Here's What Mercury Retrograde Really Means—Plus How To Use It To Your Advantage

Uh oh—Mercury is going retrograde again. But before anyone starts panicking, what does Mercury retrograde actually mean? And does it really impact us?

Astronomically speaking, Mercury retrogrades occur when Mercury passes the Earth in its orbit around the Sun. From our perspective on Earth, Mercury appears to be moving in a different direction, even though it's not actually moving backwards.

As astrologer Molly Pennington, Ph.D. tells mindbodygreen, no planet will ever literally go in reverse motion, but she compares it to when you're sitting in a parked car, and the car next to you starts moving; suddenly, you feel like you're in motion too, even though you're not.

So, why do people freak out about Mercury retrogrades? We covered the literal astronomy of it, but astrologically speaking, there are some other implications that tend to make people a little nervous.

For one thing, Mercury governs themes around communication, thinking, technology, and travel—so when it's retrograde, those are exactly the areas that tend to get hit the hardest. Think travel delays, miscommunications, accidentally sending an email too soon...things of that nature.

As the AstroTwins previously explained to mindbodygreen, "During [Mercury retrogrades], astrologers advise against buying new computers, electronic devices, appliances, and cars," adding that signing contracts is also tricky during Mercury retrograde, as you can easily miss an important detail.

With mental Mercury's wires crossed, it's also not uncommon to feel a bit frazzled during Mercury retrogrades. You might feel like you can't think straight or come to a solid conclusion on anything—and that's by nature.

As Pennington explains, retrograde periods actually offer us the perfect opportunity to "go back in time" and make any revisions necessary before moving forward.

As aforementioned, Mercury retrogrades give us a chance to "regroup" before the planet's forward motion begins again. So no, they're not all bad!

As the twins explain, you can use this time to dot your i's, cross your t's, or otherwise handle unfinished business. "Most of us start a million things that we don't complete, never realizing how much psychic clutter this creates—the retrograde is a chance to tie up loose ends and create a clear vision for the future," the twins say, adding, "Take advantage of it, and you'll emerge fresh and ready when Mercury goes direct."

And for what it's worth, resisting the energy of Mercury retrograde is just going to land you in more snafus. For that reason, the twins note, "The more you can embrace chaos or a lack of control, the better you'll survive this cycle."

If you thought you only had to factor in Mercury retrograde's effects during the retrograde itself, think again. There's a "shadow period" that comes along with Mercury retrogrades in the weeks leading up to it, and the weeks after.

This "shadow" phase starts a few weeks before the actual retrograde and ends a few weeks after, which the AstroTwins describe like "the lingering fumes of a bus or car after it's driven away."

And according to Pennington, the shadow period can also be of use to you, because it can show you what exactly is going to be addressed or revisited during the retrograde period.

You can expect at least two, but often three, Mercury retrogrades each and every year. (It typically has the most retrogrades of any planet per year.)

Generally speaking, Gemini and Virgo tend to feel the effects of Mercury retrograde periods the most, as the two signs ruled by Mercury. But we all feel the effects of Mercury retrogrades differently, depending on where it lands in our birth chart.

For example, Mercury retrograde from April 1 to April 24, 2024, is in the sign of Aries. So, you would look to your birth chart to see which house Aries rules in your chart, and the themes of that house are what will be impacted.

Don't let Mercury retrograde send you into a scramble. While it's not always the easiest few weeks, it can be made a lot easier when you take the time to slow down and use it to your advantage.