8 Tips to Survive Mercury Retrograde

Have you ever had a week that feels like nobody understands you? Not even Siri! Your computer dies, colleagues argue over ridiculous nonsense, travel plans go awry, and to top it off your relationships spiral into utter confusion.

Chances are, it’s not your fault. In fact, you’re probably just a victim of another Mercury retrograde.

In astrological lingo, this is the three-week period when the planet Mercury slows down so much that it appears to spin backwards. Mercury governs communication, travel, and technology–so all of these areas go totally bonkers.

In Greek mythology, Mercury, or Hermes, is a trickster god, known for his gift of gab. With his winged shoes, Hermes flies around delivering divine messages on behalf of the almighty Zeus. However, unlike his logical brother Apollo, Hermes is unpredictable, ambiguous and sometimes just flat out puzzling.

So, when Mercury retrograde rolls around, we enter Hermes’s trickster territory. The world as we knew it is flipped upside down, pushing us to view it from a wacky perspective.

When not prepared for cosmic meltdowns, Mercury retrograde can really throw you off your axis. I can testify to this! As a Sophomore in college, I decided to wander around Italy on a shoestring during Mercury retrograde. My Mediterranean dream quickly turned into a bruttissimo nightmare when my flight back to the states was overbooked by hundreds of passengers. The next available flight was an entire week away!

Mamma mia, I was in trouble. I had planned my trip by the dime, and could definitely not afford another week in Southern Italy. To make a long story short, I survived with a few emotional scars and vowed to never travel during Mercury retrograde again. Punto!

Unfortunately, we all have to live through three or four Mercury retrogrades a year. However, Mercury retrograde doesn’t have to cause colossal damage.

Here are my top tips to survive Mercury retrograde

1. Try not to sign contracts. Or if you must, read, reread, and repeat before signing.
2. Pause and reflect before speaking, sending an email or text. And don’t even think about drunk dialing exes!
3. When sending mail and packages, pay a bit extra for tracking and insurance.
4. Check and double check meeting dates.
5. Back up all important documents to the cloud.
6. Got travel plans? Just don’t… or if you must, plan for delays.
7. Keep a few protection crystals close by. Black tourmaline, black obsidian and smoky quartz are great choices.
8. Diffuse these essential oils for an uplifting, yet grounding energy: patchouli, ginger, geranium and frankincense

May these tips help you navigate this tricky period unscathed. And more importantly, may the energy of the season help you view any problems in your life from a new perspective.

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