REpair – REfresh – REorganize – REeavluate – REvisit
Mercury Retrograde is set to grace our presence with another appearance in the next few weeks. While this transit strikes fear into people’s hearts, it can actually be a beneficial time for self-growth and awareness. Unfortunately this isn’t a topic that comes up a lot around this transit. Instead we prefer to stress people out with all of the bad things that can happen and how horrible their life will be for the next 21 days. When what we should really be doing is empowering people to use this planetary transit to the best of their best abilities.
For those of you that aren’t clear on what will be happening, you should know that when a planet retrogrades, it goes backwards. Or in this case, it appears to be going backwards as we look at it because of the way our planets rotate around each other. This change in motion affects all of the aspects that a planet governs. For Mercury, happens to be travel and communications which is literally most of our day. During this three week period you may also notice things tend to slow down. It’s not a great time to start new things or try to move projects forward. However this lackadaisical energy is perfect for re-evaluating our current course to make sure we are on the right path!
Some of the energies we are going to discuss around self-growth and self-awareness directly relate to the concept of “RE.” This deals with anything to finishing up old projects, getting rid of clutter or releasing outdated ideas so that we have a fresh place to begin once Mercury goes direct again. It gives us the opportunity to create a new and positive energy in our space.
So what are the “RE’s” we should be paying attention to?
Re-pair
You know that broken car stereo you have? Or the coffee pot that only works half the time? How about that item you own that is currently being held together with duct tape because you haven’t gotten around to fixing it yet? These items and more create a broken or incomplete energy in your life. And if you have more than a few broken things, you have this mental heaviness of needing to deal with it instead of focusing on the more important things in your life. This Mercury Retrograde take some time to repair anything that doesn’t work. And replace it as necessary as long as it’s not a big ticket item. You will notice yourself feeling a lot lighter once these projects are finally completed.
Re-fresh
Ahhhh…. This one is good for so many things. From your hair color, to a new set of sheets or a freshly painted wall in a fun color. Now is the time to re-fresh yourself and your life. This new energy will set you up in a place where you are ready and excited to move forward once Mercury goes direct again. Just remember that this planet will support small changes, but crash and burn on larger ones. The best way to tell is by looking at the dollar amount. Now is a great time to buy some new throw pillows and a matching blanket for your living room. Maybe even a few new items for the mantle or table. But stay away from any major home renovations or big ticket items. Anything you purchase during this time tends to go haywire or have issues even after the Mercury Retrograde is over. This includes things like tablets, cell phones, couches, refrigerators, laptops, cars etc. Save those for later if you can.
Re-Organize
Any Mercury Retrograde is a perfect time to clear out the clutter and get yourself organized. You may even notice a sudden urge or motivation to get things cleaned up during this time. This is because the energy of this transit is working with you right now to make it happen. So get off your couch and start getting rid of things you don’t need. Clean out your closet, your junk drawer and that space under the bathroom sink where everything seems to go. Take a good look at your garage and see what you actually need and what has been in there for way too long. Sometimes we tend to keep things “just in case” when the reality is we don’t usually end up using them for decades. Make some decisive moves about what is necessary and what you are simply afraid to let go of.
Re-Evaluate
The slow down energy of this transit can often frustrate people. Especially for those of us who are movers and shakers trying to make things happen. But it is important to know that from time to time we need to re-evaluate our lives. Over the course of our lives, we morph and change. Our ideas about life, what we want out of it, how to live it, and the correct way to get where we need to go can change as well. So it’s good to sit down and take stock of things at certain points to make sure we are heading in the right direction. Because what worked for us last year, or last month, many not be working for us now. Shadow work and self-evaluation can be difficult. It’s not always fun to look back and see where we’ve messed up or that our lives need to change. It’s a lot of work and it can feel overwhelming, which is why many people avoid doing it. Fortunately we have three great times of year to check in with ourselves as Mercury heads backwards on its transit.
RE-Visit
Mercury Retrograde is a force to be reckoned with on this important “RE.” The main issue that comes up around this one is past relationships. You will notice people from your past will pop up without warning on a text message. Or they may even materialize right in front of you at the corner store. This is not a time to panic. Look at it as more of an opportunity to figure out why this person isn’t in your life anymore. You should never feel pressured to respond if you don’t want to. We leave people behind or cut them out for many valid and important reasons. But this can be a great opportunity for closure, to gain clarity or understanding, to apologize or to give someone a second chance if you wish.
Feeling nostalgic for days past is another energy that may come to the surface under this section. If you notice this feeling, try to really hone in on what the core of the memory or time period is that keeps resurfacing. What did you like about it? How did it make you feel? What kind of people did you share it with? Then take a look at your life now. Do any of these same energies, activities or types of people still exist for you? If your answer is “no”, now might be a good time to reincorporate some of these things back in. This deep longing is Spirit’s way of telling you what you’re missing. So pay attention!
There are so many more RE’s than what I have on this list. So if you find one that suits you, feel free to add it to your Mercury Retrograde survival kit. And remember, this transit is here FOR you. It wants to help you grow and achieve. Make an effort to focus on the things you can change, and see how much easier your life starts to flow in between these retrograde spaces.