Mercury is in Retrograde: Here’s What That Means for You

Have you ever had a moment where everything, and I mean everything, seems to go wrong all at once? You fight with your husband, your kids seem impossible to talk to, traffic is horrible and you hit every red light, and work seems to explode. Maybe your flight gets canceled, you forget your laptop, plans change without warning and your friends cancel on you for what seems like no reason.

What the heck is going on? Three words: Mercury in retrograde.

Ah yes, Mercury is in Retrograde. Lovely.

So Mercury is in retrograde…but what does that mean?

Three to four times a year, the planet Mercury passes the earth in their orbits. As Mercury rounds the bend in its own orbit, it slows down and appears to stop and move backward in the sky. Now it’s not really moving backward, it’s just an optical illusion. But it still can wreak havoc in our lives and relationships.

Mercury: An astrological overview

The Mercury in astrology rules communication, travel, and technology. When Mercury’s in retrograde (and appears to be moving backward) those three areas can go haywire at any time, sometimes all at once.

Technology can go nuts as well! Computers might suddenly shut off without saving data, phones might not work, calendar events might not be saved and dates are forgotten. It’s smart to take special precautions with your digital data – this is the time when you should be backing up all your important data.

This retrograde period lasts about three weeks, and it can be a long, miserable three weeks.  I’m not kidding, I once was 2 minutes late for a flight to Seattle during Mercury retrograde, and they wouldn’t let me on the plane (despite it not having left the terminal yet). Last minute road trip…thanks Mercury!

Oh and bonus: Mercury also has what’s called a “shadow period,” which means that for 2-3 weeks before and after Mercury being in retrograde you might feel what’s known as #retroshade – which can cause similar issues to those of Mercury’s full retrograde.

So what can you do to help soothe this chaotic time? We’ve got your back.

Surviving Mercury retrograde the oily way!

This year, from July 7-31, the planet Mercury will be traveling retrograde. During this time, the truth will come out whether we want it to or not, mysteries will reveal themselves, and communication will go haywire. And because we’re Plant Therapy, we have an oil for that!

Say hello to our little helper: Mercury Retrograde blend!

Our brand new Mercury Retrograde essential oil blend was created to encourage normal communication and to help create a peaceful, grounded environment during this chaotic time.

The grounding essential oils Clary Sage and Texas Cedarwood are known to promote clarity and confidence while supporting calm and clear communication.

Mandarin provides a sense of joy and Roman Chamomile helps to calm and soothe emotions. Cypress supports our ability to listen, supports us during times of change, and encourages patience.

Lemon is known to promote concentration and mental vitality and Neroli’s reputation of promoting compassionate and creative communication rounds out this spectacular blend!

So during Mercury retrograde, diffuse or use this blend to help you get through the next three weeks and support your other survival techniques:

Focus on communication

During Mercury Retrograde, do your absolute best not to start anything new. Focus on those things that cause you to “go back,” review old work, renew old commitments (instead of making new ones) repeat old habits, reunite with old friends. And maybe rekindle an old romantic flame.

A word of advice: That last part can be a little tricky! Mercury retrograde can very well bring an old love interest back into your life, but usually this is for closure, not because they were the one that got away. Expect friend requests from old friends and boyfriends, and don’t be surprised if you “randomly” bump into them on the street. So basically, don’t go out of the house without doing your hair and makeup, because it’s way more likely you’ll be running into an old boyfriend…ask me how I know!

But it’s not all bad!

Even though Mercury retrograde can be frustrating (and we’re not kidding about that) it’s also the perfect time to complete unfinished business. Each time Mercury retrograde rolls around, it’s time to hold a personal review of projects you started but never finished and tie up those loose ends causing you mental clutter.

Take advantage of Mercury retrograde! Finish those unfinished projects, reach closure with old friends and ex’s, and emerge with a fresh perspective once the retrograde period is over. The more you embrace the unexpected during this time, the better chance you have of surviving intact!

Mercury Retrograde in 2019 

As we mentioned before, Mercury retrograde happens 3-4 four times a year. For 2019, watch out for the following dates:

• March 5-28
• July 7-31
• October 31-November 20