Whelp! Mercury is back in retrograde again since the 5th after being absent since October. Interestingly enough we have 4 retrogrades this year, instead of the usual 3. Our first one has already kicked off until the 25th of January and I’ve already been feeling some major effects. If you don’t know what Mercury retrograde is, retrograde means that this planet appears as if it’s going backwards for a few weeks. It’s not, it’s just an illusion, but when a planet retrogrades it means that the ruling characteristics of that planet can “go to shit”, to put it lightly. Since Mercury is the ruler of communication, technology, and travel expect unsent emails, travel delays, misunderstandings and miscommunications.

If you happen to be a Virgo or a Gemini then you are more affected than others during Mercury’s particular retrograde because it is your ruling planet. Being a Taurus/Gemini cusp myself, I’ve always felt the immense power of this retrograde especially being the communicator and writer that I am. Let’s just say I hate being misunderstood and Mercury can make us feel a bit crazy when communications become unclear.

A friend once told me that Mercury retrograde is like the bad house guest who comes over, messes everything up, leaves a whirlwind in your life and personal space, yells at you and then leaves. She isn’t wrong, but this REtrograde is also a great time to REevaluate, REview, REnew, REfocus and REflect. Being that we are also starting a new year with a retrograde is a great time to REanalyze 2015 and start looking ahead. It’s a great time to go through old journals, facebook posts, and blogs to see where you were at and where you are now. The differences may be subtle but I promise you’ll make some interesting observations about the direction your life is going or is about to go. So don’t make the retrograde a bad thing, turn it into a chance to REfresh yourself for the next chapter! Be careful though, Mercury has a way of bringing the past into the forefront of our present! This can be a good thing or a bad thing, just be careful not to make any commitments to anything or anyone major during the retrograde phase. 

I read an article a few days ago titled, ’10 things that happen to your body after 2 weeks without alcohol’ and thought, what a great idea to REflect on 2015 than by starting 2016 out with 2 weeks sober! I thought it would be a great chance to bring myself into the present and spend some quality time digging deep and checking in with myself and my intentions. Well, what a nice thought I joked later that day as we finished our dives and my customer said to me, “would you like a beer!?” I guess you don’t have to twist my arm too hard because I did in fact want to share a cold beer, apres dive, with this lovely lady. Fast forward 3 days and I woke up with a hangover worse than New Years Day and realized that the universe planted this idea in my head on the very first day of retrograde, and although I have put it together in the past few days, it’s obviously something I need to do. So we are 36 hours in to our sobriety and I woke up at 6 AM with a migraine, then at 8 am to rush to the bathroom to vomit, followed by 6 hours of vomiting and rubbing peppermint oil on my forehead. The migraine has finally passed, in the same way all my aura migraines do, the atmospheric pressure is exceptionally high, and I’m glad to have a clear head to be listening to the lessons the universe will show me over the next 16 days. I spent the last hour doing a pineal gland cleansing meditation and it was made clear to me that this is exactly the way I need to spend this retrograde and my next few weeks. 

Because communication gets so twisted during the retrograde, it’s a great time to learn to trust our intution. When actual conversations can be so misinterpreted, without our intuition we may find ourselves frustrated and looking for an escape. Whether it’s a drink, a cigarette, or a social media binge,  all these things do is distract us from our own presence. I think that spending this retrograde really listening to myself and trying to focus my energy on being here now is the best way I can honor 2015 and welcome 2016. Whatever RElease you’ve been feeling from 2015, find a way to let it go so that you can fully move into 2016. Use this retrograde as an opportunity for growth instead of hibernating in your house and cursing your appliances for deciding to go on the fritz. Mercury will be back to it’s usual ways soon enough, don’t stress! 

For more updates on my retrograde journey follow me on snapchat @smilelotsplz.