Mercury in Retrograde Starts This Friday. BRING IT.

Ahh, twenty-twenty (part) two. If you would’ve asked us a few weeks ago if we were ready for it, we would have swiped to the left and said, “thank you, next.”

With the slow-as-honey, isolated, and all around bust that was the New Year’s Eve/New Year’s Day transition from last year to this year a few weeks ago, followed by the deaths of two of America’s most-loved TV icons, Betty White and Bob Saget, a week ago would have been really bad timing for an astrological event that aims at tilting our worlds of communication and general function upside down.

But that is so last week and even last year, and things are chaotic in general as a rule of thumb. It’s 2022, people, not 2020! Catch up!

Y’all remember the last Mercury in Retrograde. So much felt awry, we seriously would not have been surprised if aliens invaded New York City or gravity just suddenly ceased to exist and everything, including ourselves, hit the ceiling. Yeah, it was that bad. It was long, and we were ready to get out of that Twilight Zone episode by the second week. Like many of you, we frantically took to Google to search “When does this shit end?” and logged into Twitter to search the latest mentions of #Retrograde to see if anyone had a house dropped on them.

That was then, though, and this is now. It’s a new year and all our sleeves are rolled up and we’re ready for the event that begins on Friday! (Right??!)

When Is the Next Mercury in Retrograde?

Starting on Friday, January 14 2022, and lasting until Thursday, February 3, 2022, the retrograde will start in Aquarius and end in Capricorn. If that doesn’t have you slightly discouraged, allow me to possibly push you off that edge; in addition to this Mercury retrograde, Venus will also be in retrograde at the. Same. Time. I’m not panicking, you are.

What Should I Expect with the January Mercury in Retrograde?

Since there are two cosmic events set to put on a show at the same time, Astrology.com says that we ought to prepare to have a shifted “perspective of reality.” Well that isn’t so bad, is it? After all, this is 2020 (part) 2, so feeling like we’re all in a shared shifted reality could be fun! "Together, Venus and Mercury retrograde will ask us to rethink, reshape, and transform the way we communicate within relationships. They will for sure bring blasts from the past to help us reshape some of our negative emotional and communicative patterns" Narayana Montúfar of Astrology.com says.

How Can I Prepare for Mercury in Retrograde?

If you can, think back to the first event of January, the first Mercury Retrograde that was between January 30 through February 19. The same themes and events you experienced then may take part in a sort of double-feature fashion. Be mindful of the issues you may have experienced, and in what departments or areas of your life they impacted. If anything, rest assured that reading this means you’re, in the least, more prepared for the upcoming cosmic caused fuckery.

With the first Mercury Retrograde of 2021 in the forefront of your mind, try and envision new ways of handling potential disruptions with technology. Think on how you will handle a miscommunication episode. It’s all about learning from past mistakes and working on handling the wobbly ground with new approaches.

Which Part of It All Might Be The Worst?

Madi Murphy from The Cosmic RX says that when Mercury dips into Capricorn on January 25, energies may become their most intense. Be aware of your own indecisiveness during this time and try and not be so overly critical or nit-picky. "Capricorn is a serious sign and this is a time for careful considerations of life especially as it pertains to work. But it is important to stop and smell the roses from time to time and remember there is more to life than work,” says Murphy. And, if it all becomes too much to bear on the 25^th, take a Mental Health Day. Have no shame in laying low and dodging any potential uncomfortable decision making or work-related/project processes.

What Should I Aim To Do During Mercury in Retrograde?

We think it’ll serve you well to try and get out more for walks and to be around nature. We could all use some extra time in our days to stop what we’re doing (I’m looking at you) and take a break. Get outside and breathe the brisk, fresh air. Just take a 20-minute stroll. Once you’re back indoors, you workaholic, why not declutter that crazy-ass inbox? Text your friend back. Write in a journal, or better yet- revisit your New Year resolutions – where are you at with your short-term goals that you planned last December?

Most importantly, breathe. If anything, we all could benefit from spending the upcoming Mercury in Retrograde being mindful of our bodies and minds. Taking the time during these upcoming weeks to perform Self Check-Ins.

We’re all gonna be okay.

You got this.