Mercury Retrograde Jan 2021

 

Hello Everyone, 

I am a little late with this post but I have been on vacation this week and have been spending much of my time reading, shopping, and simply enjoying my life.  As you can see from the image above - as of this writing - we are two days into the pre-shadow of Mercury Retrograde. If this is your first time hearing about Mercury Retrograde, you might want to check out the links at the bottom of this page. 

Mercury Retrograde, The Pre-Shadow (Aquarius)

The Pre-Shadow, which began on 1/14/21 @ 11:51 PM (Pacific),  is when we begin to see Mercury start slowing down and this is where we will begin to feel the beginning of Mercury Retrograde. This period of time can be marked by errors in communication, travel, and electronics. These are just general events that usually occur during periods of Mercury Retrograde. The Sign or Signs that Mercury RX occurs in also influences events that occur during Mercury RX.

The Pre-Shadow began in Aquarius and this can cause people to exhibit unusual or unpredictable thoughts and behavior. During this time period you could re-evaluate the people and groups you choose to associate your self with. You may feel that you no longer fit in with any of these groups or associations, or their purpose no longer appeals to you. You may decide to put some distance between you and them or remove yourself from them all together. Alternately, you may even find yourself cast out or removed from a group or your friend's circle. In addition, since Aquarius rules electronics and gadgets, we can expect to have more than the usual amount of trouble with them. In fact, I sat down this morning to write my blog entry for the upcoming Sun in Aquarius on the 19th and my astrology program would not load necessitating that I use a screenshot from an app I use on my cell phone and iPad. 

Now to figure out exactly how Mercury Retrograde will affect you on a personal, individual level, you will need to see what natal house your Aquarius is in. The area of life represented by that house is the area of life that will most be affected by Mercury Retrograde. 

• If your rising sign is Aries, Aquarius is your 11th House 
• If your rising sign is Taurus, Aquarius is your 10th House 
• If your rising sign is Gemini, Aquarius is your 9th House 
• If your rising sign is Cancer, Aquarius is your  8th House
• If your rising sign is Leo, Aquarius is your 7th House
• If your rising sign is Virgo, Aquarius is your 6th House
• If your rising sign is Libra, Aquarius is your  5th House 
• If your rising sign is Scorpio, Aquarius is your 4th House 
• If your rising sign is Sagittarius, Aquarius is your 3rd House 
• If your rising sign is Capricorn, Aquarius is your 2nd House 
• If your rising sign is Aquarius, Aquarius is your 1st House
• If your rising sign is Pisces, Aquarius is your 12th House 

Mercury Retrograde in the 4th House 

This house rules your home, neighborhood, community, and family. Your home should be your sanctuary and it should make you feel safe and secure when you are there. With mercury retrograde in your fourth house, your home may feel stifling. You may feel the urge to remodel your home, rearrange your furniture, or refresh the paint. At any rate, this is a good time to remove clutter for the free flow of energy through your home and gain a new perspective on how you feel about your environment. Since this house also rules your early childhood, this could also be a time when old childhood issues resurface that will have to resolved.

Essentially, those events that occur during the Pre-Shadow will frame your experiences during the retrograde phase. These experiences are believed to be necessary for our own personal growth and soul-evolvement. At the end of the Pre-Shadow, Mercury will come to a complete stop and 26° Aquarius and sit there for a few days. 

Mercury Retrograde

The Retrograde period is when Mercury starts moving again, only from our perspective on Earth it will appear to be moving backwards across the zodiac.  It is during this period that we will most strongly feel the effects of Mercury Retrograde. Generally speaking, we can expect communication, travel, and electronics to go all wonky on us.  During Mercury Retrograde, we refrained from making any major decisions or changes. Instead we are told to RE-lax, RE-evaluate, RE-assess our issues and conditions

Mercury Station Direct 

Mercury is said to Station Direct when it starts moving forward again. This is the period when many people feel like they can start breathing again (metaphorically speaking). They hear Mercury Direct and think that its over. But that is not the case. Mercury Stationing Direct is really the beginning of the Post-Shadow period. 

Mercury Retrograde, the Post Shadow

Finally, we experience the Post-Shadow. This is the period between the time Mercury stations direct and it reaches the point where it initially began to slow down in the first place. Just like when you get in your car to drive somewhere, your speed is not constant. The speed of your vehicle is constantly shifting, slowing down, stopping, and speeding up again. In like fashion, Mercury's speed is not constant. Mercury usually moves at about 2 degrees per day, however, during the post shadow period is may move only about 1 degree (or less) per day and will pick up speed as the days go forward.

The post-shadow period of Mercury Retrograde is characterized as a period in which those issues raised during Mercury Retrograde are still present but may be winding down, that is, they are still present but not as intense as before. During this post shadow phase is where we take what we learned during Mercury Retrograde and apply that knowledge to re-dress and re-solve those issues and conditions that were raised during Mercury Retrograde.

Carolina Dean