From Sept. 27 to Oct. 18, the planet Mercury was in retrograde. This means that instead of rotating east to west, like most planets, Mercury was reversed and rotated west to east.
Each planet in astrology represents, or rules, an area of our lives. Mercury is the planet that rules travel, communication and technology, which are the areas of our lives affected by the retrograde. In addition, it affected our relationships because we were in Libra season, and Libra is ruled by Venus, the planet of love. Libra season means that out of the 12 sections of the sky that make up the zodiac, during the Mercury in Retrograde the Sun happened to be in the Libra section. So, people born from Sept. 21 to Oct. 21 are called Libras because it is during that month that the Sun is in the Libra section of the sky.
When Mercury is in retrograde, it is best not to make big decisions. This is a time when many things are unsettled and it is hard to rely on others. The planet rotating backwards causes our environment to be unstable and easily change. So, if you found yourself making crazy life decisions these past three weeks, now you know why!
The good news is that the retrograde ended on Oct.18. Now, because everyone has different zodiac signs, the Mercury retrograde will have affected everyone differently. Read below to see how it affected you based on your sign’s element :
- Fire Signs: Aries, Leo, Sagittarius
Hello my lovely fire signs. You are passionate and can not be controlled. The retrograde will have challenged that. It also may have caused miscommunications and mishaps in your travel schedule, as Mercury does rule the area of traveling. Now that retrograde is over, focus on being more patient and calm in your relationships.
- Earth Signs: Taurus, Virgo, Capricorn
As a fellow earth sign (shoutout Taurus), I understand how difficult it can be for us to change our routine. However, during this past Mercury in retrograde, several obstacles may have forced us to deal with changes causing our day to become more unorganized and inefficient. Therefore, now that it is over, we can go back to our perfectly planned days!
- Air Signs: Gemini, Libra, Aquarius
This past retrograde may have forced you air signs to take a deep breath and focus inwards. You may have struggled in your communication with friends, or couldn’t start a new hobby that you wanted. Hopefully, you now found alternatives to work around its impact, and were able to shine!
- Water Signs: Cancer, Scorpio, Pisces
I am sorry to be a bearer of bad news water signs, but you were most likely more emotional than normal this retrograde. The retrograde may have affected your relationships with your loved ones at home, made you feel more insecure or you had struggled to properly express your feelings. Try to find healthy ways of emotional expression now that it is all over.
Now that Mercury in retrograde is officially over, everyone can let out a deep breath. We made it! For the next few days there may be some adjusting to life pre-retrograde but by next week, all should be back to normal.