Mercury’s in Retrograde — and Honestly, I’m Into It

Let’s get one thing straight: I don’t fear Mercury retrograde. I welcome it.

While everyone else is clutching their crystals, rescheduling flights, and avoiding contracts like they’re booby-trapped, I’m lighting a metaphorical candle, settling in, and taking a deep breath. For me, Mercury retrograde is less “planetary chaos” and more like a soulful sabbatical.

In fact, I kind of look forward to these periods. They show up like a cosmic retreat from the normal hustle — a break from business as usual, and a much-needed pause to regroup, rethink, revise. Yes, sometimes re-dos are annoying. But sometimes? They’re the exact medicine I didn’t know I needed.

Take this retrograde, for example (we’re in it right now, from July 17 to August 11). The skies are wild with cosmic volatility, and everything in me is grateful for the permission to pause. I don’t want to push forward. I want to check the engine light, dust off the files, and get my metaphorical house in order.

So that’s what I’m doing.

I’ve already backed up my data — not once, but twice — to my external hard drive like the slightly paranoid, tech-cautious soul I am. Look, I am not a geek. I require handholding for anything more complex than a browser tab, which is why I learned the hard way how to prevent disaster before it happens.

Thankfully, years ago, a kind-hearted ubergeek took pity on me and showed me how to do backups the right way. I’ve been faithfully following that checklist ever since — especially during retrogrades when Mercury’s out here playing tricks with everything from cloud storage to calendar invites.

And no, I’m not planning any big travel or new device purchases right now. (Have you seen the travel horror stories lately?? Let’s not.) I’ve also adopted a triple-check habit for all messages — making sure what I meant to say actually got said. You’d be amazed how many mix-ups retrograde energy likes to stir up if you’re not careful.

Instead of pushing through business-as-usual, I’m in the middle of reviewing and reworking my entire business ecosystem. What’s working? What’s dragging? What’s ready to be released, revamped, or reimagined entirely?

It’s a soulful kind of spring cleaning — one that happens more in the cloud than the closet, but just as satisfying.

The truth is, these retrograde windows always seem to arrive just when I’m on the edge of burnout or overwhelm. Like the universe sees me clinging to the rope and says, “Let me take that. Here’s a better way through.” And you know what? There always is.

So no, I’m not bracing for disaster. I’m slowing down to listen.

I use Mercury retrograde to live more consciously, more intentionally — to reflect instead of react, realign instead of bulldoze forward. The more I treat it as a built-in reset, the more magic (and yes, clarity) it delivers.

This is what it means to live with presence. To dance with the moment instead of curse its timing. And in that light, Mercury retrograde isn’t a menace — it’s a mirror.

One I’ve learned to admire.

? If you’re riding the edge of overwhelm, Mercury retrograde might be showing you something important. My book, Lessons From The Edge, dives deeper into how we navigate life’s cliffs — and find our way through with power, grace, and clarity.