When Mercury is retrograde, we tend to notice more issues in the areas of communication, in the way we interact with others and in our surroundings and neighborhood. It may also show up in our travel, the way we get around and in our interaction with our siblings.
The first Mercury Retrograde of 2019 begins with the Pre-Shadow in Pisces (16o 6″) on February 19, 2019, at 2:19 pm Universal Time*, 9:19 am EST, 6:19 am PST.
Mercury goes Retrograde in Pisces (29o 39″) on March 5, 2019, at 6:19 pm Universal Time, 2:19 pm EDT and 11:19 am PDT.
The Direct Station occurs in Pisces (16o 06″) on March 28, 2019, at 1:59 pm Universal Time, 10:59 am EDT and 7:59 am PDT.
Mercury ends the Post-Shadow on April 16 at 8:03 pm EDT, April 16, 2019, 12:03 am Universal Time, April 17, 2019
Mercury conjunct Chiron suggests communications will be a source of pain. Hurtful words may include teasing, name calling and other forms of verbal abuse. Online bullying and it’s influence on teenage suicide is likely to make the news.
What to expect:
- You are less proactive
- Setbacks
- Closing other people out
- Self-doubt
- Questioning yourself
| Mercury Retrograde Do’s: | Mercury Retrograde Don’ts: |
| Plan ahead | Be negative |
| Be flexible | Bottle things up |
| Double check | Rush |
| Be attentive | Jump into things head first |
| Anticipate | Have unrealistic demands |
Opinions about people with mental illness and physical disabilities will also come into focus. Issues may involve abuse, discrimination and the perception some people have that disabled people are less intelligent than they are.
A more positive side to Mercury conjunct Chiron is the ability to really listen to people’s problems and understand their pain. Your words may have hurt people in the past but they can heal people now. Mercury with Chiron also gives healing hands.
Mercury Retrograde at the Personal Level
One way of looking at Mercury Retrograde is that it reveals the shadow or disowned component in our awareness, communication, and interaction with others and with the world around us.
Mercury rules the signs Gemini and Virgo. With Gemini, Mercury expresses the way that we reach out into our neighborhood, interact and discriminate. The shadow of Gemini is Sagittarius.
When Mercury is retrograde, it often expresses the negative or disowned nature of Sagittarius. When this happens, the tendency is to generalize, anticipate, gloss over, judge or assume, without reality checking.
The other expression of Mercury Retrograde is through the shadow of the sign Virgo. With Virgo, Mercury expresses the way that we integrate what we experience and how we make sense of the world around us through our mind. The shadow of Virgo is Pisces.
When Mercury is retrograde, often the negative or disowned nature of Pisces is expressed. We may think that someone else will do it, or we may imagine that things will turn out for ‘the best’ or we may imagine or hope instead of doing something for ourselves. Often the disowned nature of Pisces is revealed in our disconnection to our core and in seeking that connection outside of ourselves instead.
Clearing Your Shadow
You may want to look at each Mercury Retrograde cycle as a small wake up call and an opportunity to notice when you are caught up in the patterns of your shadow. It is then that we tend to be less conscious, and not as aware as we could be. Moreover, when we act from this place, we set ourselves up.
The Mercury Retrograde cycle is a good time for introspection and to become more aware of your own patterns. If you wish to take advantage of this time, you may find this book is very helpful in revealing the ways we become unconscious in our actions, and it gives clear practical steps to regain our integrity with our core. It comes highly recommended:
Being Centered.