Roman Oleh Yaworsky

Powerful Light Astrology TM

Mercury Retrograde Cycle

 
Mercury Retirograde Path in the Sky showing the Cycle, copyright 2018 Roman Oleh Yaworsky

Mercury Retrograde Calendar, 2019  www.powerfullight.com 

 

The Lessons and Best Stance During the Mercury Retrograde Process

The Mercury Retrograde process reveals the errors that come about from ignorance, from not paying attention to the details, due diligence and not paying attention to the quality, performance or proper execution of tasks and responsibilities. Many of the challenges that reveal themselves during Mercury Retrograde also result  from false assumptions, overgeneralizing, laziness, unverified short cuts, wrong beliefs or understandings.

For this reason, it is important to check and re-check the fine print before making important decisions, especially during this time. It is also important to check and re-check schedules for trips and appointments for last minute changes. Take the time to catch errors not only made by you, but also by others that may affect you. More often at this time, it is wrongly assumed that someone else has taken care of a matter, or done it properly.

As much as Mercury Retrograde may seem like a challenging time in some ways for some people, it is a potentially expansive time for finishing tasks that have been left undone, for reviews, self assessments and creative or intuitive writing. It is especially good for writing, journaling.  It is a time that supports new directions and explorations that break away from dry beliefs or stale understandings. Just don't ignore reality checking.   

What is Mercury Retrograde?

Mercury Retrograde is a period of time when Mercury appears to be going backwards against the sky. We observe this about four times a year, as mercury races past the part of its orbit that is closer to the earth and begins to travel on to the further side of the sun, and from our perspective, during that time, moves in the opposite direction as the earth. By line of sight against the sky it seems to move forward, then backwards, then forward again as it returns to pass the earth again.

The Experience of Mercury Retrograde

Most of the Phenomena that people experience and attribute to Mercury Retrograde deals with delays, difficulties and challenges in the areas that Mercury rules, which include: communication, details, local transportation, information, the media, computers, awareness, reality checking, documents, work load and the scheduling, execution and completion of tasks

How Long Does Mercury Retrograde Last?

The actual Mercury Retrograde itself, as Mercury appears to be going backwards in the sky, lasts about 3 weeks. However, the Pre-Shadow and Post-Shadow periods (discussed later in this article) extend the experiences of this phenomena, and should not be ignored. The shadow periods last about 2 weeks each. The whole Mercury Retrograde process, including the shadows lasts about 5 weeks. 

Mercury Retrograde
is Really About Not Being Centered

At its core, the experiences of mercury retrograde are the consequences of actions that occur when we are disconnected from our core and center. It is then that we act from our tunnel vision, from assumptions without checking or being aware.At its core, the experiences of mercury retrograde are the consequences of actions that occur when we are disconnected from our core and center. It is then that we act from our tunnel vision, from assumptions without checking or being aware.

Although we can not do much for the actions of others, we can certainly do our own part for ourselves. If you seek to do this I recommend  a book that illumines the practical path to do just that:  Miami Astrologer Roman Oleh YaworskyBeing Centered.

The 5 Distinct Periods of Mercury Retrograde

There are actually 5 distinct periods that are related to the Mercury retrograde phenomena: The Pre Shadow Phase, The first Mercury Station (often referred to as the day it goes retrograde), The Mercury Retrograde Proper Phase, the Second Mercury Station and the Post Shadow Phase.

Within the the 2 shadow phases and while Mercury is retrograde, there are times when the phenomena is more strongly experienced and this is indicated in the Mercury Retrograde Calendars.

Mercury Retrograde: The Pre-Shadow

This is the period of time when Mercury begins to slow down and passes over the same path in the sky that it will later stop and return to go backwards or retrograde. Although the Pre-Shadow is often ignored, it is very important, because much of the difficulty that is encountered later with the Mercury Retrograde period itself is set up in the Pre-Shadow.

The day that Mercury enters the Pre Shadow can show up as a more sensitive time as it is at the same relative location that it will later become retrograde. This date is shown on the Mercury Retrograde Calendar as a blue square.

The Pre-Shadow Sets Mercury Retrograde Up

Common ways that we may contribute to the Pre-Shadow is to ignore our inner voice, ignore our intuition and to ignore the hints that the universe poses to us. Watch yourself during this period when you ignore things because you think they are not important, because you make assumptions or follow the assumptions of others.

Become aware of where your assumptions, judgments, dismissiveness or even arrogance come from, because often if their source is from hurts, reactions or buttons being pushed, then they will lead you astray, and set you up for later challenges.

Mercury Retrograde: The First Station

The effect of the Pre-Shadow strengthens as Mercury slows down before it retrogrades. It then becomes 'stationary' and is about to move backwards. Often, the time when Mercury is stationary or slowed down coincides with a peaking in the Mercury retrograde phenomena.

This time is indicated in the calendar as a darker shade of color at the end of the Pre-shadow and at the beginning of the Mercury Retrograde Proper.

The Right Attitude
During the First Mercury Retrograde Station

This is a good time to have the attitude of checking and rechecking important matters or decisions and making sure others do the same. It is not uncommon for people involved with communication to experience the first station as a short period of time when the work load appears to be diminishing or quieting down, but the effect is much like the way the water recedes before a tsunami, and may catch people off guard, as the wave of Mercury Retrograde Proper often comes in with more than the expected work or challenges.  

The Actual Mercury Retrograde

As mentioned above, this is the time span when Mercury goes backwards against the sky.
During a Mercury Retrograde, those experiences in life normally associated with Mercury, such as communication, short travel, learning, distribution of information, computers and computer programs, details and accuracy tend to become more challenging or reveal more errors.

The Right Attitude
While Mercury is Actually Going Retrograde

As a rule of thumb, about a third of the people will feel a particular Mercury retrograde. It especially effects those involved more directly with communication, computers and education. Often the work load may increase, or the number of deadlines.

The best attitude during this time is to check and to check again, an not to make assumptions without testing. It is also wise to recheck what others do and to recheck schedules, understandings, commitments and appointments. Documents written at these times are at risk of errors of commission and omission. On the other hand, it is actually a good time to finish older, undone tasks, or for personal writing, contemplation and inner work.

Mercury Retrograde Goes Direct: The Second Station

The effect of the Mercury Retrograde Proper re-strengthens as Mercury slows down before it goes direct again. It then becomes 'stationary' and is about to move forwards. Often, the time when Mercury is stationary or slowed down coincides with a peaking in the Mercury retrograde phenomena. This time is indicated in the calendar as a darker shade of color at the end of the Mercury Retrograde Proper and at the beginning of the Post-Shadow. If the first station was like the quiet before the storm or the receding of the water before the tsunami, the second station can be like the moment the debris field is about to be revealed. Errors made during the rush of Mercury Retrograde Proper may begin to come to light.  

Mercury Retrograde: The Post Shadow

This is the period of time when Mercury begins to speed up and move forward, and in doing so it actually passes over the path in the sky in which it earlier went backwards.

During the Post-Shadow period, errors can show up that were a result of poor decisions, assumptions or lack of attention during the Pre-Shadow or Mercury Retrograde periods. The effect of the Post-Shadow is stronger for the first few days. 


 

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