Why I Love Mercury Retrograde in an Eclipse Wormhole!

A lot of people freak out when Mercury retrograde shows up (as it will three times a year) —I mean, we should be used to it by now, but I am one who goes “Yippee!!” I consider it a time to regroup, recalibrate, renew commitments, revisit and heal the past, do some shadow work, and move forward with less baggage. It’s also a time where we can use our superpowers of curiosity and adaptability. 

Could things go awry with travel, computers, communication, etc.? Sure, but we are always capable of being ready just in case. Backup plans are always useful during this time too, and if you learn to expect the unexpected, it makes it all so much easier. 

This time we’re experiencing the retrograde inside the eclipse wormhole that opened up on March 25th when the full moon in Libra lunar eclipse offered us an invitation. Oh ya not to a party! To deal with the way we give our power away in relationships! Personally it’s been enlightening although really uncomfortable as I’ve had some major yucky epiphanies myself as I’ve witnessed some of my long running dysfunctional relationships play out like a bad show on rerun.

But this time I get where my own accountability lies and I am ready to say goodbye to the pattern and some of the people too.  

This is the story that plays out over the next few weeks.  

One of my most favorite astrologers and good friend Jennifer Racciopi says this (shared with permission):

“In astrology, Libra is a sign that influences our relational dynamics and the understanding of our self-worth, often through the reflection of another.  

With this lunar eclipse in Libra, our relational dynamics are up for reconfiguration and transformation, especially since it’s a south node eclipse, which correlates with situations that hold us back coming full circle.  

While we may feel drained or need to prioritize time for reflection and resourcing our inner wisdom, this lunar eclipse may eradicate an erroneous understanding of ourselves in relationship to others. 

The main lessons? 

• Don’t self-abandon. Stay connected to your voice, your vision, and your knowing.  

• While compromise is a part of life, co-dependent dynamics will prove damaging, especially now.  

• Have boundaries.  

• Avoid people-pleasing tendencies.  

• Trust yourself! 

The word for this eclipse season is authenticity.  

As the saying goes, “To thine own self be true.” 

The upcoming solar eclipse (on April 8th) is a total solar north node eclipse in Aries, a potent celestial event during which we want to plant seeds of new beginnings that correlate with our innate needs, desires, and a new vision for ourselves. 

Good article also on Refinery29 about this particular retrograde and what the invitations are for all of us.  

Key astrological dates: 

April 1: Mercury retrograde officially begins. 

April 8: The total solar eclipse occurs, aligning with Mercury retrograde, creating misunderstandings and the need for self-reflection. 

April 11: Mercury is “cazimi,” meaning that it is in “the heart of the sun.” Therefore, it has a lot of power to make plans for the future. It’s the best day of retrograde, too. 

April 15: Mercury and the centaur Chiron connect, offering us time to heal. 

April 19th: Beginning of Tauraus Season. This time of the year inspires us to deepen our receptivity, out attunement to abundance, and our ability to experience pleasure.

April 20th: As Jupiter crosses over Uranus, their conjunction magnifies our desire for freedom, independence, and authentic personal expression.

April 23rd: Full Moon in Scorpio. This is the time that highlights the tension between our survival instinct and our desire to evolve, change, and challenge ourselves.

April 25: Mercury retrograde ends, and enters the retroshade degrees to clear up the mayhem that’s been a part of our lives for the past week. 

April 29th: Venus enters Taurus. This inspires us to deepen our ability to receive from other people and give love to ourselves.

April 30th: Mars enters Aries. Mars’ journey through Aries inspires us to put ourselves out there in new ways and recover our connection with our instincts.

Anyway.. Some of us will be feeling this and dealing with this in a more extreme way than others but ultimately it’s all for our highest good as long as we accept the invite to evolve and transform.  

I’m up for the challenge! What about you? Got any co-dependent or enmeshed relationships draining you? Ready for change? We get a second chance now to do things differently. As uncomfortable as things are, they are always temporary, and in the end you’ll be glad you put the work in.  

See you soon! Love to all.