What is Mercury Retrograde?

Mercury Retrograde is one of the most popular astrological events of the year. It typically retrogrades three to four times a year. When this happens, it seems that it moves “backwards”, which is actually only an illusion, as all planets in our solar system always move into the same direction. However, every time Mercury passes the Earth in its orbit, viewed from the Earth, it appears to slow down and move backwards, as its orbit is shorter than the Earths’ orbit.

This month, on April 21st Mercury goes into retrograde again and it will continue in this state for three weeks.

During this time, it causes energy to flow differently, it’s basically in a resting state. This means that the communication, travel, commerce and technology, which are ruled by Mercury, can be thrown into chaos. Mercury is the planet that rules how we communicate with others and that controls what we say, as well as how we process what we hear from others. Therefore, when Mercury is in retrograde, it can cause communication problems with other people, something might get in the way of your plans, a trip might get cancelled, your computer might crash, or an important email might get lost.

When is Mercury in retrograde in 2023?

These are the Mercury retrograde dates for 2023:

• December 29, 2022 to January 17, 2023
• April 21, 2023 to May 14, 2023
• August 23, 2023 to September 15, 2023
• December 13, 2023 to January 1, 20247

What to do and not to do during Mercury retrograde?

While the Mercury retrograde period has a very bad reputation, you can also use this time to your advantage. Here are a few recommendation of what you should do and what you should avoid during this time.

What should I avoid during Mercury retrograde?

• Avoid signing important contracts. But if you really have to, just know that there is nothing to fear, as long as you pay attention. Double check everything to make sure that you don’t oversee any important details.
• Are you waiting for an important email response and you haven’t received it? Check your spam folder or ask the sender. It’s very likely during this time that emails get lost.
• It’s not the best time to plan a trip but if you cannot wait, review your reservation and all the details to avoid surprises on the way and when arriving at your destination.
• Don’t make any important life-changing decisions during this time, like taking a new job, moving to another city, or breaking up a relationship.

What should I do during Mercury retrograde?

• Pay attention when signing anything!
• Review carefully any email before sending it out.
• Back up important data, files, photos, etc.
• Leave early if you have an appointment or if you have to get to the train or airport.
• Plan ahead and have a backup plan in case something goes wrong. And even if something goes wrong, the world won’t end because of a little chaos. Just remain flexible and remind yourself to stay calm and you will find a solution!
• This is not the time to start anything new. Focus on reviewing or resuming any open projects. Mercury retrograde is a great opportunity to handle unfinished business.
• Think before you speak!
• Be kind to others and don’t take other people’s crankiness personally.
• Clear yourself and your house from any negative energy by burning a sage, take a relaxing bath or take a swim in the ocean.
• Take a step back and take a moment to reflect on your life. Meditation can be a powerful tool for that.

How to protect yourself during Mercury retrograde with crystals?

Crystal and gemstones are great tool to protect yourself during Mercury retrograde. You can use them during meditation, place them next to your bed or carry them in your pocket. An even better option is to directly wear them on your skin, in form of a necklace or a crystal energy bracelet. Gemstone mala beads are also a great way to incorporate protective stones into your meditation.

When deciding which stones are the best, my best advice is that you use the ones that you are most drawn to. If you are unsure, here are a few recommendations:

• My absolute favourites are Amazonite & Aquamarine. Both are great stones when moving through a time of transition and change. Amazonite and Aquamarine are related to the throat chakra and are therefore very beneficial for communication. They also have a very calming effect. Click here for beautiful Amazonite jewellery and here for Aquamarine jewellery.
• Labradorite, another one of my favourites. It is THE traveller stone one of the most powerful protection crystals, as it protects against negativity from the outside but also slows down the negative side of your character within you. I highly recommend to have one with you when travelling, or even better, wear a labradorite bracelet or a labradorite mala to have it even closer to your skin. Check out all one of a kind labradorite jewellery here.
• Black Tourmaline helps to let go of fear and anxiety. It is also a powerful protective stone and grounding stone.
• Lapis Lazuli support honest and open communication. Wear or meditate with the “Self-Awareness Mala” made of beautiful blue aventurine & lapis lazuli beads.
• Hematite is also a very grounding stones and pulls away any negative energy.
• Quartz Crystals help to clear negative energy and it controls how we think and how we respond to our environment.

Lots of love,

Helen ♡

Looking for more protective jewellery for mercury retrograde?

CLICK HERE TO SHOP OUR CRYSTAL ENERGY BRACELETS & AND HERE TO SHOP OUR GEMSTONE MALA BEADS.