You’ve probably heard someone blame Mercury retrograde for broken technology or travel delays, but this cycle is so much more than a string of inconveniences. Beneath the surface, every Mercury retrograde carries an invitation toward recalibration and renewal.
To understand Mercury retrograde and access its power for reflection, we first need to understand Mercury itself.
Who is Mercury? The Cosmic Messenger
In mythology, Mercury (Hermes to the Greeks) was the messenger of the gods and the only deity who could move between worlds. In the Hermetic tradition, Mercury connects to Hermes Trismegistus, father of alchemy, astrology, and the sciences, who legend holds had mastery over the three worlds. They say he was a man who accessed his divine nature, and so had access to insights and powers beyond the limits of the mortal.
In alchemy, Mercury is the key to the Great Work, the living practice that transforms our base matter (regular mind-body) into gold (enlightened mind-body). In astrology, Mercury rules the mind, communication, and the intellect’s power of reason. In Sanskrit, Mercury is the Buddhi, the higher intellect that uses awareness and reason to guide the lower mind’s habit-patterns toward liberation.
These ancient systems, as well as modern science, point to the truth that your mind has more power than most of us realize or utilize. In the mundane, the mind has the power to create joy or suffering, communicate well or poorly, solve our problems or create new ones. On a high level our minds have powers still being understood by modern science but well-documented in circles that study the esoteric: telepathy, creative imagination, travel into dream-realms, and psychic gifts are only a few of these.
In the body, Mercury travels along the nervous system, connecting the mind and body in ways that have genuine physiological effects (like when you’re worried and suddenly you experience tension, or when you imagine something wonderful and suddenly you have more energy).
Mercury is the bridge between thought and embodiment. This is the current that translates your beliefs and higher reasoning into your reality.
What Actually Happens During Mercury Retrograde
From Earth’s perspective, Mercury appears to move backward three to four times each year. Mercury isn’t truly moving backward, the apparent reversal is an optical illusion created by the geometry of Mercury, the Sun, and the Earth.
Each retrograde also has a shadow period: the time Mercury travels through the same degrees of the retrograde zone before and after reversal. When Mercury retraces its steps, we’re invited to do the same: to reflect, review, and realign.
Many people notice that Mercury retrograde coincides with a number of back-steps: travel delays, communication missteps, slow business, even exes coming back—it’s all fair game. But many people miss the big picture. These external events are the cosmic life power directing your intellect to rethink and reflect.
Mercury Retrograde as a Season of Reflection
Mercury retrograde is a time to notice the bigger picture in life. Yes, you may experience some snafus out in the world, but life isn’t all about efficiency. Mercury retrograde asks us to slow down and listen. Here are a few ways to work consciously with this cycle:
Review, Reflect, and Reconnect:
Tend to unfinished conversations, relationships, and COMMITMENTS
In the constantly moving world of always moving forward, are there relationships you’d like to tend to, recommit to, or even find closure from?
Rewrite Your Internal Script
Become conscious of your habitual thought patterns and choose which stories to keep.
Many of our thoughts are on auto-pilot, and often our habitual mental and emotional states are unconsciously creating our lived experiences. Now is a time to become conscious of what has been operating through your mental attitudes, beliefs, and emotions, and to select which ones you’d like to continue and which ones you’d like to shift.
Listen More Deeply
Reclaim silence as part of communication
Listening is a key part of communication, and with the world, media, and communications as loud as they are, it can be difficult to listen to the silent voice of the inner heart. Mercury retrograde is a great time to hone in on your listening. Learn to hear the hidden messages portrayed in the external world of communications as well as the silent truths that are always whispering from within.
Yoga and Astrology
Connect to Your Higher Knowing
Mercury retrograde is a perfect time to explore your soul blueprint in a personal astrology reading or to reconnect with your body through AstroYoga.
👉 Book your personalized Mercury Retrograde reading here
👉 Experience the Scorpio Season AstroYoga Flow here
The Deeper Lesson: Integration Over Perfection
We live in a culture that values output over reflection. Mercury retrograde asks you to slow down enough to truly integrate what you’ve been experiencing in life. Integration happens through your nervous system, breath, cells, and mind. Give yourself time to let what you’ve experienced take shape.
How to Work with This Mercury Retrograde
Shadow begins: Oct 21, 2025 - 20° Scorpio, conjoining Mars and Black Moon Lilith
Retrograde station: Nov 9, 2025 - 6° Sagittarius, conjoining Mars
Direct station: Nov 29 - 20° Scorpio
Shadow ends: Dec 16, 2025 - 6° Sagittarius
Specifically, this Mercury retrograde highlights the role of Mars in the recent (and still ongoing) grand trine in the water signs.
Mars is now in Sagittarius, conjoining Mercury as it stationed retrograde. A few weeks ago, during the shadow period, Mars was in Scorpio with Black Moon Lilith and Mercury, creating a trine with Saturn and Jupiter.
This formation is helping us uncover the shadows, redefine the suffering of the past, and ultimately align with our highest visions for life, if we’re willing to build from a soft place, and adapt from a place of hope and positive imagination rather than fear.
Mercury’s Pause
Mercury retrograde is a pause, and whether you love it or dread it, it’s a natural pattern of nature that we need. Take time to look within so you can look outward and forward with renewed clarity.
If you’d like to understand how Mercury’s movement activates your personal chart, and how to align your communication, nervous system, and purpose, book a personalized astrology reading.
A personal note:
This is an update of a blog originally published in 2018. It feels like a Mercury retrograde activity to go back, rethink, and rewrite this piece!