Mercury Retrograde through the Signs - December 26, 2009 to January 15, 2010
Some people are more sensitive to Mercury retrograde cycles than others. Mercury-ruled Gemini and Virgo natives are likely to be particularly sensitive to the effects of Mercury Retrograde in general. This applies to anyone who has a number of planets in either sign. Also, check to see where Gemini and Virgo are found in your natal chart. If Virgo is on the third house cusp, for example, (which is often the case for Cancer Ascendant natives) communication issues may be especially strong. If either of these signs is on the fifth house, then we can expect some communication problems with people associated with the fifth house--lovers and children, for example.
Aries and Aries Ascendant: All Mercury retrograde cycles particularly affect you in terms of communications in general and job or health-related communications because Mercury rules these areas of your life. Occurring in your solar tenth house this time, extra care should be exercised when communicating with the public, superiors, and co-workers. You may find that communications with bosses and co-workers, and other professional matters, can be tricky. Strive to be as clear as possible so that you are not misunderstood when dealing with the public. Put off making career decisions as much as possible for the time being. You may be re-thinking matters regarding your life path, but it's best to think rather than act for now, as your judgment may be compromised. It would be wise to be especially clear when it comes to communicating with authority figures during this cycle; or, better yet, take this time to rethink concerns and grievances before talking about them prematurely.
Taurus and Taurus Ascendant: All Mercury retrograde cycles particularly affect you in terms of communications with lovers or children, and regarding financial affairs, because Mercury rules these areas of your life. Your judgment with regards to personal finances (Gemini-ruled for you) as well as romantic partners and creative endeavors may not be up to par just now, so do avoid "signing on the dotted line". Speculation is not advised during this cycle. Occurring in your solar ninth house this time, extra care should be used regarding travel or education plans. Delays are very possible. Expressing your opinions now might come across in entirely the wrong way. It would be wise to be especially clear when it comes to communicating with professors and lawyers as well; or take this time to re-examine issues rather than communicating about them prematurely.
Gemini and Gemini Ascendant: All Mercury retrograde cycles particularly affect you in terms of your personal presentation or image to others and communications with family because Mercury rules these areas of your life. Because Mercury is your sign's ruler, all of the Mercury Retrograde issues outlined above apply. Put off making important decisions with regards to family and domestic matters (Virgo-ruled for you) just now, and take care when it comes to communicating with family members. Occurring in your solar eighth house this time, extra care should be exercised regarding any financial initiatives that involve shared resources. Delays are very possible when it comes to receiving support, loans, and taxes. It may be better to side-step arguments with loved ones that revolve around intimacy and sexuality. Investments made now may not go the way you want them to, particularly those involving joint finances. It may be hard to rely on the input of your partner now, and money you were counting on may not be forthcoming. It's best to budget rather than spend. It would be wise to be especially clear when it comes to communicating with financial officials and intimate partners; or take this time to re-examine issues rather than communicating about them prematurely.
Cancer and Cancer Ascendant: All Mercury retrograde cycles particularly affect you in terms of personal communications in general as well as communications about the past because Mercury rules these areas of your life. Your intuition usually serves you very well, but may not be up to par for the time being. Take care when it comes to presenting ideas, writing letters, and any detail work. You may not be seeing the whole picture. Occurring in your solar seventh house this time, extra care should be exercised when it comes to negotiations and one-on-one communications. Be as non-judgmental as you can with a partner. There may be the need to revisit old issues in a partnership, or there could be some communication problems with a partner. An ex-partner may resurface during this cycle. Misunderstandings with your partner now can do some damage if you (or your partner) focus on words said instead of the meanings behind the words. If you need to talk through problems, do your best to be as non-judgmental as possible, and don't over-react to what your partner has to say either. Mixed messages coming from a partner, or a disappointment, could occur now. You may not be as adept at mediating disputes for the time being, but it's a good cycle in which to improve your negotiation skills. Re-thinking a partnership arrangement is possible now, but you should avoid jumping to any premature decisions. It would be wise to be especially clear when it comes to communicating with partners; or take this time to re-examine issues rather than communicating about them prematurely.
Leo and Leo Ascendant: All Mercury retrograde cycles particularly affect you in terms of personal finances, as well as communications with friends or groups, because Mercury rules these areas of your life. Major financial initiatives should be avoided. Remember that friends don't mean what they say and don't say what they mean, and take what you hear with a grain of salt. Group meetings may be delayed or cancelled. Occurring in your solar sixth house this time, extra care should be exercised when it comes to work, health matters, and daily routines. Be as non-judgmental as you can with co-workers. Re-thinking the suitability of your job is possible now, but you should avoid jumping to any premature decisions. Work-related mess-ups can frustrate you. Double-check your work. It would be wise to be especially clear when it comes to communicating with co-workers and health professionals; or take this time to re-examine issues rather than communicating about them prematurely.
Virgo and Virgo Ascendant: All Mercury retrograde cycles particularly affect you in terms of your own body language and personal manner (you may feel that others misunderstand you), as well as communications involving the career or public, because Mercury rules these areas of your life. You are ruled by Mercury, so the likelihood of being misunderstood, in general, is high. Put off career decisions as well, as career matters are Gemini-ruled for you. Occurring in your solar fifth house this time, extra care should be exercised when it comes to matters surrounding romance, children, and creativity. Be as non-judgmental as you can with romantic partners and your children, if applicable. Re-thinking the suitability of your romantic relationships is possible now, but you should avoid jumping to any premature decisions. There may be the need to revisit old issues with your children or lover, or there could be some communication problems with the same. Arguments with a lover may be blown out of proportion far too easily. Both you and your lover should avoid harping on the words used and try to get to the meaning behind the words instead. Or, a romance may not be moving forward in obvious ways. It might seem like stagnation, but it's actually a period of review and rest. Other possibilities include calls that are not returned, a lover is late for a date, or dates get cancelled. Speculation and gambling are not advised right now. Things will change after Mercury turns direct, so you might decide to try to keep status quo for the time being. It would be wise to be especially clear when it comes to communicating with romantic partners, and children; or take this time to re-examine issues rather than communicating about them prematurely.
Libra and Libra Ascendant: All Mercury retrograde cycles particularly affect you in terms of communications involving legal affairs, travel, and education, as well as communications about the past, because Mercury rules these areas of your life. With Virgo ruling your twelfth house sector, somebody might be deceiving you or working against you, or nagging issues from the past may crop up and demand attention. Put off making solid travel plans if possible. Occurring in your solar fourth house this time, extra care should be exercised when it comes to family relations, real estate matters, and domestic issues. Be as non-judgmental as you can with family members. It may be challenging to keep a healthy perspective regarding deeply personal matters and family. Family members may be on edge, or appear to be. Try to hold off on household repairs if you can. Put off decision-making with regards to home improvement, moving, and family matters for the time being. New initiatives surrounding home and property are best left for a better time.
Scorpio and Scorpio Ascendant: All Mercury retrograde cycles particularly affect you in terms of communications with friends or groups, as well as intimate communications and shared financial resources, because Mercury rules these areas of your life. It would be wise to be especially clear when it comes to financial transactions and personal communications with friends, or, better yet, take this time to re-budget or rethink your plans instead of taking premature action. Group meetings may be postponed or cancelled, and friends may seem distant or confused. Occurring in your solar third house this time, extra care should be exercised when it comes to composing letters, emails, making phone calls, and with communications in general. There may be the need to revisit old, nagging issues with siblings or neighbors, errands could go wrong, you might have trouble getting from point A to point B (example, transportation problems), emails or letters get lost, and so forth. Idle chit-chatting during this period may have repercussions! People might be misunderstanding your words. You may be forgetful during this cycle, and it makes sense to allow yourself extra time to get to appointments, if they are not cancelled in the first place! It would also be wise to double-check your work and communications before sending them off.
Sagittarius and Sagittarius Ascendant: All Mercury retrograde cycles particularly affect you in terms of communications with bosses or in your career in general, as well as communications with a close partner, because Mercury rules these areas of your life. An argument over joint finances can also get you into hot water. Hold back. Because Virgo and Gemini are on the angles of your chart, you may be especially sensitive to all of the Mercury Retrograde issues outlined above. Occurring in your solar second house this time, extra care should be exercised when it comes to new financial initiatives. There may be the need to revisit old, nagging issues regarding personal finances. Take this time to re-budget instead of making premature purchases. Hold off on decision-making regarding money. Instead, take the time to re-think your sources of income and how you spend your cash during this period, but put off finalizing anything important for the time being. In fact, some money-making ideas or ventures may be put on hold due to circumstances beyond your control.
Capricorn and Capricorn Ascendant: All Mercury retrograde cycles particularly affect you in terms of communications regarding travels, legal matters, or opinions, as well as communications on the job and with co-workers, because Mercury rules these areas of your life. It's best not to sign on the dotted line for the time being, especially when it comes to making travel plans or any legal contracts. There could be irritating mess-ups on the job. You might be inclined to miss important details in your paperwork, or might experience frustrating delays that result from co-workers' errors. Travel plans may go awry, or you may have a change of heart. Occurring in your sign and your solar first house this time, extra care should be exercised when it comes to your body language. Others may misinterpret your body language, and you should be aware of a tendency to give off mixed signals. People in your life may complain that you seem emotionally distant. You may appear uncommunicative and hard to reach, or what you say comes out wrong. This is a time to review the manner in which you come across to others--not so much whether it truly reflects your nature, but more in terms of whether it is working for or against you. Don't worry too much if others aren't quite "getting" you for the time being. Things will change once Mercury turns direct, so you might decide to try to keep status quo for the time being.
Aquarius and Aquarius Ascendant: All Mercury retrograde cycles particularly affect you in terms of communications regarding intimate and financial matters, as well as communications with children or romantic partners, because Mercury rules these areas of your life. It's not a good time to file your taxes or apply for a loan. Instead, take the time to re-think your sources of income and how you spend your cash during this period, but put off finalizing anything for the time being. Speculation and gambling are not advised right now either. Occurring in your solar twelfth house this time, extra care should be exercised when it comes to your own intuition. You may find that you are less able to rely on your intuition. Perhaps you're picking up the wrong cues or reading too much into situations. Whatever the case may be, for the time being, you may not feel that your intuition is serving you well. Be as non-judgmental as you can, but do keep an eye out for deceptiveness and falseness in others. It would be wise to be especially clear when it comes to communicating about your inner world now; or take this time to re-examine issues rather than communicating about them prematurely.
Pisces and Pisces Ascendant: All Mercury retrograde cycles particularly affect you in terms of communications with or about partnerships, as well as communications with or about family and home, because Mercury rules these areas of your life. It will be important to avoid signing any contracts or making important partnership or family/home decisions during this cycle. Occurring in your solar eleventh house this time, extra care should be used when communicating with friends. You may find that communications with friends or with groups can easily become sticky. Group meetings may be postponed or cancelled, and friends may be uncommunicative or giving off mixed signals. On the other hand, old acquaintances may appear during this cycle. It would be wise to be especially clear when it comes to communicating with friends and co-workers during this cycle; or, better yet, take this time to rethink concerns and grievances before talking about them prematurely.
