How to Boss Up This Mercury Retrograde (And Avoid a SZA/Nicki Style Meltdown)
Feeling like your Wi-Fi, your patience, and your sanity are all in disarray? You’re not imagining it, dear. The universe’s favourite agent of chaos, Mercury Retrograde, is officially in the building, and it’s already claiming victims. Just look at the recent social media smoke between pop stars, SZA and Nicki Minaj over their ‘FTCU’ remix. Misunderstood DMs, public call-outs, and hurt feelings? That has Mercury Retrograde’s fingerprints all over it.
But before you unplug everything and hide under your duvet until it’s over, let’s break down what’s actually happening.
What even is mercury retrograde?
Mercury Retrograde is a phenomenon where, from our perspective on Earth, Mercury seems to move in reverse through the sky – though it’s really just an illusion caused by the planets’ relative positions and motions.
In astrology, Mercury governs communication, travel, technology, and agreements. So when it enters retrograde, these aspects often experience disruptions or unexpected hiccups. Think garbled texts, laptop crashes, flight delays, and exes sliding back into your DMs uninvited.
Mark your calendars and brace yourself for the rocky drama that is going to unfold due to Mercury Retrograde from July 17th to August 11th. This isn’t your average retrograde – it starts in Virgo, the sign of details, health, and organisation. Then, on August 14th, Mercury reverses into Leo, the sign of ego, creativity, and romance.
This time, the chaos comes with a pre-game and an after-party, known as the ‘shadow periods’. The pre-shadow is the few weeks leading up to the retrograde, where you start feeling the disruptive energy creep in. The post-shadow is the clean-up phase, where you’re left sorting out the messes made during the main event.
Who’s in the hot seat?
With the retrograde straddling two signs, two groups are feeling the heat the most.
Breakdown crew of Mutable Signs (Gemini, Virgo, Sagittarius, Pisces)
This retrograde directly hits your comfort zone. Virgo is one of you! You’re wired for quick thinking, but under this retrograde, even the clearest signals is hard to decipher, and everything starts feeling upside down. Virgos will feel this personally, while Geminis (ruled by Mercury) will feel extra foggy. Sagittarians will face frustrating roadblocks, and Pisces will get lost in the emotional and practical details.
Drama club of fixed squad (Taurus, Leo, Scorpio, Aquarius)
Once Mercury slides back into Leo, you’re on the main stage. Leos, this retrograde is in your sign, making you the star of a drama you didn’t audition for. Your ego and self-expression are the prime targets. Aquarians will feel this in their partnerships, Taurus’s in their home life, and Scorpios in their career. The Leo energy will demand attention, clashing with your fixed, stubborn nature.
Your retrograde survival guide
Feeling the pull of the cosmic chaos? Don’t panic. Instead of fighting it, work with it. Here’s how to navigate this period like a total boss …
Embrace the REs: This is the golden rule of Re-view, re-vise, re-flect, re-organise. Don’t start new projects until you’ve completed the old ones. Don’t sign that major contract. Review the fine print. Re-evaluate your business plan.
Proofread everything: Even if you have to do that twice. Before you hit ‘send’ on that spicy email or text, read it again. Communication is scrambled, so clarity is your best friend.
Buffer your schedule: Expect delays. Leave for the airport earlier. Give yourself extra time to get to meetings. If things go smoothly, great! If not, you’ve built in a buffer and saved yourself a stress-induced meltdown.
Keep a backup: Whether it’s your phone, your laptop, your files, back it up. Technology is Mercury’s favourite plaything during this time. Don’t give it the satisfaction of deleting your masterpiece.
This period isn’t a curse, it’s a cosmic timeout. The universe is asking you to slow down, look back, and tie up loose ends before you charge ahead. So, take a deep breath, log off if you need to, and handle it. You’ve got this.
