Moon Mondays: Mercury’s retrograde

Uranus entering Gemini last week has been kicking my ass. I feel like my nervous system is on hyperdrive, like I’m mainlining adrenaline, careening off the tracks of the Alpine Coaster at Snowmass. I’m spinning out, succumbing to anxiety, and not sleeping well. Of course, that bright full moon didn’t lull me into slumber either. How are you faring?

I’ve found that whenever a planet shifts signs, the beginning is often intense. Settling the new energy into our bodies can take time. Especially if you’re prone to Uranian nervous stress, like I am. 

Fortunately, this week, there is a cosmic call to slow down: Mercury is going retrograde.

Wait, you say. Doesn’t Mercury retrograde suck? Now, must I worry about internet breakdowns and potential fights with my mate too? Retrograde Mercury is infamous for causing tech glitches and communication blunders. But there’s so much more to this mental-oriented planet seemingly moving backwards through the sky. Mercury doesn’t actually change its directional orbit; it simply appears to from our earthly view. 

When Mercury stations retrograde, it seems to stand still in the sky before reversing direction, like a weightless toddler suspended at the height of a swing at Heron Park. In actuality, Mercury is catching up to us and passing us by, so the reversal and subsequent pause are illusions. But, if you were tracking Mercury through the sky, it will now appear to change course, moving back through the constellation and stars from whence it just came. 

Far from the dreaded blame-game responsible for all our communicative and technological woes, Mercury retrograde sends a stellar evite: slow down your mind.

An excellent moment to embrace mental stillness, the cosmos is always reflecting opportunities to take a moment of respite from our modern frenetic pace. In our hyper-connected, fast-paced lives, any slowdown can feel wildly disruptive. But maybe that disturbance is exactly the medicine we need. Uranus entering Gemini last week is also about upheaval. We’re seeing a layering of themes over this first month of Uranus’ big shift.

We’re trained to be linear and efficient, always producing, always on the go. But Mercury retrograde invites a shift from the left brain into the right — from straight logic to circuitous creativity. It’s a time to ask: What am I creating in my life? What do I want to be creating? Are these two aligned?

This retrograde is all in Leo. That’s significant. Leo is fiery, creative, and deeply connected to the heart and soul. Leo helps us tap into our intuitive knowing and act from a place of confidence and authenticity. Poor Leo often gets relegated to its shadow, with an unkind emphasis on arrogance or attention-seeking (see Lo’s dirt-skiing column). In its exalted form, Leo roars: I am sacred. I am divine. I create from that knowing.

This Leo-themed retrograde is an especially rich time to engage your creativity — whether it’s writing, cooking, making art, or simply imagining what you want more of in your life. As someone who writes weekly astrology columns (hi!), I often fantasize about taking Mercury retrogrades as writing retreats. I love the idea of leaning into my creative flow when our cerebral planet is visually slowing down.

Leo implores us to love ourselves, in all our messy imperfections. For those of us with trauma backgrounds (myself included), focusing our passion inward can be incredibly difficult. Trauma wires us to be hyper-vigilant, always scanning our environment to stay safe. We become outwardly focused, attuned to others’ needs before our own, for survival. While that tactic may have served us in childhood, it doesn’t help us thrive now.

We must work hard to break that pattern — to stop focusing solely on others and learn to adore ourselves, warts and all. Mercury spending so much time in Leo assists us. I’ve learned my self-connection practices — writing, walking, meditating, creating — are not indulgent. They’re essential. They’re how I remember who I am.

This entire Mercury retrograde cycle (through Aug. 11) is a chance to tune into where you can consciously love yourself more, finding truly nourishing practices that bring you back to you.

As we move into Leo season next week and toward the Leo New Moon, now’s the perfect time to reconnect with your sacred creative fire.

Until then, remember the celestial message:

Use any potential tech or communication snafus to stop. Pause. Take a breather. And find the nearest teenager to help you.

Sheridan Semple is the founder of Moon Sisters Circle, Divine Feminine Astrologer, and Astrological Life Coach. She guides women to prioritize themselves using the wisdom of their astrology charts. You can find her work at sheridansemple.com or reach her at sheridan@sheridansemple.com.