hey there! I’m back at it again with a witchy post. in this one I’m gonna be giving you some ideas to reign in all the good vibes while Mercury’s in retrograde. in case you’re wondering wtf Mercury retrograde is, I’ll go over a little run down. it’s the reason life’s been raining on your parade. kinda.
when a planet goes into retrograde it means it appears to be rotating backwards. since Mercury, both the planet and god, rules over essentially everything, Mercury Retrograde seems to affect every aspect of life. see Mercury was originally the god of roads. who travels on roads? messengers, doctors, travelers, the clergy, thieves, pretty much everyone and everything. this is how Mercury came to rule over communication, travel, health, thieves, priests, etc. in astrology terms Mercury only rules over communication but this explains why when he’s in retrograde everything seems to go haywire.
this is why you should take things with a grain of salt, as well as think before you speak when Mercury Retrograde is upon us. things will get lost in translation, folks will be projecting their own issues onto others more, you may seem to be more hot headed than typical and those from your past may be popping back into the picture.
it’s also best to not make any life changing/big picture decisions during this period. who knows how you’ll feel once Mercury is station? not only are you wearing rose coloured glasses during this period but you also end up doing A LOT of soul searching and growing during this retrograde.
shadow work is a great way to survive mercury retrograde thanks to this. focus on the toxic traits, petty behavior and triggers that appear during Mercury retrograde and it’s shadow period–which is roughly the three weeks leading up to the retrograde and will set the tone for how this retrograde will effect you. the post-shadow period, three weeks after the fact, is when you should focus on fixing these issues. however, it doesn’t hurt to work on nipping it in the butt right here, right now.
this being said, you don’t want to start planning a new endeavor or event during this period for misfortune is more likely to follow it. as far as the advice section of this goes I’ll leave you with a few more points:
- stay flexible because plans WILL change
- keep yourself busy with reorganizing & creative outlets
- prepare & accept delays, re-do’s, mishaps, miscommunication, bumps in your plans, general struggles
- use your intuition; if you feel it in your gut its instinct, if you feel it in your heart it’s fear
- backup your electronics & get that car tuned up
- wear shades of blue, purple, gray, yellow & green for these are the colours associated with the god and his namesake
now we’re onto the fun part of this article. let’s talk magick baby. here are a few spells and witchy tips to keep your vibes high during these dark times. focus on light magick that attracts prosperity and happiness–keep in mind that whatever you put out into the world you receive tenfold!
LUCKY CHARM
- bottle cap or miniature spell bottle
- green and orange or blue candles
- lucky herbs such as spearmint, clovers, oak moss, rosemary, lemon balm, coltsfoot, mullein, clementine oil, etc.
- optional yellow and light green candles
- optional citrine crystal
bottle cap:
write the intention of the charm in the bottle cap, place your herbs and crystal into your bottle cap. as you drip the wax over them, visualize the intention coming to life until the cap is filled
miniature bottle:
write on a piece of paper your intentions for this charm. place the charm and your herbs and crystals inside the bottle. some say to add your spit or hair to help the spell portray to you but really it’s whatever you feel is best. once your jar is full put on its cap and seal it with your wax
carry your charm in your pocket. when you are finished with it, on a full moon, burry it away from your home/property.
NOT TODAY MERCURY TEA SPELL
- herbal tea
- blue & yellow candles
- boiling water
- optional green candle
- optional citrine & sodalite crystals
as always, first you want to cleanse your space & your aura with a type of smudging bundle. come up with a personal mantra of what you wish to banish and what you wish to attract during this retrograde. it can be as simple as “I banish misfortune and toxicity. I attract prosperity and wealth” if you do not feel it needs to rhyme, it doesn’t.
now light your candles and boil your water, ideally in a kettle.
using a herbal tea blend of lavender, peppermint, elderberries and juniper berries (I sell one on my shop here: https://www.instagram.com/p/B3926L0g_OR/?igshid=uc4c9pgj72jh ) pour your water over your tea bag while repeating your mantra three times.
let the tea steep for no more than five minutes before removing your bag and blowing at the candles. during those five minutes you want to focus on visualizing what you attracting and banishing, meditate on this visual. after you snuff out your candles you may end the ritual with “so mote it be” if you wish.
enjoy your tea in peace and quiet while once again visualizing the good you wish to come with this retrograde period.
NEW MOON BATH
the new moon is a great time for a cleansing. you always want to start a ritual bath by taking a burning rosemary, pine or sage bundle around your bathroom and yourself. next draw yourself a bath and add any essential oils, herbs and flower petals. set up crystals and candles around the tub and visualize a wave of new, protective energy washing over you. you can also use an affirmation if you like. I have a blog post all about ritual moon baths if you want more details!
HONOR MERCURY
send a little love towards this mischievous god so he looks on you in favor. burn sandalwood, cinnamon and/or frankincense incense or diffuse their oil. leave out some coins, olive oil, barley and/or red wine for him. if you take a hike during this period stack stones atop each other a mile in to create a herms. say a little prayer to him. whatever feels right to ask him to keep you in his good graces.
I wonder what Earth does to the other aliens when we’re in retrograde… anyways all the planets go into retrograde–the sun and moon aren’t planets. it varies on how many times a year they do but for Mercury it’s 3 – 4 times a year. for the other retrogrades just keep in mind that whatever the god/goddess it’s named after rules over is what gets messed with the most. again since Mercury is an ominescent, umbrella god his retrograde affects the most aspects of life. good luck out there kids and remember there’s always a lesson to be learned during these periods. blessed be lovelies!
Dani Catherine J 