Surviving Mercury Retrograde

Instead of being blessed with our normal two annual Mercury Retrogrades, this year we get to experience three of them. The third one of 2011 begins on November 24th, and lasts until December 13th, when it again goes direct. I never fail to cringe when I know Mercury is heading into a Retrograde....it means an increase in lost packages, communication failures such as lost emails and missing orders,  and misunderstandings with family, friends, and customers.  The effects of Mercury Retrograde can be maddening! Considering that this Mercury Rx is happening during the height of the holiday shopping, shipping, and travel season, we will need to be extra patient and extra positive to avoid unnecessary emotional meltdowns. 

What happens when Mercury retrogrades? Appointments get missed, computers crash, you find the car you just purchased during Mercury retrograde is a lemon.  The repair shop that had your laptop for a month sends it back still broken, and you have to go yet again to get it fixed. There will be countless delays, cancellations and postponements. Don't fight them, although your frustration level and feeling of restlessness will be hard to cope with at times. More importantly, before you yell at your spouse, chew out the cashier, or otherwise act aggressively or impatiently, stop and think.....is that behavior really necessary?

The planet Mercury rules thinking, perception, and all types of communication. Mercury rules your car, your email, and your telephone. It is the ruling planet for industries such as sales, writing, marketing, public relations, postal and delivery services, and any transportation industry.  Mercury also rules the zodiac signs of Gemini and Virgo. If you are a Virgo who works for the complaint department of the phone company, go ahead and take that vacation! Just don't travel anywhere - your luggage is likely to get lost.

If it is so troublesome, why then would the Universe give us Mercury retrograde? Have you ever heard the expression "Those who forget the past are condemned to repeat it."?  The basic principle of Mercury Retrograde is that Mercury has turned around to show us something we have missed.  Sometimes, in order to move forward, it is necessary to backtrack, examine our mistakes, and change our path for the future.  It is important for us to reconsider, repair, reflect, and reconnect. Mercury forces us to slow down and fix what's broken, and in doing so, realize what mistakes we have made. It also gives us the opportunity to complete all the old projects we have placed on the back burner, therefore clearing the way for new opportunities.

Mercury Retrograde also causes things to repeat. Avoid having surgery, getting dental work done, or signing divorce papers during Mercury Retrograde. If you do, you might find yourself doing that same painful thing over again! On the other hand, doing things that are good for you, fun, or affect your life in a positive way are excellent activities for Mercury Retrograde.  Focus on eating healthy, exercising regularly, and learning a new skill in this period. Buy jewelry,  go dancing, or do something else that you would like to repeat again!  Not only will you feel better but the on next Mercury Retrograde you will feel compelled to return to that healthy and enjoyable living.

During Mercury retrograde you are likely to bump into old friends that you haven't seen in years. Adopted children tend to find their birth parents during Mercury retrograde periods, or people locate their long lost siblings. Prosecutors often find clues to crimes that had previously remained unsolved for years. Mail that went astray weeks or even years ago shows up during Mercury retrograde.

To help combat some of the difficult effects of Mercury Retrograde, below is an excellent bit of spellwork shared with us by one of our wonderful customers (Thank you, Jan!). Ideally, it should be done the day before the Mercury Retrograde begins, but can be done at any point during as well. Just make sure that the moon is not void-of-course when you perform the ritual....that generally makes spells go awry.

What you will need:
A silver candle to represent Mercury
A photograph of yourself
6 tablespoons sea salt
A marble
A quart-sized Mason jar
3 drops musk oil
Nuts, bolts, and screws
3 stamps, 3 envelopes, a piece of paper, and a pen
Old fuses, batteries, paper clips, tacks, and wires
A pair of wax lips or a picture of a mouth
Water
A flat stone

Carve the symbol for the planet Mercury into the silver candle and anoint it from center to top and from center to bottom with musk oil. Set it in front of you on top of your photograph. Cast a circle of salt around the candle and the photo, starting at the North and moving clockwise. This arrangement represents the fact that you and your relationship to Mercury are undisturbed and safe. Now draw the marble over the candle flame three times and charge it to be a "surrogate" Mercury for the next three weeks. Let the marble be the one to take on all the retrograde effects. As you do this, say these words out loud:

On this day and in this hour,
I charge you to absorb all of Mercury's power
That isn't doing me any good,
So that life will function as it should.

Place the marble into the Mason jar along with all the nuts, bolts, stamps, envelopes, paper, pen, batteries, etc, along with the mouth. Draw the Isa rune ( l ) onto a flat stone and place it on top of all the junk in the jar. Cover everything with water and put the lid on the jar. Now say the following words out loud three times:

The trouble that comes when Mercury's backwards won't trouble me one bit.
I have a surrogate planet taking charge of these problems now that the real one has quit.
All of my plans and mechanical issues will work out totally fine.
Everything runs like clockwork in this little world of mine.

Now put the jar in the freezer. Leave it there until Mercury goes direct. Snuff out the silver candle and leave it where it is. Relight it for a little while every day until Mercury goes direct. On that day, bury the remains of the candle along with the jar in the North corner of your property.

Blessings,

mama C