The 2018 Mercury retrogrades are all in fire signs this year. The retrograde in Aries may prompt childish behavior in those who don’t get their way, while Leo’s retrograde could lead to inflated egos and snobbery, even among the most humble. Mercury’s time spent in Sag will likely see spells of bad luck and grand, long-term plans going awry. The remedy? Take things slow. Act carefully and conscientiously.
When Mercury goes retrograde, that’s the time to slow down to notice changes you’d like to make, but you’ll wait to correct them after Mercury has gone direct. During the retrograde, your time is best spent looking back in review – not looking forward. Astrologers say do not apply for a loan during this time, or interview for a new job. Do not take a first date seriously. Do not begin a new partnership. Hold off on romance. Mates from the past may reappear, or perhaps just past relationship baggage will cloud your thought processes – and the new relationship. Retrograde isn’t the time to break up or otherwise decide on a new direction in relationships. If you have to have “the talk,” hold off until Mercury goes direct. Even if things have taken a turn for the worst, when Mercury goes direct, you could pick up where you left off. That can be the good news and the bad news. Either way, it gives you the chance to make a clean break and smooth over the messy outburst neither of you intended 3 weeks ago. A retrograde is not the time to set a date or finalize any important plans, as they’ll likely end up needing redoing. If you enter into contracts, make sure you read the fine print. This will save you much time and money later.
Mercury direct, however, is the time for new beginnings, setting the record straight, for making plans and commitments. It’s the time for clearing up any disputes you’ve had the past few weeks. It’s time for getting everything out in the open and making plans for the future. It’s a time to take steps toward financial self-sufficiency and to deal realistically with your debt.
Things will begin to straighten out as Mercury passes the point where it first turned retrograde, and you can pick back up where you left off before it went retrograde. Save the contract signing, the break up or engagement plans until after that, and this is also the time to repair any mis-takes of the retrograde period.
How totally cool that even the planets give us do-overs.
Retrogrades as a Metaphor for Consciousness Evolution:
Astrologer Martin Schulman, author of the Karmic Astrology series, writes in Retrogrades and Reincarnation, “More often than not, planets appear in retrograde motion when they are in opposition to the sun. Thus, they often symbolize a vortex in consciousness which might be called the not-Sun of reality. The reader is cautioned not to attempt to experience the retrograde vibration on intuitive or psychic levels because the effect of so many retrograde placements can easily put an individual out of harmony with his own vibration. It is therefore suggested that, except for your own chart, this information be read with enough personal detachment so that you are not pulled into the full vortex of the retrograde vibration.”
2018 Mercury retrograde dates
2018
December 23, 2017 to January 10, 2018 in fire-sign Sagittarius
March 22 – April 15, 2018 in fire-sign Aries
July 26 – August 18, 2018 in fire-sign Leo water-sign Scorpio
November 16 – December 6 in fire sign Sagittarius, ends water sign Scorpio
2019
March 5 – 28, 2019 in water-sign Pisces
July 7 – 31, 2019 starts in fire-sign Leo, ends in water-sign Cancer
October 31 – November 20, 2019 in water-sign Scorpio
2020
February 18 – March 9, 2020 in water-sign Pisces, ends in air-sign Aquarius
June 17 – July 12, 2020 in water-sign Cancer
October 13 – November 3, 2020 in water-sign Scorpio, ends in air-sign Libra
2021
January 30 – February 20 in air-sign Aquarius
May 29 – June 22 in air-sign Gemini
September 27 – October 18 in air-sign Libra
2022
January 14 – February 3 starts in air sign Aquarius, ends in earth-sign Capricorn
May 10 – June 2 starts in air sign Gemini, ends in earth-sign Taurus
September 9 – October 2 starts in air-sign Libra, ends in earth-sign Virgo December 29 – January 18 in earth-sign Capricorn
2023
See above, Dec 29, 2022 – Jan 18, 2023- goes direct in earth sign Capricorn
April 21 – May 14 in earth sign Taurus
August 23 – September 15 in earth sign Virgo
December 13, 2023 – January 1, 2024 in fire-sign Sagittarius
2024
January 1, 2024 goes direct in fire-sign Sagittarius
April 1- April 25 in fire-sign Aries
August 4 – August 28 in earth-sign and ends in fire-sign Leo
November 25 – December 15 in fire-sign Sagittarius
RELATED: Mercury Retrograde thru the signs
Mercury Retrograde thru the Houses
Mercury Retrograde DeMystified