Mercury Retrograde in Taurus: April - May 2023

 

Mercury Retrograde in Taurus:  April 21 - May 14 2023

Mercury Retrograde can bring annoying technology glitches, delayed or cancelled travel plans and appointments, and frustrating miscommunication.  And….it also has a huge silver lining. It’s the best time of the year for all things “re”: re-do, re-plan, re-write (or edit), re-connect, repair, reflect.  

This Mercury Retrograde is happening in Taurus, encouraging us to reconnect with our values, review our finances, and slow down and enjoy the glorious journey that is life.  Don't rush.  Don't try to squeeze yet one more thing into your schedule.  Slow down and just be.

Between the eclipse season and Mercury Retrograde, your new projects and undertakings can take many unexpected twists and turns, anyway. The energy of the eclipses is just too erratic.  And this year, the Eclipse Season (April 14-May 11) overlaps with Mercury Retrograde (April 21 - May 14).

So save yourself some hectic and possibly unproductive rushing, and take it easy for the next 3+ weeks. 

News or information shared in the next couple of weeks may not be the “final cut”, either. Between the eclipses and Mercury Retrograde, more information might come to light between mid-April to mid-May. If you have any major decisions to make, wait until May 17 if you can.

This Mercury Retrograde and Your Natal Chart:

While retrograde, Mercury will move from 15° to 5° Taurus.  If you know which House this falls into in your natal chart, you now have an excellent opportunity to revisit and recalibrate the affairs of that House (area of your life). 

And, just as this retrograde ends, Jupiter moves into Taurus on May 16. If you take this retrograde as an opportunity to recalibrate what needs fine-tuning, you'll be ready for the expansive Jupiter energy and the opportunities it brings! 

How Long Do Mercury Retrograde Effects Last?

Each Mercury Retrograde lasts approx. 3 weeks. But in practice, I find that most Mercury Retrograde related mishaps happen when Mercury slows down to a crawl right before it changes direction – which is 5-8 days on each end of the retrograde period.

Don’t feel like you have to be on high alert during the entire Mercury Retrograde – that would consume 9-12 weeks of your life every year!

But, pay attention to the warnings below right before and after Mercury changes direction (turns retrograde or direct). For this retrograde period, it’s April 16-27, and May 10-19. 

The "re" activities - review, replan, reconnect - are great during the entire Mercury Retrograde.

What is Mercury Retrograde Shadow Period?

You may have heard of the Mercury Retrograde “shadow”.  These are the Zodiac degrees that Mercury passes through directly at first, than retrogrades over when it u-turns, than passes through again once it resumes a direct course, making a zig-zag.  The shadow period can start two weeks prior to Mercury Retrograde, and end two weeks after Mercury turns direct.

I view the pre-retrograde shadow period as the time to prepare for the retrograde, and the post-retrograde shadow as the time to reflect on any new learnings.

And now onto my tips for making the best of Mercury Retrograde:

Be Prepared for Possible Technology, Communication, or Transportation Problems:

First of all, slow down! Pace of life has been accelerating. Do you skim your email and occasionally miss important details? I know I do!  A big part of me thinks that many Mercury Retrograde related issues are due to our own rushing.

But, just in case:

• Check fluids in the car and air in the tires
• Double-check your travel plans; give yourself some extra time to get to your destination
• Back up data on your phone and computer
• Remember to charge your phone
• Review important e-mails, including the distribution list, before you click “Send”! Sending sensitive info to the wrong recipient can easily happen during Mercury Retrograde ☹
• If you must sign any important documents, read the fine print
• If buying electronic devices or gadgets, save your warranty. Better yet, comparison-shop for big ticket items (electronics or vehicles) during Mercury Retrograde, and purchase after Mercury goes direct
• And (borrowed from the art of feng shui), clean all windows and mirrors for clarity of thought and communication.

If You Need to Sign that Contract, Buy that Car, or Start an E-Commerce Business...

Keep these dates in mind:

✨ April 16-25: Mercury is repositioning in the skies, turning retrograde on April 21. Read the fine print and double-check all important plans and documents.

✨ April 23:  Mercury sextile Mars.  Because Mercury is slowed down at the moment, this sextile will be felt for an extended period of time, between April 20-27 (the energy will peak on April 23).

If you invest time and energy into a big mental endeavour, such as a manuscript, important presentation, or an important message, you may need to re-edit or revise your message during this time, but it will become so much more powerful and impactful.  

What you're working on may come to conclusion on or around June 21, when Mercury makes another sextile to Mars.  

✨ May 1: the Sun conjunct retrograde Mercury. Deep insights about the past 3 months are possible today. This is the only day during Mercury Retrograde when it’s actually good to START something related to communication, contracts, vehicles, electronics, or e-commerce.

✨ May 12: Mercury sextiles both Saturn and Venus today.

Mercury sextile Venus. If you need to have a conversation with someone from your past (an ex?), or bring closure to a conversation, this is an excellent date. 

It's also a good date to re-evaluate your finances or budget.

✨ May 9 - 18: Mercury is repositioning in the skies again, turning direct on May 14 and then slowly gaining speed.  Mercury-retrograde related mishaps are likely. 

Refresh Your Mental Space

Mercury rules thought patterns and communication, so it's a great time for a clean-up and refresh there: 

• Delete old email messages, documents/files, and voicemail
• Unfollow any social media accounts that make you feel “down” or uninspired
• Re-write unhelpful scripts and stories running through your mind. So yes, maybe you're not the financial success you're hoping to be...yet!.….but, does it really make you a failure? Or, are you slowly but surely finding your way to financial abundance?

Be intentional. Don’t let your fears create the outcome you don’t want. Visualize a different ending to your story – over and over, and with enough belief.  Use the language of already being there. “And WHEN I get a better paying job (not if – when!), the very first thing I’m going to do is _______”.  Write a social media post – the one you’re going to post a year from now, when you’re living the future you want. Save it and reread it often.  You may very well be posting it for real some time soon 😊

Rewrite and Edit

If you are a writer, Mercury Retrograde is a great time for editing your work!

Repair...

...what’s broken – which may be physical items in your home, unhelpful thought patterns, or your relationship with money! 

Mercury Retrograde gives us a wonderful chance to slow down, be more mindful about communication, and to process and integrate the last 3 months of information and experiences.  It's not all that bad!