Mercury will officially station retrograde on Tuesday, May 10 at exactly 6:47 am CDT and continue that motion until Friday, June 3rd. However, as Mercury is an entire planet, it takes a moment to pick up speed again, which won’t happen until June 11th. So what does this all mean? First, hold off on starting important projects until June 11th, if possible. Second, double-check everything and then check it again.
This isn’t a great time to embark on anything significant. When Mercury is retrograde, the main idea to keep in mind is that matters may not turn out as planned because Mercury wants to focus on old matters, not new matters. It would be like trying to take out new loans or start a new business while being audited. Mercury needs to go over your books, and it’s best if we try to stay out of its way until it’s done.
Mercury makes several planetary connections while retrograde. First, on May 19th Mercury connects with Jupiter. Look for, and seize an opportunity to gain insight into the past with uncovered information. We may see where we could have been kinder or responded with more sensitivity.
Next, on May 21st Mercury joins the Sun in Gemini. Be open to integrating new information from the past or seeing matters from a new perspective around this time.
Then on May 22nd, Mercury re-enters Taurus and, on the 23rd, connects with Mars. This is a critical moment as it is also right before Mars leaves Pisces. If we see where we could have acted with more insight or compassion, now is the time to make things right if possible.
Finally, Mercury connects pleasantly with Pluto on the 25th. This is an ideal opportunity to dig into our deeper motivations with both planets retrograde. Get out of your comfort zone and confront what you’ve been holding back or distancing yourself from. Also, take stock of what you’ve been allowing to influence you.
On a personal level, pay attention to your Gemini and Taurus houses, as those topics will likely be most affected. Still, generally, we can expect information of all kinds and the sources of that information to be called into question. So, for now, take things slowly, reassess, and most importantly, be patient.