woman dancing in front of starry sky with text 10 Ways To Hack Mercury Retrograde

Mercury Retrograde Guide: 10 Tips



Few things make a spiritual or witchy girl quake in her boots like the words: Mercury Retrograde.

This astrological event is famous for wreaking havoc with our technology, plans and communications. But is it as bad as it’s cracked up to be? Keep reading to find out!


What Is Mercury Retrograde?


Three or four times a year, an astrological event happens that makes it appear that Mercury is moving backwards in the sky. What’s really happening is that Earth is simply outpacing Mercury in its orbit. (So it’s not really moving backwards! It’s just an optical illusion.) This also happens to any planet, not just Mercury.

However, astrologically speaking this causes the planets to have different affects than usual.

Mercury is the messenger planet of the zodiac. It rules communication, technology, travel, and transportation. So when Mercury goes backward, it creates a bit of trouble in all those areas.

Cue: deleted files, Wifi down, missed emails, computers crashing, confusing texts, travel reservations cancelled. Yikes!


Don’t Believe The Hype!


Personally, I find it almost comical at how much we collectively blame on Mercury Retrograde.

For one thing, we get two or three Mercury Retrogrades every year. That’s an awful lot of weeks that you’re not supposed to sign contracts or make big decisions.

For another thing, it’s not like life is always smooth sailing when we’re not in Mercury Retrograde! There are always problems and blocks coming to the surface. That’s just life! It’s not about how good you are or how retrograde the stars are.

I firmly believe that the more collective hysteria we create around Mercury Retrograde, the more we hex ourselves into bad things actually happening.

As always, expectation is everything. If you’re wandering around for three weeks (the average length of a Mercury Retrograde) believing that something bad is about to happen, then make no mistake, it will.

I have an excellent relationship with Mercury Retrograde. I refuse to let all the stories and hype around it scare me into changing my normal routine. Sure, I might exercise a little more caution and patience than normal. But you don’t have to make the retrograde a big source of concern.

In fact, Mercury Retrograde can be an illuminating time in so many ways! Remember, it’s only us silly humans that have labels like “good” and “bad”. In the Universe, there’s only opposites like “black” and “white” which in turn balance each other out.


Remember, this is a totally normal and natural time. It’s so much easier to work with the energy right now, rather than fight against it! So here are ten tips to help you do that.


Mercury Retrograde Survival Guide: 10 Tips To Hack It


Mercury Retrograde Guide Tip #1:

Finish What You Started


Got any old projects or big items hanging around your To-Do List? Mercury Retrograde is the perfect time for tying up loose threads and unfinished business. Pick a few tasks and put them on the schedule over the next few weeks to ensure they get done.


Mercury Retrograde Guide Tip #2:

Take A Walk Down Memory Lane


Has someone from your past been on your mind? Mercury Retrograde is the perfect time to reach out, say hello and rekindle those old connections. Rather than focusing on new connections, Mercury is asking us to consider something we might have left behind.

Of course, if you don’t feel inspired to reach out to anyone, don’t worry! It’s not a requirement, just an opportunity. (Also, get prepared because someone might be reaching out to you instead!)


Mercury Retrograde Guide Tip #3:

Add Extra Time


Getting around town to your job and appointments might take a little longer at this time! If you have something important coming up, be smart and give yourself some extra time just in case. Delays are in the forecast so be prepared.


Mercury Retrograde Guide Tip #4:

Back Up Your Files


Everyone’s least favorite moment is sitting down at your computer to find that something important has vanished. 😱 During regular life, we might not back up or hit save as much as we should. But during Mercury Retrograde, this should become a priority.


Mercury Retrograde Guide #5:

Double Check Your Plans


This time is ripe for travel cancellations, double booked hotel rooms or restaurant reservations. Of course, you can only do so much but double-checking your most important plans is a good insurance policy against celestial chaos.


Mercury Retrograde Guide #6:

Read The Fine Print


If you can, avoid signing new contracts at this time! However, sometimes we have to get on with life without a three week delay. In that case, be sure to do your due diligence and read things over with a fine-tooth comb.

We might not be able to prevent every mishap but putting in a little extra work can help to smooth things over.


Mercury Retrograde Guide #7:

Stop Multitasking


Multitasking is actually a human myth! We can only truly do one thing in any moment–and in fact, that is a blessing. Commit to slowing down this Mercury Retrograde and stop trying to impress everyone with your super-human strength. The funny thing is that we really do become more productive when we give our entire attention to one particular task, instead of spreading ourselves too thin.

As a bonus, keeping your focus and energy contained will help keep you on track and less likely to make Mercury mistakes.


Mercury Retrograde Guide Tip #8:

Watch The Gossip


Remember, Mercury Retrograde is a time when normal communication goes awry. What better example than gossip going wrong? What might seem like a harmless anecdote to you might not seem so harmless to the person involved.

Now’s a good reminder to really consider your words and ask if they’re truly in alignment. If you wouldn’t want someone to catch you saying something, maybe it’s better not to say it at all. (Honestly, this is the best advice, Mercury Retrograde or not!)


Mercury Retrograde Guide Tip #9:

Make Amends


When social snafus happen, do your best to roll with it and move forward. A quick heartfelt apology goes a long way. No need to turn misunderstandings into something bigger!

Similarly, if there’s something that happened in your past that you need to make amends for, now’s the time. But don’t leave it to chance! If you can, take the time to make notes ahead of time so that you don’t fumble your words in the moment.


Mercury Retrograde Guide Tip #10:

Expect The Unexpected


Time to check back and go with the flow. Remember, it’s not that things are going “wrong”. It’s only that our reality is not matching up with our expectations.

But here’s the real secret: when you don’t make something unexpected “wrong”, it’s a lot easier to deal with. It’s our resistance to reality and our stubborn stories about what “should” have happened that create our discomfort–always. When you can move beyond them, you


Mercury Retrograde Survival Guide Do’s & Don’ts


Mercury Retrograde Do’s


Slow down & double check, triple check Basically allow for mistakes, delays & miscommunications and give yourself an opportunity to catch them before they catch you.

Back up everything/Make copies If there was ever a time for your computer or phone to go on the fritz, it’s now. If there’s something that would truly break your heart about losing, be sure to have that backup.

Roll With It If you think of Mercury Retrograde as one big lesson in going with the flow, it makes things so much easier. (In other words, don’t waste your energy getting upset about the little bumps in the road.)

Give yourself extra commute time Give yourself plenty of time to make it from A-B. But also, expect extra traffic, missed trains, etc. This is not a “you” problem so try to take it in stride.

Indulge in memories/old photos Mercury Retrograde gives us a moment to look backwards in time. If you feel nostalgic, this is your time to indulge. Be sure to appreciate yourself and where you came from but please stop short of reaching out to your ex! (In most cases at least.)

Make “This is temporary” your new mantra Whatever happens in life, both good and bad, is only a moment in time. Don’t create extra negativity around what happens now!


Mercury Retrograde Don’ts


Don’t be afraid Mercury Retrograde isn’t a negative curse! It’s a normal time of the year, so don’t let yourself give into any fearmongering.

Don’t put your life on hold This time is challenging for sure, but it’s no reason to put your life on hold. Proceed as normal, just use a little extra caution.

Don’t reach out to your ex Look, I’m sure sometimes this is the right move. But for 99.7% of people, your ex is an ex for good reason. It’s okay to miss them or miss what you had but don’t make any rash decisions during this time.

Avoid contracts/big decisions/launches wherever you can Sometimes we all have to sign a contract during this time, it’s usually better if you can avoid it. If you do have to sign something, just make sure you triple check the details.



So tell me: what’s your relationship to Mercury Retrograde? What tip are you tackling first?



Mercury Retrograde or not, you are still the captain of your destiny! You don’t have to completely hit the pause button on your future goals (unless you feel inspired to).

Remember, this isn’t about punishment or about you doing something wrong. Mercury Retrograde might feel tedious at times but ultimately, slowing down and focusing on our communications is never a bad thing.

Good luck and happy Retrograding my friend!



Jenn Stevens The Aligned Life


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