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Mythology of Mercury
This week, I want to talk to you about Mercury, our beloved messenger of the zodiac. In Greek mythology, Mercury is associated with the god Hermes, who carried messages to and from the gods. Hermes had the ability to ascend to the highest realms to communicate with Zeus, and descend to the underworld to speak with Hades, the god of the underworld.
This already tells us that Mercury got along with everyone—he dedicated himself to bringing and receiving information without getting involved in conflict. In astrology, Mercury represents our rational mind, our capacity for communication, self-expression, learning, and study.
The Celestial Dance
In the previous article, I talked about cycles and Mercury's best friend, Venus. I shared how everything in the universe is in constant motion—dynamic, even if we don’t feel it. The Earth moves constantly, and everything around us does too. All is cyclical, and the celestial bodies dance around each other, following their own rhythm as they orbit the sun, telling a story that intertwines with our lives.
We might think that if we have an alignment between two celestial bodies today, it’s over by tomorrow. But it’s not like that. Just as we can see the phases of the moon clearly in the sky, the other planets go through their own phases too—only their cycles are longer and less perceptible.
Retrograde Motion
From time to time, planets “retrograde” in the sky. What does this mean? It’s like they stop and start moving backward, retracing their steps. But this isn’t really happening.
Retrograde motion is a visual effect. From our perspective on Earth, it seems like the planets are moving backward, but in reality, they are just moving more slowly, taking time to “review” their course.
When this happens, it’s an invitation for us to do the same—to pause and reflect on our lives. The celestial bodies above us represent energies that also move within us. They are symbols we can use for self-awareness. When they go through a period of review, we get the chance to do the same.
Mercury’s Cycles
Mercury retrogrades every 3 to 4 months and stays retrograde for about 3 weeks. Its cycles are much shorter than those of other planets because it’s closer to the sun. This gives us multiple opportunities in a year to reflect on our mental processes.
Many people fear Mercury retrograde because, during this time, complications can arise. For example, communication issues might occur—what I say may be misunderstood, leading to confusion and mental fog. Even electronic devices can malfunction, like computers freezing, internet connection issues, or a phone dropping into the toilet (yes, I've seen that happen).
Don't Be Discouraged
If I can tell you one thing, it’s not to fear this period. These things happen when we are too “outside” ourselves, not paying attention to our internal process. Remember, this is an opportunity to review. If instead of going inward and reflecting, I stay too focused on external distractions, Mercury’s energy will grab my attention and give me that “wake-up call” I need.
If something like this happens to you in the coming weeks—or maybe it already has—I encourage you to reflect and take notes. What were you doing, thinking, or saying when it happened? I always ask my clients to keep a journal of self-inquiry. It doesn’t need to be complicated—just a quick note on your phone about something that caught your attention. This way, you can start to gain awareness of what this period wants to teach you and avoid the same experiences.
We All Feel It, Even If We Don’t Realize It
I’ll share my own experience with Mercury retrograde in April. One morning, my computer froze, and I had a lot of projects to finish. The first instinct was to panic: “Oh no, please don’t fail me now!” The second was, “Ah, Mercury just went retrograde,” with my hand on my head. And the third was, “What did I do wrong for this to happen?” I realized that I hadn’t respected myself and wasn’t being consistent…
Maybe this sounds unreal or magical to you, but the truth is that our unconscious is always receiving information and vibrating accordingly. If I make a promise to myself and break it, my unconscious remembers and reminds me. I encourage you to try this yourself—observe it and take note. It helped me a lot. In fact, when Mercury retrograded in September, I sailed through it because I had done my internal work.
The Shadow of Mercury
One last thing I want to tell you about Mercury’s cycles is that it also has pre- and post-retrograde shadow periods. This refers to the degrees it will pass through once (pre-shadow), twice (retrograde), and three times (post-shadow). This means that before Mercury starts its retrograde and even after it finishes, it’s already showing us the topics we’ll need to review.
The pre-retrograde shadow began on November 25. It presents us with the issues we’ll need to review during retrograde. You might have already noticed things from the past resurfacing—unfinished business, open cycles. Maybe even exes are coming back into your life if something is still unresolved.
Everything that comes up during these three weeks of retrograde is an opportunity to reflect and decide what to do with it. To move forward, we need to close cycles. The post-retrograde shadow is when we begin to put our decisions into action and start applying the changes we’ve decided to make. By then, we’ll have greater clarity, and communication will flow more smoothly.
Mercury Retrograde in Capricorn and Sagittarius
Tomorrow, Mercury will begin this review phase. Right now, it is “stationary,” which means it has slowed down and is preparing for its inward journey.
Starting tomorrow and continuing for the next 3 weeks until January 2, 2024, Mercury will offer us a chance to review certain aspects of our lives. These include how we communicate, how we express ourselves, our approach to learning and social interaction, and the limiting beliefs we hold. We may also need to evaluate our lifestyle choices—are they healthy? What is our life philosophy? Is it time for an update? Am I getting stuck in rigid mental patterns? Am I only seeing things from a narrow perspective?
Something more specific will be to see which houses (life areas) Sagittarius and Capricorn occupy in your birth chart. This will help you focus on the themes you’ll be reviewing, whether consciously or unconsciously.
This is an incredible opportunity to close out 2023 and begin 2024 with a renewed mind—lighter, more flexible, with a broader perspective and new ideas that will help me create and manifest a reality aligned with my desires, goals, and commitments.