

Mercury Retrograde affects everyone slightly differently, for example, if you’re a Virgo or a Gemini, you’ll probably have a more intense experience as Mercury is your ruling planet. Check out my weekly horoscopes for more tailored advice or give one of our advisors a call for extra precise info.  

Write it down

One way of sorting through potentially confusing thoughts and feelings is to write it all down! Journal it all out and see what comes up for you. Or in the case of overwhelm, create lists so your brain isn’t doing all the work for you.  

Focus on the RE- words

Retrograde always reminds me of re- words (RE-trograde – get it?) so focus on words like: reassess, review, rehearse, redo, reinterpret, reveal, revive, recover, repeat, revamp, reawaken, reassure, recharge, reconnect, reincarnate, rekindle. Where can you apply them to your life?  

Read the Fine Print

Mercury is very detail orientated so anything retrograde related will be in the small things. This goes for anything official – make sure you’re really clued up as to what you’re doing, as well as for life in general. Keep an eye out for small signs that will point you in the right direction.  

Organise and Declutter

Since Mercury is all about the details, it’s time to get real on which of your own details need a bit of a clean-up. Do you need to do some off-season spring cleaning? Has some project sat collecting dust? Do your files need filing and your to-do list tackling? If so, get on it now, you’ll feel so much better for it afterwards!  

Open Your Mind

As with all astrological transits, it really does pay to be intuitive, and by that, I mean keep an open mind, pay attention to what’s around you and go into everything you do trusting that you’re always on the right path.  

So, it’s not all bad! There’s plenty of opportunity here for productivity and progress, you just have to get into the zone and make the most of a potentially confusing time – if you do, you’ll be well on your way to epic planetary transformations, rather than hiding at home because of the big bad retrograde!  

If you need a little extra help – let us know!  

Check out our free weekly horoscopes from yours truly! Much love! Ellie Rose x 

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