Welp, this is one super impaired Mercury Retrograde we have on our hands ATM – not only is Mercury’s coordination and cognition all screwed up from recently throwing it into reverse gear, but it’s also backtracking in a sign where it is astrologically debilitated (Sagittarius) while sitting in a prolonged square to confusing, clarity-lacking Neptune. This is, quite simply, a recipe for a communication & travel “hot mess” – sorry; there’s just no dressing this up. It would be dishonest to try and spin it any other way by attempting to put a more positive slant on Mercury’s present condition. So rather than veil this discombobulated energy with a bunch of well-intended but utterly unhelpful euphemisms, instead let’s have some straight talk about what to be aware of with the holiday season upon us and a major one kicking off in just a few days here in the USA (Thanksgiving) while this vibe is in play:
1) Don’t drink and drive. It’s a bad idea to do this anyway, but it’s an especially terrible idea to do it under these particular astrological conditions. Do not operate motor vehicles – or even your phone – while under the influence of any kind of “substance” from now thru Christmas. Especially when it’s winter here in the Northern Hemisphere where bad weather can unexpectedly roll in while we’re at holiday festivities, it just doesn’t make sense to risk having “one too many” and then attempt to drive home in sub-optimal road conditions.
2) Keep your “hoof” out of your mouth. Mercury in this condition is prone to verbal gaffes, so make it a blanket policy to avoid pointless discussion/debate about things like religion or politics this holiday season; evade any kind of topic where people are prone to having philosophical differences.
3) Alcohol-fueled conversations are a NO. Seriously, don’t do it – that uncle/cousin you always clash with or the in-law who just won’t shaddap? Alcohol is not going to make coping with their BS any easier and may in fact only make it twice as bad. What’s worse: Someone saying something inappropriate, or the two of you saying something equally uncalled for? Two wrongs do not make a right, and when you have Mercury in Sagittarius lubed up by a liquor-induced Neptune, all kinds of candid things can slip out of our mouths that – no matter how true they may be – are not exactly what we’d call judicious or kind. It’s not right to use a few beers/glasses of wine as an excuse for brutal honesty; further, it’s not fair to make everyone else uncomfortable because of our case of verbal diarrhea.
4) Budget extra travel time. Worst case? You’ll get there early; big deal! But *not* allowing for extra travel time under these skies could leave you with more stress and aggravation than you need. People might run late, traffic may be a mess, cars could have trouble, or flights get delayed/cancelled; things happen. And forgetfulness under pressure may also be another factor to watch out for, like leaving for the airport and realizing halfway there you left your phone at home on the charger. Leaving yourself way more time than you think you want/need to get from Point A to Point B is solid policy during this particular holiday season. And please do check your luggage tags if you fly to make sure your bags are being routed to the correct destination.
5) Track your packages. Many of us will be buying or shipping gifts during this Mercury Retrograde, and while it’s best to hold off if/when we can (December’s 2nd & 3rd weeks are about as good as it will get in this respect), sometimes we’re not able to so it’s best to get delivery confirmation. Aside from actual package theft, there’s the chance that a parcel could just be lost/delivered to the wrong address. And check return/exchange policies carefully in case there’s an issue BEFOREHAND; don’t just assume it’s all good and it won’t be a hassle to remedy an issue in the event that one arises.
5) Breathe, meditate, and/or have a “Zen” playlist on standby. Mercury Retrograde is 90% mind over matter and if you can get yourself into a headspace where you don’t mind, it won’t matter. Being mindful of our breathing, stress levels, and actively seeking that “restorative” space via going Within or immersing ourselves in a particular soundscape can help us cultivate a state of surrender and flexibility.
6) Forget Black Friday/Cyber Monday this year and just sleep in. The likelihood of aggressive sales pitches coupled with “bait and switch” advertising tactics is abnormally high this year; do you REALLY want to get up at the buttcrack of dawn or leave Thanksgiving dinner early for this??? I understand that some people get addicted to the rush of a good deal, but astrologically speaking the skies seem to indicate this being in short supply and the potential for aggravation being extra elevated. To contemplate: Would you be happier if you were well-rested and relaxed instead of shopping till you drop this coming weekend?
7) This Mercury Retrograde triggers the residue of the old 2015-2016 Saturn/Neptune Square; especially the June 2016 hit. Is it any wonder the Brexit situation is once again making headlines? The Brexit vote took place right as this alignment perfected in June 2016! Setting this aside, in our personal lives this Mercury Retrograde can be a lot like receiving some sort of phantom redial from the 2015-2016 era. You may recall from my writings about the Saturn/Neptune Square that it represented a conflict between Realism and Idealism; how it pit What Is against What We’d Wish It To Be. Think about this for a potential “Ah-ha!” moment; a temporal vortex is being reopened and a cognitive reset may be in order.
11/19/2018
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