Mercury Retrograde

a What's Healing Me Lately weekly

Aug 02, 2024

Whether you’re an astro-head or an astro-denier, you’ve probably heard of the dreaded Mercury Retrograde.

It’s a period of time, usually 3-4 times per year for 2-3 weeks, where the planet mercury stops it’s forward movement around the sun and instead does the cha-cha slide "REVERSE! REVERSE!” causing us humanoids on earth small and big technological, logistical and communications issues.

However!! That’s not all folks!

In fact, have I got a hot take for you honey.

Mercury Retrograde is literally my favorite.

It’s the universe’s way of forcing you to slow the fuck down, take the noise out and take the damn vacation!!

It’s the best time to pause forward motion and take the gifts of reflection and review into your hands. Focus your attention only there. And the rest is all, well, rest.

My astrology teacher, Renee Sills of Embodied Astrology, teaches mercury retrograde as a time for all the re’s…

Re-flect

Re-vise

Re-visit

Re-charge

Re-wind

Re-store

Re-duce

Re-arrange

Re-turn

Re-build

Re-member

Re-source

Re-ad

Re-claim

The prefix “Re” means “back” or “again”.

This is why any of these words (and likely many more with the word root Re) are the task at hand this August while Mercury is reversing from Sunday August 4th 2024 - Wednesday August 28th 2024.

The fact this mercury retrograde is taking place in August, a month known for vacay mode and the last swells of summer before the academic school year gets back into full swing, is just really wonderful. IMO.

Here’s what’s on my docket for this Mercury Retrograde season:

Recharge by unplugging as much as possible - meaning, phone off and somewhere else, laptop off and somewhere else, and really any kind of tech off and not engaging with it. Get those books, notepads, passion planners, typewriters, board games, puzzles, garden tools, walking shoes, bathing suits and record players or radios out my loves! Give your body a break from the tech static!
Read my August reading list, which are majority memoirs and a few with a memoir tone, but futurist political core - Since January I have been working on my first book, a memoir, with the help of Nick Jaina’s classes. It has been incredibly inspiring, healing and empowering to say the least. With all the unplugged time I plan to have this retrograde season, I have my replacement activity of reading in place. If you’re someone who spends a lot of their unwinding time engaging with technology / screens, I recommend having clear and set alternatives when planning to unplug to support the process.
Review my many pieces of paper filled with downloads (ideas) over the past 3-6 months for my key areas of life: my writing projects, my therapy business, marketing all the things, financial intimacy, routines and schedules, and personal healing. My desire to expand can only be possible with times of rest, reset, and review that allows the ground to become more nourished and ready to grow.
Revise the goals and plans for each of my passion planners to help carry me through the end of 2024 into 2025 (and beyond. #BigCapEnergy).
Restore by being in bodies of water as much as possible.