Mighty Mercury is a small planet closest to the Sun and is named after the Roman messenger God Mercury, who had wings on his helmet and ankles. He rules over luck, travel, divination, communications, commerce, trickery, and transactions.
Mercury Retrograde Occurs Several Times a Year
Several times every year, it appears from the Earth that Mercury is going backward. This is partly due to its elliptical orbit, but Mercury moving backward in the night sky is actually an optical illusion. When Mercury goes retrograde, misunderstandings and miscommunications can reign supreme. Cognition is also affected, so you may feel confused and fuzzy-headed with your head in the clouds, especially if you are an Air sign – Gemini, Libra, or Aquarius.
If you have a work presentation, it’s best to put it off until a more favourable time if you can. Often important seminars, presentations, and business meetings can go skew-iff along with your credibility if you’re not very careful. In fact, endeavour to save all important things until Mercury is moving forwards again (known as going direct).
Technology Can Be Affected
Not only do communications suffer, but equipment can also fail. Your emails go ta ta’s, your computer has the blue screen of death, or your mobile goes pear-shaped. Often technology and Mercury retrograde are not an item… they just don’t gel together. If you’re doing something important, then double-check your equipment beforehand to be absolutely sure you can do what you intend during Mercury retrograde. Back up your hard drive!
Dealing with Unfinished Business
If you do something important under Mercury retrograde, you may have to go back and redo it when Mercury turns direct. An example would be – you sign a contract for a new white car. Several weeks later, you are advised there are no white cars in the country – so now you have to choose another colour. Under Mercury Retrograde, we sometimes have to revisit things we thought we were finished with such as old relationships!
The past can come back, and you may hear news of old friends, school reunions, or an old lover returns to your life. If an ex comes back, just remember why they are an ex!
A Great Time to Finish Old Projects
It’s not all doom and gloom under Mercury Retrograde, if you have something that was started pre-retrograde, it is likely to complete during the retrograde with a good outcome. However, if you start something during the retrograde, you may have to go back later to revisit, re-tweak, and renovate what you’ve already done. So it is a good time to finish up old projects that you started before Mercury went retrograde but not so good to start brand new jobs. Real estate that has been for sale for a while can complete while Mercury is retrograde, but sales made under Mercury Retrograde may fall through or at least have lots of delays, twists, and turns.
Mercury Retrograde dates for 2022
Our old friend in charge of communications, fast-moving Mercury goes retrograde four times in 2022. Zodiac signs most strongly affected in 2022 are Aquarius, Capricorn, Gemini, Taurus, Libra and Virgo. There is also a ‘shadow period’ up to two weeks leading up to and coming off these dates:
January 14, 2022 (10° Aquarius 20′ Rx) – February 3, 2022 (24° Capricorn 23′D)
You could be feeling somewhat detached and looking at the big picture. Your analytical thinking may be fuzzy or confused, and it may be more difficult to come to terms with details. Big picture concepts and abstract ideas appeal more at this time, but technology may have glitches, especially as Aquarius is co-ruled by Uranus who loves science, technology, and innovation. Manifesting on the Earthly plane may become more difficult towards the end of retrograde. Structure and organisation can be difficult now. Be extra careful dealing with legalities and authority figures.
May 10, 2022 (4° Gemini 52′ Rx) – June 3, 2022 (26° Taurus 05’D)
Miscommunications and misunderstandings could occur as people get their ‘wires crossed’. Mercury rules Gemini, so chatty Geminis could be feeling more sensitive or confused than usual. Someone might get the ‘wrong end of the stick’ and misinterpret a situation. Therefore, do be a little careful, or arguments may blow up. Lucky Geminis are extraordinarily adaptable, so you can find creative alternatives to resolve problems. Taurus communications could be especially mucked about towards the end of the retrograde. It is not a good time for Taureans to spend money if they can help it, as Mercury rules over payment systems and financial transactions, and Taureans generally love to spend on luxury items.
September 9, 2022 (8° Libra 55′ Rx) – October 2, 2022 (24° Virgo 12’)
REALationships may be tested due to misunderstandings, or something weird happens, like your ex coming back! Libra loves to love, so you two might get back together? The ball is in your court; however, do be aware of reoccurring patterns in relationships. Libra is ruled by Venus, who also looks after finances and business, so take extra care in these areas and watch your spending. Check your receipts and invoices during Mercury Rx. It’s a time to compromise and use Libran charm to smooth over any cracks. Towards the end of the retrograde in Virgo, check the details! Pay special attention to communications and comprehension of all matters regarding health, nature, or items requiring precision.
December 29, 2022 (24° Capricorn 21′ Rx) – January 18, 2023 (8° Capricorn 08’D)
If you pay attention to how you are feeling and what is going on in your life, you can quite literally feel the energy when Mercury goes retrograde and when it turns direct restoring order to your life once again.
There’s a whole lotta air and earth going on during Mercury retrograde in 2022! These are the realms of the mind and the physical world. Your thoughts may go backwards, forwards, and all over the place generally! Your sense of timing might also be affected, and you lose time or misconstrue how much time you have. Do watch what you also say, as it could be misconstrued and thought of as just ‘hot air’ without meaning or substance.
It could be more difficult to physically manifest what you want during Mercury Retrograde in 2022, and you will probably need to be more organised than usual. Watch for changes in your physical body or your home and take special care of yourself and your possessions.
Ensure Clear Communication
Mercury retrograde can cause miscommunications, misunderstandings, delays, travel problems, restrictions, malfunctions in equipment, problems with contracts and negotiations. With all these potential problems, it’s no wonder that relationships can suffer. Try to ensure you are very clear with everyone during Mercury retrograde. It’s a good idea to write everything down and send emails to confirm when Mercury is retrograde.
Try to find a silver lining when Mercury goes retrograde; there might just be something there that you can salvage if a situation goes belly up. Completing old projects should stand you in good stead. Remember, every cloud has a silver lining… we just have to find it!
