We are now firmly ensconced in Sagittarius season, although Mercury, the Messenger planet, has been here a while. And this is where it is positioned for its final retrograde of 2024.
In pop astrology, “Mercury Retrograde” is often spoken in hushed voices of fear. However, in my approach of Practical Astrology, Mercury Retrogrades are welcomed as much-needed periods to slow down, recalibrate, and reassess.
Mercury will station retrograde on November 24 at 9:42 pm ET at 22º40’ Sagittarius. It will appear to travel backward until December 15, when it will station direct at 6º24’ Sagittarius.
When I consult with clients, they often ask me “what does this mean?”
A better question to ask is how can we use this?
First, it helps to understand the nature of Mercury in Sagittarius.
Mercury in Sagittarius: Overlooking the Details
Mercury is said to be in its detriment in Sagittarius, which sits opposite from Gemini, one of the signs it rules.
Like visiting a country on the other side of the world, Mercury is out of place in Sagittarius. It’s desire for details and more information is at odds with the Sagittarian tendency to focus on the big picture.
Sagittarius invites us to have big visions and make big plans; it infuses us with optimism to take the leap and set forth on the big adventure.
How, exactly, might that big vision work out?
That’s a question better suited to Mercury-ruled Virgo, in which Mercury is a fastidious planner. In Gemini, the other sign of its rulership, and the sign across from Sagittarius, Mercury would ask a lot of questions and gather all the information before setting out on its adventure.
In Saturn-ruled Capricorn, sign that follows Sagittarius, Mercury would make a careful plan for implementing its big vision, starting with a solid foundation.
Details and foundations are a pesky afterthought in adventurous and optimistic Sagittarius, however. Sagittarius has faith that everything will work itself out. The stars will align. The Universe will provide.
The motto of this sign might well be the zen saying Leap, and the net will appear.
To be sure, sometimes this is what we need.
Sagittarius’ optimism, faith and buoyant nature can help us break free of the prison of perfectionism, over-analysis, and too-much-information gathering that might otherwise keep us from ever taking a leap.
But the risk in this Jupiter-ruled fire sign is that we can get too swept up in our own spark of inspiration and blinded by faith.
We might seek to build our castles in the sky without laying the proper foundation under them.
A warm fire is particularly seductive as the weather turns cold. But not all fires burn the same. Buoyed by our own enthusiasm, we might take a leap without considering whether that spark that is igniting a flame that is sustainable, or if it might grow into a wildfire that leads to burnout.
Mercury Retrograde in Sagittarius: Recalibrate Your Aim
This is where Mercury’s retrograde comes in handy. Mercury retrogrades are often feared as times when communication, technology, and travel break down.
A more constructive view of these 3-week periods — which happen 3–4 time per year — is that they are times best suited to review, reflection, and reassessment.
When Mercury is retrograde, it appears (from our perspective on earth) to be moving backward in the sky. In Sagittarius, this backward motion encourages us to look back and review our big visions and plans before we take the leap.
Think about what happens when you’re in a rush to leave your house before a big trip. You might forget something important that you’ll need. If you’re lucky, you remember before you get too far away from home, so you can turn back and retrieve it.
Because there’s nothing worse than arriving at the airport and realizing you forgot your passport or some other important document.
Sagittarius is symbolized by the archer, who launches his arrow into the sky, setting the trajectory of a big vision. Sometimes the archer shoots before he’s truly ready — in fact, maybe even before he’s taken aim. As Mercury stations retrograde it invites us to pause and hold our fire until we’ve recalibrated our aim.
Pause to Review, Reassess, and Realign
This is the function of Mercury retrograde: it invites us to slow down, reconsider our vision for where we are going, and ensure we have what we need. If we overlooked some crucial details in our haste to set out on our adventure, Mercury retrograde is our opportunity to ensure we have it before we get to the airport.
With awareness that Capricorn season will soon be here, this Mercury retrograde can help us determine if our big ideas and visions are ones we want to actually plan to implement in the coming year.
This is a time to consider how, exactly, it will work, to get clear on any details or detracting considerations we may have overlooked when caught up in our Sagittarian enthusiasm.
Mercury retrograde can help us ensure we have what we need to build a solid foundation for our vision.
If we do the work that Mercury’s retrograde asks of us, we’ll be well-positioned to move forward with a concrete plan once Mercury is moving forward and Capricorn season begins.
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