To add a touch of confusion to the wild energy of eclipses and Grand Fire Trines coming up during the next few weeks, Mercury turns retrograde over the weekend (5th October, AEST), and it will do its backwards thing for three weeks.

With so much powerful stuff going on astrologically during October I’m finding it difficult to predict how this Mercury retrograde is going to play out. Everything else will be about a radical and forceful urge to change, to get rid of old stuff, to cut ties and break free of restrictions. But Mercury retrograde says we could well make some stuff-ups along the way.

Mercury retrograde can be a tricky period at the best of times, and when combined with the forceful energies of October, if we’re not careful we could be making some silly and unintended decisions. The eclipses and the influence of the Mars-Uranus-Jupiter Trine are a brilliant opportunity for fundamental and necessary growth. With Mercury retrograde in the mix, it’ll be important to do at least a little stop and think before making drastic life-altering decisions.

Retrogrades are times when it is more important to be inwardly oriented than outer-directed, when our life is subject to review, reflection, and re-thinking. We need to direct the things that Mercury rules (the mind, perception, communication) inwards, and be aware that the external expression of these things doesn’t work so well … hence, misunderstandings, delays, glitches, breakdowns.

The retrograde tends to affect people differently.  Geminis and Virgos, who are ruled by Mercury, are most affected … give them a bit of leeway over the next few weeks, especially towards the end of the period, as their words and thoughts get more and more muddled as the retrograde goes on.  On the other hand, people who have Mercury retrograde in their birth chart tend to be more effective than usual during this time, particularly at thinking issues through.  Generally, it is a better time for introspection than for expression.

But with the eclipses and other powerful influences going on, it won’t be possible to stand still. So the usual cautionary tale of Mercury retrograde needs a bit of allowance this time around. It won’t be possible to put everything on hold, as one might typically be advised to do with this retrograde. We are going to want to be making changes, but we might not be so good at communicating what we want to those around us. When Mercury is retrograde, its like a cloud of confusion and misunderstanding happens between the words that come out of our mouths and the ones that are heard in someone else’s ears.

So, take care, give people a bit of leeway, and laugh at the stuff-ups. And remember that Mercury retrograde is not an excuse … just an energy that’s at play!

I’ll post more about the challenging, exciting, life-changing, radical, disturbing, disruptive, expansive energies of the eclipses and the Grand Fire Trine in the next few days.