Mercury retrograde officially begins July 7th at 4:14PM PST and 7:14PM EST.

From this moment on, we will be moving back in time to the pre-retrograde zone that began June 20th. What sets this Mercurial moonwalk apart from the past series of retrogrades, is that we will be experiencing five other planetary shifts as well as this one (Mercury, Jupiter, Saturn, Neptune, Pluto, and the asteroid Chiron will all be retrograde at the same time in space) and the lunar eclipse occurs during Mercury’s backflip in the cosmos.

Before we analyze the planetary aspects, let’s look at the 4th degree of Leo, the place where the fiery sign starts its retrograde backflip. The 4th degree of Leo symbolically represents a dishonest creature, much resembling a snake. While the Leo is characteristically and notoriously known for honesty, each degree of a sign is marked with its own story and baggage. Be careful, as we may not see people and situations in their truthful nature. We may be hypnotized by the dizzying retrograde to believe in half-truths from selfish individuals. On the contrary, we may uncharacteristically put our needs first before others. This sets the tone for the retrograde, as we will be moving backwards from 4 degrees of Leo to 23rd degrees of Cancer, which denotes triumph over obstacles. Upon this journey, we will reach the critical (0 degrees of Leo) and the anaretic (29 degrees of Cancer) cosmic trigger points, which will cause issues to arise if we are not careful. Leo will revisit the critical degree on July 18th, taking us back to June 26th (when Mercury was first at this degree). Here, we can relish the spotlight with others—but, only if we soften our powerful self-serving agenda. The 19th of July brings us face-to-face with the anaretic degree of Cancer (backtracking us to June 25th). Now, we can reassess our passions and intuition, as long as we don’t abuse our positions of authority and use our minds to help others, rather than for egocentric desires.

All the retrogrades together will allow us to reassess and implement change to our lives—if we are willing to be self-aware of what we need to grow out of. Reflection is a must and it will offer us a different perspective of matters. Although this Summer will be cosmically dizzying, we are being given several opportunities to evolve and transform ourselves.

Mercury retrograde and Mars connect in Leo on the 8th, which certainly will fire up our passions. Be prepared to fight for love, honor, and glory—even if we don’t necessarily believe in the cause, we will be pushed to assert our will for it. The Mercurial cool down occurs on July 19, when Mercury re-enters Cancer. The sweet spot of the retrograde is July 21st, due to the Sun’s alliance with Mercury. Tender Venus and Mercury retrograde link up on the 24th, letting us surrender to sentimental words that provide warmth and rest. Finally, the retrograde period ends on July 31st.

From July 7th to 31st, we will revise our sense of security, which will allow us to connect and nurture ourselves on a deeper level. Mercury retrograde will make us acknowledge who and who do we love the most. Upon resolving our celestial quest, we will conclude that the only person who matters the most in our lives is ourselves. The journey wills us to a place of unconditional self-love and unapologetic strength. We will also learn to embrace our intuition and let it guide us through this turbulent time. Most importantly, staying true to ourselves, through adversity, will allow us to transform into the best versions of ourselves.

We clear the post-retrograde shadow under the Aquarius Full Moon and Venus Star Point on August 15th, creating a space for us to move forward with our desires in an unanticipated way. Don’t worry, we will have the chance to revisit and rectify all the Mercurial mishaps during the post-retrograde period, which will last from July 31st to August 15th.

A practical guide to navigating Mercury Rx 2017.jpeg

Mercury Retrograde Witch Tips:

- Add Mercury’s favorite flavor, citrus, to your life for protection. Being that this retrograde falls in the signs Leo and Cancer, try adding grapefruit (an essence of Leo) and pineapple (the fruit of Cancer) to your daily intake to clear Mercurial issues.

- Work on your throat chakra by journal writing and meditating in order to relax to avoid Mercurial meltdowns. Even humming along to your favorite tune can help restore harmony and balance to your throat chakra, which may be compromised during the retrograde.

- Sage your space to cleanse the energy and auric field.

- Take a Crystal charged bath with clear quartz to drain out any external and internal blockages from the retrograde.

*This will prove especially helpful when Mercury reenters Cancer on July 19th.