Mercury Retrograde Trilogy 2021: Challenging Our Beliefs
We are currently in our third and final Mercury retrograde for 2021. A planet is said to be “retrograde” when it appears to be moving backwards in the sky. (Think of how when you pass a car on a highway, the car appears to be moving backwards. It’s an illusion created by the difference in your rates of travel.) Mercury is a messenger, often a trickster who slows us down and draws our attention to matters in need of change. This year all of Mercury’s retrogrades have taken place in air signs (Aquarius, Gemini, Libra). Air signs are about the world of our thoughts, beliefs, ideas, and communication. Thus, Mercury retrogrades in 2021 have been bringing to our awareness beliefs, thoughts, ways of communicating that may need revision or change as they are incomplete or untrue and negatively impacting ourselves, others, and the world.
| 1st Retrograde—
February 1-22 in Aquarius ♒️ TRANSPERSONAL (beyond the individual self) FIXED (difficult to change, interested in maintaining what has been) |
Aquarius focuses on self-worth and the influence of our society and the social groups to which we belong. Throughout our lives, we consciously and unconsciously absorb the beliefs or the society in which we live. During this retrograde, Mercury was asking us to pause and reflect particularly on those beliefs we have long held to be true but are in fact not true and serve only to limit or suppress us and/or others. It may have brought to our awareness the effect of beliefs of which we were not fully conscious. As Aquarius is a fixed sign, we would have been asked to examine beliefs that are particularly long standing, strong, and difficult to change.
Some questions to consider: What beliefs about yourself and/or others have come up for review in your life? What have you believed to be true and now learned to be false? What new truths are being revealed to you?
| 2nd Retrograde—
June 1-23 in Gemini ♊️ PERSONAL (ourselves, our needs, and our lives) MUTABLE (changeable, flexible) |
Gemini activates our desire for completeness, wholeness, and healing. As a personal sign, Gemini is self-focused, concerned with our own needs, and directs our attention inward. In Gemini, we can become mired in details and may need to step back to look at the larger picture. Gemini embraces a love of learning and presents us with opportunities to gain new perspectives. It helps us to find the middle way between polarities and reveals our personal biases. Because Gemini is a mutable sign, the changes Mercury asked of us would be easier to achieve than those in Aquarius.
Some questions to consider: What beliefs have kept you from feeling whole and complete? Where have you been polarized in either/or thinking? What new understandings are revealing a middle ground or a both/and perspective?
| 3rd Retrograde—
Sept. 28-Oct. 19 in Libra ♎️ INTERPERSONAL (relationships with others) CARDINAL (initiating something new) |
Libra carries the energies of balance, harmony, beauty, and love. As a cardinal sign, Libra brings opportunity to initiate new ways of thinking and communicating. Libra is oriented toward the interpersonal, our interactions and relationships with others. Our relationships with others are actually mirrors, outward projections our inner relationship with ourselves. Changing our relationship with ourselves, changes our relationships with others.
Some questions to consider: What are your relationships revealing about your relationship with yourself? (Are you self-loving or self-judging?) How is Mercury asking you to rethink your relationship with yourself? As you relate to yourself in new ways , what changes do you see mirrored in your external relationships?
For some clients, this trilogy of retrogrades has been organized around a central belief. For some, “I am not enough” has been the underlying thread of their experiences.
(♒️ Aquarius) Looking at all the ways our culture taught them that they are not enough, don’t do enough, don’t 
have enough. Then learning the truth that we are all one, made of the same cosmic energy, and therefore, no one is more or less than anyone else.
(♊️ Gemini) Examining the origins and impact of the “I am not enough” belief in their personal lives and gaining new perspectives that are bringing a truer understanding of self. Appreciating the partnership achieved through the integration of ego and spirit.
(♎️ Libra) Seeing their “I’m not enough” mirrored back through their relationships, taking the truth they’ve learned and changing how they see themselves. Relating to themselves with kindness, love, and compassion.
I’ve offered a very skeleton view of this year’s Mercury Retrogrades. There is much more complexity to each retrograde and too much to write here. This Mercury Retrograde will end on Oct 19 when Mercury goes direct again.
At its core, this retrograde trilogy has been about challenging and changing our beliefs and the ways we think. I would love to know what beliefs/ways of thinking have come to your attention over this year. Please join me via Zoom on Thursday, October 21 at 7pm-8pm for an open conversation about our Mercury retrograde experiences. I will happily answer questions and provide additional information about the retrogrades where needed. Zoom link below. I hope to see you!!
Topic: Mercury Retrograde Open Conversation
Time: Oct 21, 2021 07:00 AM Eastern Time (US and Canada)
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83136476091?pwd=d04vN0xoZTVqQml5Sjhuc2E1N1FDQT09
Meeting ID: 831 3647 6091
Passcode: 597480