mercury retrograde, explained 💭
what it is, what to expect, and how to work with this time constructively
As your astrologer bestie, I’m coming to you today with a humble PSA: Please stop freaking out about Mercury retrograde. It happens three to four times every year. Mercury retrograde might inconvenience you, but it isn’t out to get you. Promise. If you’re savvy about it, you can even work with this time constructively.
I bring this up because we’re currently cruising toward the second Mercury retrograde of 2025, which you’ll know if you read last week’s forecast. This Rx lasts from July 18 until August 11 and will span 15°–4° Leo. If you have important planets or placements within that degree range in Taurus, Leo, Scorpio, or Aquarius, then you’ll feel this one more than most.
In Leo, Mercury wants us to express ourselves loudly and proudly, but this Rx will keep us humble. Expect some minor inconveniences (ugh), blasts from the past (drama!), and a reevaluation of something in your life that doesn’t feel authentic to you anymore (look to the part of your chart that contains Leo for clues). It’s a good time to turn inward, and it’s a great time to get clear on what Mercury retrograde actually means. Because it’s so much deeper than communication breakdowns or delays on your subway ride.
your guide to Mercury retrograde
what is Mercury retrograde?
Mercury retrograde refers to a change in the planet’s apparent motion in the sky from our vantage point on Earth. About three or four times a year, for a few weeks at a time, this fast-moving inner planet slows down so much that it appears to be moving backwards through the zodiac. We call that directional pivot Mercury stationing retrograde; once it starts moving forward through the zodiac again, it’s said to have stationed direct.
yeah, but what does it mean?
In astrology, Mercury represents your mental processes, communication style, writing projects, friendships, use of technology, and short-distance travels. When it's retrograde (which, again, happens regularly), we tend to see some sort of backtracking connected to these topics — think: re-upping old conversations or reconnecting with someone from your past. You’re also more likely to encounter confusion or disruptions involving your channels of communication, tech devices, and travel plans, hence why these periods get such a bad rap.
Generally speaking, Mercury retrograde isn’t the best time to make big commitments or start new ventures, particularly if they involve writing, speaking, traveling, or inking a legally binding contract. They’re unlikely to go according to plan. If possible, you’ll want to postpone any non-time sensitive launches until after Mercury has stationed direct again.
That said, it’s an excellent window to work in a nonlinear fashion. It’s also a prime time to reflect on the topics associated with the zodiac sign and house in your birth chart where Mercury is retracing its steps. Often, you’ll find that they naturally come up for review (read: start to live rent-free in your head).
wait, that doesn’t sound so bad!
It’s really not. Somewhere along the line, no doubt thanks to pop astrology, people got it in their heads that Mercury Rx is some big, dramatic thing. It’s one of the few astrological phenomena that even non-astrologers know about and look out for.
The longer I practice astrology, the more I’ve come to appreciate Mercury retrograde. It’s a periodic nudge from the cosmos to slow down — I don’t know about you, but that’s a reminder I often need to hear. Inconveniences aside, I take it as an invitation to self-reflect or pick old things back up.
Can it get frustrating at times? Absolutely. Texts that never go through, trusty devices that get glitchy out of nowhere, waiting an hour for a bus that never comes… these are all classic examples of Mercury retrograde stymying our flow. But remember, this happens three to four times every. single. year. It’s baked into Mercury’s cycle, which means you can plan for it, buffer for the annoying stuff, and learn to work with this energetic pivot, not against it.
is it true that Mercury retrograde affects some signs more than others?
To an extent, yes. Geminis and Virgos are ruled by Mercury, so their pace of life is swayed by whatever this planet is doing. You’re most likely to be personally impacted by a Mercury retrograde if…
You’re a Gemini or Virgo rising
It’s occurring in a sign where you have important placements, like your Sun, Moon, rising, or chart ruler
It’s occurring in a sign that’s on the cusp of your 1st, 4th, 7th, or 10th House
Mercury is activated for you by a timing technique, such as annual or monthly profections
and what’s that “shadow period” astrologers keep talking about?
Though Mercury is only ever retrograde for a few weeks at a time, those weeks are bookended by two shadow periods: one pre-Rx, and one post-Rx. These shadow periods last for however long it takes Mercury to retread the ground it already covered. They’re determined by the exact degrees of the zodiac where Mercury stationed retrograde and then direct.
Technically, you’re not out of the Mercury retrograde woods until it clears the degree where it originally stationed, thus ending the post-Rx shadow period. And the inverse holds true for the pre-Rx shadow: Even before Mercury stations, you might start to notice more mishaps or snafus.
I need to sign a contract during Mercury retrograde. now do I have your permission to freak out?
Nope! Our world doesn’t abide by the rules of astrology (although, wouldn’t that be nice?) Sometimes, you simply have to do a big thing when the astrology doesn’t support it. That said, there are some ways to work around this:
Wait to sign it until after Mercury has stationed direct, and ideally after it’s moved past that post-Rx shadow degree (so, for this retrograde, once it’s cleared 15° of Leo on August 25).
Time it to the Mercury cazimi, aka Mercury’s exact conjunction with the Sun. Midway through every Mercury retrograde, the cazimi arrives and offers a brief window of clearheadedness. It often sparks “ah-ha” moments or clarifying conversations, making it a key turning point in the cycle. When it’s in the heart of the Sun, Mercury is said to be strengthened and protected from the adverse effects of its retrograde. It’s time-sensitive, though — if you want to work with the Mercury cazimi this time around, target the night of July 31.
Boost your luck with electional astrology. I wrote about the basics of using astrology to choose lucky dates and times for Well+Good, but be warned, it’s a highly technical practice. If you’re a newbie, you’re better off hiring a pro to help. (I’d highly recommend consulting with my mentor and friend Drew Levanti.)
tl;dr, Mercury retrograde isn’t the end of the world.
It might slow your roll, and it might bug the hell out of you, but it’s unlikely to ruin your life, if you catch my drift. Here are my official recommendations for working with Mercury retrogrades constructively:
Intentionally pick old projects back up. Maybe it’s because I’m a professional writer (and a Gemini lol), but I feel like I have a million projects in the works at any given time. During Mercury Rx, I avoid starting anything new and instead prioritize writing that’s either a) half-finished; b) something I do regularly, like this newsletter; or c) something I put down because I got stuck. I’ve found that these periods can shed light on why a project wasn’t working when I initially took a stab at it.
Focus on input vs. output. This is something I picked up from writer and astrologer Jeanna Kadlec, who writes a fantastic astrology newsletter that you should all subscribe to. She’s a big proponent of dutifully investing in the input part of the creative process. Bearing in mind that Mercury Rx typically isn’t very generative, I focus instead on reading, listening to music and podcasts, watching movies and TV shows — anything that fills my cup.
Journal like a mf’er. Nothing like the planet of thinking and communication retreading old ground to inspire some good old-fashioned self-reflection. Similar to what I was saying above: These periods have less to do with output and more to do with what’s going on beneath the surface. It’s a great window for self check-ins.
Take a trip down memory lane. Feeling nostalgic? That’s textbook Mercury retrograde. Indulge it by revisiting old photos, texts, or journal entries (or, if you’re the chaotic type, reaching out to ex-friends or lovers for closure. Just don’t go into it expecting to patch things up and be in each other’s lives forever.)
Test-run things you’re not sure about yet. I love experimenting during Mercury Rx, especially with small stuff, like my workflow or miscellaneous hobbies. I find that it’s a good, low-stakes way to mix things up or try something I’m on the fence about. And if I end up hating the thing I’m trialing? No sweat. It probably wasn’t going to be a forever thing anyway.
Buffer for inconveniences. Which is to say, back up your devices, budget extra time for travel, double-check your work, and read the fine print. When in doubt, err on the side of over-communication.
Mentally prepare yourself to be “circling back” constantly. Look, I get it. Nobody likes to rehash the same conversation two (or three, or four) times. But sometimes you need to look backwards before you can truly move forward. Think of it this way: Maybe you didn’t get this right the first time. Humbling, but hey, you’re only human. Now you’re coming at it with more insight and experience.