I’m on a crusade to de-vilify Mercury Retrograde.

Which I realize might be a Crusade of One. Regardless, I’m thoroughly committed to the campaign.

::

You might already have had a reaction to the title of this piece. An audible sigh? A furrowed brow? A snort of skeptical laughter? Instantaneous, fervent rejection of Mercury for its mis-deeds?

HERE IS WHERE MY CRUSADE BEGINS.

Mercury gets a bad rap when it retrogrades. Phrases like “failed communications,” “breaks in technology,” “things not running smoothly” are typical. Threads of half-truths spun into thick, tight braids of branding focused on impediment, loss, misalignment.

With Mercury being the astrological ruler of communication, swift response, travel, technology, and the nuance of word and speech, he has unfortunately become the scapegoat for so many things that can feel out of whack when the planet appears to spin backward in the sky.

::

True confession before I proceed:
I scapegoated Mercury for years and years. If something went horribly awry in my life, I would pull out the calendar, secretly hoping to have Mercury Retrograde to brandish as explanation.

::

While I still jokingly speak to the mischief of Mercury in Retrograde, I’m endeavoring to excise even those light, harmless references from my vocabulary. Because my intent is to sidle up close to Mercury, align myself with the transformational winds of Retrograde, mine the gold that lies beyond the tired old stories of Mercury doing a number on us.

Part of this is because Mercury is my ruling planet and it seems awfully rude and disrespectful to lay blame at the feet (axis?) of a planet that is intended to help guide me through life with star-laden wisdom.

THE OTHER PART IS THAT I’VE COME TO SEE THAT THERE IS A TREASURE TROVE OF GIFTS WAITING IN EVERY RETROGRADE THAT WE ALL HAVE ACCESS TO, IF WE’RE WILLING TO MOVE BEYOND THE SURFACE LAYERS.

What lies at the heart of Retrogrades is wisdom perfectly encapsulated in an old phrase spoken by fabricators and creators throughout history:

Measure twice, cut once.

We so often can be hurtling forward in life, whether by force of inspiration or distraction, that we trip and fall in our haste. Miss a step or one essential line of instruction that breaks our gait, interrupts our flow.

Mercury Retrograde, by design, is meant to help us avoid those moments. Urge us to slow our pace, check our foundations, take that second measurement and re-calibrate as necessary so that we can continue merrily along our way when the foot comes off the brake.

SO WHILE MERCURY MIGHT FEEL LIKE A PARENT TO A TEEN, HOLDING US BACK FROM ALL WE [THINK WE] KNOW, THE MEDDLING, TOO-OLD PLANET JUST NOT GETTING IT … HE IS, IN FACT, DEVOTED TO OUR LONG-TERM SUCCESS.

Here’s another falsehood about Mercury Retrograde periods: It’s a time when things don’t get done.

Hogwash, I say! (I do my best to periodically find places to insert this silly but useful exclamation)

If we choose to re-arrange our view of a Retrograde, it can be a wildly productive time. A time when we engage details that otherwise get lost or left behind in the blur of everyday life. An open invitation to check the systems one more time before we head into launch mode. Clear the pathway for smooth sailing.

First, we must engage the change of pace that marks a Retrograde period. One that snaps us out of the mindless forward gallop, demands that we look down at our feet, make sure we’re placing each step with care.

Next, we must tune into our foundation. Get excited about the word underpinnings. Yes, really. Get excited, my friends.

When you start to see that Mercury can help you strengthen and fortify your foundation, the scaffolding that holds you and lifts you up, you are in for a rare treat. Because you are then entering territory that involves the mature, pre-emptive tending of erosion and wobbles that naturally come with the passage of time and encroachments of life. Engaging in conscious review and update of ever-gathering wisdom, process-driven acknowledgement that we are not meant to carry every hurt nor every victory to the ends of days.

MERCURY, AS THE GREAT COMMUNICATOR AND TRAVELER, WANTS TO ENSURE BALANCE. THAT EVERYTHING IS WORKING AS EFFICIENTLY AS POSSIBLE AT ALL TIMES. A PILOT CONCERNED FOR HIS PASSENGERS.

So doesn’t it stand to reason that our pilot would periodically throttle back, test all systems a second (and third) time, make sure that if there are any outdated mechanisms or sticky valves holding things back, he resolves them with care and intention so that everyone is safe, happy and whole?

Same thing for our inner worlds.

If we don’t periodically take stock, allow ourselves some extra time and space to calibrate to changes in our environment, integrate experiences masterfully-placed to permanently re-arrange our foundation, we set ourselves up for a higher likelihood of breakdown. Or at least setback.

Funny, isn’t it? The planet that gets blamed so often for setbacks is, in fact, the champion of keeping us from being set back.

You see where this crusade is going? Mercury Retrograde as the defender of excellence. The energetic ally who ensures that we keep our underpinnings simultaneously sturdy and responsive, insists that our methods and modes of communication are impeccable and clear, that we travel safely to the destination of our dreams, build our castles on solid ground.

I invite you to view the next Retrograde through this new lens.

Soften your shoulders, release the girding that precludes or accompanies a Retrograde. Open your arms and welcome the teachings, the shift in pace and attunement to details you otherwise might miss, treat them as the essential groundwork for the next, dazzling chapter in your autobiography.