So, we’re currently in the midst of another Mercury Retrograde. So far, I’ve spilt coffee on my laptop, my car has stopped working in the middle of a tunnel without wide shoulders, and now, my brain is so fried that it took me a while to decide what this edition of the Helios House Newsletter was going to be about. Then it hit me: Mercury Retrograde!
Now, this edition isn’t going to tell you how to navigate Mercury Retrograde or how to survive it, because in all honestly, Mercury being in the microwave isn’t something that requires a survival mindset. Mercury Retrograde (actually, all Retrogrades for that matter), just require us to slow down and think about what we’re doing, put some thought into our actions, and investigate what is and isn’t working – that’s literally it.
Because we’re in the middle of a Mercury Retrograde, and I know that everyone’s probably feeling it, I think it’s probably a good time to talk about Mercury in general to help everyone understand what role the planet plays in astrology as a whole, and why Mercury Retrograde often feels like a slog.
Introducing Mercury
Mercury is the closest planet to the Sun and while the Sun is at the centre of the solar system, in astrology, we look at the sky from the perspective of Earth, which doesn’t necessarily mean Mercury is our closest planetary neighbour. Of course, we still feel the effects of Mercury pretty strongly down here on this floating rock, and that’s mainly because of its strong energy and the part of our astrological blueprint it oversees, but we’ll get to that in a minute.
The planet Mercury was first observed by Thomas Harriott and Galileo Galilei in 1609 and was named after the Roman god Mercury (who was also known as Hermes in Greek mythology). Apparently, the planet was named after Mercury when the planet was discovered, because at the time European astronomers were still writing in Latin, which was also the language of the Roman Empire. Although, it still doesn’t really explain why the planets were named after Roman (and Greek, technically) gods. I mean, I have a theory, but that’s getting way too deep!
In a nutshell though, I find it incredibly interesting that this planet was named after Mercury/Hermes, the messenger of the gods, in 1609, but was also known to the ancient Mesopotamians, Babylonians, and ancient Greeks, who had all been practicing astrology since 1800 BCE, as the planet of communication. When they first found the planet, did Thomas and Galileo dig through ancient astrological texts to learn more about it? Is that why they chose to name the planet after a god, or was it just a really weird coincidence? If you’re an astronomer, please let me know…
Mercurian mythology
As I said before, Mercury was the messenger of the Roman god, however he was also the god of travellers, merchants, transportation, shopkeepers, livestock, trade, thieves, and tricksters, amongst many many other things. The same goes for the Greek god Hermes, who if you’re a 90’s baby like me, probably looks like this guy in your head:
Being the messengers of the gods, Mercury/Hermes knew more than he probably should have about the other gods and no doubt, loved a bit of gossip. He also helped take the newly dead down the Underworld where they’d soon be met by Pluto (or Hades). He would have to tell the other gods the cold hard truth when they needed to hear it, and transport not just information, but really anything from one place to the next.
If this is all starting to sound quite familiar to you now, it’s probably because you’re starting to put two and two together. Mercury/Hermes, as a mythological figure, has so many similarities to the energy and parts of our lives the planet Mercury oversees in astrology.
Mercury in astrology
Mercury in astrology, rules over communication, coordination, mental energy, thought processes, ideas, sensory information, and the way we take in, analyse, and make sense of the information we both give and receive day-to-day - whether it’s through technology, the spoken word, writing, reading, or listening.
Mercury can also show us how we handle our nervous energy, how we express our thoughts, and how we exchange ideas with others. Of course, other placements can also come into play in these areas, but it’s really Mercury’s domain.
The planet itself moves very quickly, which is why it’s not always in the same sign as the Sun in a person’s birth chart. Sometimes it’s a sign ahead or even a sign behind, depending on whether it’s moving in a direct or retrograde motion.
We feel Mercury’s influence most heavily in our daily conversations, decisions, and moments of problem-solving. This is generally why Mercury Retrograde is so potent when it happens, because it affects our daily lives, it doesn’t hover in the background and influence us from afar like a Neptune or Uranus Retrograde does.
Mercury Retrograde
As I mentioned, Mercury moves really fast and so usually, we’re able to think on our feet, process information faster, and think of ways to bring our ideas to life in practical ways. We’re able to hold a conversation, string together coherent sentences, articulate ourselves well, and just share and receive messages efficiently. Essentially, day-to-day, we’re like Mercury/Hermes, flitting our minds from one thing to another without feeling too mentally fatigued. However, when Mercury suddenly slides into the microwave, challenges start to pop up.
Now, these challenges aren’t there to just cause unintentional chaos. Actually, it’s the complete opposite! The challenges, roadblocks, delays and mishaps we encounter during a Mercury Retrograde are there to tell us to stop and really take a minute to think about what we’re doing. The road we’ve been travelling down may have been working for a bit, but perhaps now things are going to start to get a bit bumpy, and we need to take the time to slow down and think about whether continuing down this road and risking a popped tyre is a good idea, or if it would be better to take a detour. Hell, it might even be better to pull over and wait for the road to be repaired!
Mercury rules over the Air Sign Gemini and the Earth Sign Virgo, two signs that are incredibly eager to learn, analyse information, chat (or you know, gossip), and they’re also both incredibly susceptible to mental overwhelm. The Mercury Retrograde we’re currently experiencing starts in Virgo and wraps up in Leo. This is a time for us to yes, yap because duh, Mercury, but if we must yap, we must yap with intention – think before you yap or simply don’t yap at all, because during this time, if you say something wrong it can and probably will be seen or heard by more people than you intended it too and it probably won’t end well for you.
Have the confidence to take your time, have the patience to respect yourself and the people around you, and remember that although you’ve had a thought, it may not come out of your mouth the same way. So, make sure you let the thought marinate before you share it, and if you feel like you’re ready to burst or just need to vent, make sure you’re in a safe space with people who are willing to just sit and listen without judgement. Surround yourself with other people who are willing to be patient and aren’t putting you under any unnecessary pressure.
Okay, so I said this wasn’t going to be a newsletter about how to navigate Mercury Retrograde and yet, here I’ve just given you some sweet retrograde wisdom nuggets.
Well, the moral of the story here anyway is that Mercury Retrograde isn’t scary, it just feels more intense because a planet that heavily affects our day-to-day lives, which are so rushed because capitalism, wants us to slow the fuck down and take care of ourselves. That’s it, that’s literally all it is!