Confused by this specific Mercury Retrograde cycle? It is confusing but here – in an easy-to-parse- list form are the tactical need-to-knows and exact dates.
(1) Mercury is Retrograde in Capricorn but it turned Retro when it was in Aquarius on January 14. If you have a situation in play or it stalled in mid-January, expect a distinct change/response/shift when Mercury arrives back in Aquarius on February 14/15.
(2) Mercury turns Direct this Thursday/Friday – see dates/times below. The days leading up to this moment are great for genius insights, fixing or restoring old items/ideas, and deep research but not for definitive dialogue or initiating new ventures.
(3) If a move or declaration is important for your future, put it off until after Mercury is Direct or even better, once it is back in Aquarius at 10° – the point where it went Retrograde. See below.
(4) If a move or declaration is more about clearing the way or resolving a matter from the past, make it before Mercury turns Direct or arrives back in Aquarius.
(5) If it can be avoided, don’t buy new tech such as a phone, computer, appliance until after Mercury is back in Aquarius. If you have to do it, relax but keep your warranty.
Mercury Retrograde Important Dates
December 29 – 10.00 Universal Time: Mercury at 24° Capricorn – the point that it will Retrograde back to in February.
January 10 – 11.41 Universal Time: Mercury Retrograde at 10° Aquarius
February 4 – 04.13 Universal Time: Mercury Direct at 24° Capricorn
February 23 – 05.00 Universal Time: Mercury arrives back at 10° Aquarius
Granular Astrological Notes
The full Mercury Retro cycle encompassed 24° Capricorn to 10° Aquarius so that sector of individual birth charts has been extra-profound and prone to tangential insights.
It included significant aspects to Venus and Pluto, so could also have seen difficult-to-decipher but obviously substantial shifts within relationships, as well as major psychological release.
The real-world ramifications of these will only become clear once Mercury has moved past 10° Aquarius in late Feb but the ‘proof’ or symbolism will be flamboyant.
xxMystic
Definitely major psychological release !
This is the first mercury retrograde where i actually had to deal with a mercury spill. So thats real. That happened.
This is great <3
Love this. And hadn’t before fully put together that my placements are at the heart of this M Retro: My ascendant is at 23 Capricorn; my sun at 9 Aquarius. Not sure just what that means / will means — no doubt in part because I’m so deep in it — but does indeed feel like a potent time–and a time to magnetize, where I’m stepping further into a bunch of things I was trying to get traction on in the autumn, now set to put shoulder to wheel and make happen in a bigger way.
On Friday, the day after M’s direct, I have an informational meeting with a potential powerful mentor / helper figure for the big project I need to get out into the world and it feels like a potent way to greet mercury direct (and came together after she emailled last week, after I’d first reached out a couple months ago). Mars and Venus are also going to be aiming for my ascendant at the end of the month–so bring it February, a big powerful seeding planting time for this year of the tiger. Thanks for the wonderful astro-intel as always. <3
Thanks for this very useful Virgo-like list. My Virgo rising and Gemini Mercury truly appreciate it. I’ll try to time my appointment as deadlines to this calendar.