Mercury Retrograde affects certain signs more than others
You tend to hear a lot of people talking about Mercury in Retrograde when it happens, and many tend to blame disruption in their life on Mercury. Of all planetary aspects, for some reason this is the aspect that receives the most attention from the masses, most likely due to it being the planet that is in Retrograde more often.
In astrology, we always believe the following rule is true: “As above, so too below.” By that we mean there is a fractal relationship between the orbits in the heavens and human activity down here on Earth. This idea pervades all of astrology and is a very good concept to keep in mind.
Mercury it is the planet closest to the Sun, and is the fastest moving planet, that is why we experience so many Mercury Retrogrades. We experience a Retrograde 3-4 times a year. These Retrogrades usually last for 3-4 weeks. This aspect does have its affect on the masses, but every person will be affected differently, some more than others. People with Sun signs such as Virgo and Gemini will usually be affected the most, as this is the planet that rules them. If you have strong Mercury influences in your chart it will also affect you alot more severely.
If you have your Mercury in a Mercury ruled sign such as Virgo or Gemini, the effect will affect you the most.
Everybody has their Mercury in a sign, that being said when it retrogrades they will experience some adverse affects from this. It is usually advised to look at the sign that Mercury is retrograding in, and compare it to your Natal chart to see what is happening.
Keeping track of Mercury retrograde periods and how it affects your Transit chart personally can assist you in being aware of how certain things can take a turn and affect you at certain times, and awareness of this allows you to have a better understanding and to make better decisions.
Mercury rules the mind and your thinking, therefore your thinking habits will change during this time. Whether it changes positively or negatively, this will be dependant on your chart and other contributing factors. Some Mercury Retrogrades can really help you alot and bring more clarity on things that you were previously unsure about.
Mercury also rules Transport, Travel, Communication therefore you will find that during Mercury retrograde periods things tend to be delayed, and people move slower. There are usually especially delays in shipping and travel during this time. Communication is usually delayed and people tend to misunderstand each other during this time, therefore it is advised to wait for Mercury to go direct before you try to settle any disputes.
It is advised by Astrologers not to make any important decisions during this time, especially if you have strong Virgo and Gemini influences. You will find that it is hard to stick to a plan and plan things during this time anyway. People also tend to change their mind every so often during this period. Once Mercury turns direct, you can go ahead and proceed with your plans again.
Mercury Retrograde Periods from 2018 to 2024
2018
March 22 – April 15, 2018 in fire-sign Aries
July 26 – August 18, 2018 in fire-sign Leo -watersign Scorpio
November 16 – December 6 in fire sign Sagittarius, ends in water sign Scorpio
2019
March 5 – 28, 2019 in water-sign Pisces
July 7 – 31, 2019 starts in fire-sign Leo, ends in water-sign Cancer
October 31 – November 20, 2019 in water-sign Scorpio
2020
February 18 – March 9, 2020 in water-sign Pisces, ends in air-sign Aquarius
June 17 – July 12, 2020 in water-sign Cancer
October 13 – November 3, 2020 in water-sign Scorpio, ends in air-sign Libra
2021
January 30 – February 20 in air-sign Aquarius
May 29 – June 22 in air-sign Gemini
September 27 – October 18 in air-sign Libra
2022
January 14 – February 3 starts in air sign Aquarius, ends in earth-sign Capricorn
May 10 – June 2 starts in air sign Gemini, ends in earth-sign Taurus
September 9 – October 2 starts in air-sign Libra, ends in earth-sign Virgo
December 29 – January 18 in earth-sign Capricorn
2023
See above, Dec 29, 2022 – Jan 18, 2023- goes direct in earth sign Capricorn
April 21 – May 14 in earth sign Taurus
August 23 – September 15 in earth sign Virgo
December 13, 2023 – January 1, 2024 in fire-sign Sagittarius
2024
See above, January 1, 2024 goes direct in fire-sign Sagittarius
April 1- April 25 in fire-sign Aries
August 4 – August 28 in earth-sign and ends in fire-sign Leo
November 25 – December 15 in fire-sign Sagittarius