Do you feel that yet?
Starting Wednesday, Aug. 23, Mercury will be among seven planets in retrograde this summer. Essentially, astrology isn't allowing anyone to anyone to relax for long.
The third Mercury retrograde of 2023 is in earth sign Virgo. As Mercury struts backwards in the sky, we’ll reflect on the past and evaluate how we can improve ourselves for the future.
What is Mercury retrograde?
Mercury retrograde is an optical illusion that occurs when the planet Mercury appears to move backwards in the night sky. In reality, the Earth overtakes Mercury in its orbit, creating the illsuion.
Astrologically speaking, retrogrades are thought to interfere with the realms that a planet covers. Since Mercury rules communication, information and travel, the retrograde period may affect those areas.
Consider this time as a moment to reflect on your life and remember how far you’ve come, appreciating all of your successes and failures. Note how you’ve learned about yourself and how you've grown in the process.
This is also a time when past relationships rear their heads. So, if you feel like calling up an old flame or lurking around an ex’s social media pages, then so be it. Don’t be shy to say, “hi,” if you want to.
What are the Mercury retrograde dates of August and September 2023?
This Mercury retrograde will begin on Wednesday, Aug. 23 and last until Thursday, Sept. 14.
However, you could be feeling the effects of the retrograde from Thursday, Aug. 3 to Saturday, Sept. 30 — as the pre-shadow phase lasts about two weeks before the start of the cycle and the retroshade period lasts about two weeks after the cycle's end.
How will this retrograde impact most zodiac signs?
These next weeks of retrograde provide a chance to rethink the way we handled situations with others. We may even find ourselves wanting to reconnect with those whom we’ve lost touch in order to make amends or to gain clarity.
The best day to reach out is Wednesday, Sept. 6, when the Sun and Mercury retrograde connect, putting on pause some areas of our lives that could be affected by Mercury's erratic behavior during its retrograde. This is the perfect day to express emotions, sign paperwork and make plans.
It's also important to note that on the day Mercury's backspin begins Aug. 23, planets Venus, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune and Pluto will still be moving through their own slow-motion retrogrades. On Monday, Sept. 4, Jupiter will start its orbit backwards, as well.
All these retrogrades will likely slow down the speed of things on earth — so, prepare yourself for delays, technological issues, travel problems and miscommunication.
Words of advice: Listen before you react and think before you speak.
Here’s how this Mercury retrograde will affect your zodiac sign:
Aries
Your daily routine is lacking in organization, making you forget meetings, miss appointments and sleep late for work. Maintaining discipline will be hard. Therefore, you must take control of your daily objectives and try to implement them little by little into your life to maintain balance and find order.
Taurus
Lean into your inner child or teenager. If there is anything you wish you had done in your youth, now is the time to make it happen. You’ll be surprised by how much healing you can do and how you can use your refreshed energy to improve your life.
Gemini
There's a lot of chit chat going on in your peer group — most of it isn’t true. Pay attention to what you hear and read. Listen to what people are saying and read between the lines to get the real story going on behind the scenes.
Cancer
The savings you have for a rainy day are finally paying off, as you’re needing them to pay bills that are building up at the moment. Be cognizant to replenish your savings once the retrograde is over to ensure your nest egg does not run low and keeps flowing.
Leo
It’s time to re-evaluate your finances. Take stock of how much money you can part with on frivolous stuff and how much you need to save in order to come out even. If you’re wanting to make an investment, do your research to ensure you’re not being misled.
Virgo
Stop questioning your choices or worrying about deciding correctly. Cut yourself some slack by not putting pressure on your mind and heart. Try to move with ease and compassion as you think of how you feel and what want to attain. You can put always plans on hold during this time.
Libra
Don’t bite off more than you can chew, as most of the projects won’t be done in a timely manner. There's a lot on your plate right now, which is why you should set aside time to rest and care for yourself instead of adding more work to your pile.
Scorpio
Old friends will reach out wanting to reconnect. Take the call, respond to the direct message and accept the friend request. A trip down memory lane with your past time pals is going to warm your heart and fill you up with nostalgia. Share the warmth by creating new sentiments.
Sagittarius
If there's a promotion, raise or opportunity at the office — it could take a longer time than expected to come to fruition. Have patience with the process. The retrograde is slowing down professional matters, but it won’t hinder you from attaining your career goals. Things will percolate soon.
Capricorn
You aren’t ready to budge on your inherent beliefs or to see the other side in a situation. It’s totally fine to hold your ideals close to your heart, as long as you don’t act too preachy or aggressive in the process. Standing and screaming on your soapbox won’t sway others.
Aquarius
Your intuition is stronger than ever, which is why you should lean into your feelings. If there's a situation that you are wanting to handle, listen to what your gut is telling you. Only you can help yourself in gaining the insight and knowledge required to move forward.
Pisces
Defining relationships may be difficult to do at this time, as you’re unsure of how you want to move forward with friends, lovers and acquaintances. The good news is that you can wait it out and base your decisions on their behavior, rather than dealing with the matter right away.
Disclaimer: Astrology is not based in science. These posts are not intended to act as a directive.
