Starting on 11/25, we will enter our fourth and final Mercury retrograde cycle of 2023. This retrograde will stretch from 22° Sagittarius to 08° Capricorn and make thrice repeating aspects with Neptune in Pisces, Saturn in Pisces, and Jupiter in Taurus. It will also make double conjunctions with Mars – once in Sagittarius and a second time in Capricorn.
The Basics
Mercury, our planet of communication, technology, and travel, is the fastest-moving planet in our solar system and retrogrades 3 to 4 times every year. This means that Mercury’s retrograde cycle is “business as usual” and isn’t something that should be feared but it is a change in the energy signature of one of our personal planets, so it’s worth paying attention and making adjustments where necessary.
Retrogrades don’t mean that the planet ACTUALLY is moving backward, of course. It is a perspective shift in our perception of the planetary movement through our skies. In this way, our perspectives and perceptions can get a bit twisted during these times and it is easy to miss key details or communicate ineffectively.
During Mercury’s retrograde, Mercury traces its path backward in our skies and it is considered better to go over your work rather than start something new. Mercury passes over these degrees in the sky thrice: the first time during its pre-retrograde shadow, the second time while it moves backward during its retrograde, and again a third time while it moves forward in its post-retrograde shadow. Because of this, we all get the cosmic opportunity to relearn and refocus on certain things that are going awry in our lives.
By looking at the degrees of any particular retrograde and comparing them to your natal birth chart, you can get some insight into how each particular retrograde may affect you. If you don’t have the expertise to do this yourself, you can purchase a Mercury retrograde report from me over on Kofi.
Mercury retrogrades affect some people more than others. By order of significance, these people are most likely to be affected by a Mercury retrograde:
- If you have Sun, Moon, Ascendant in Gemini and Virgo or Mercury closely conjunct (within 2°) to your Sun, Moon, or Ascendant
- If your natal Mercury was in retrograde or out of bounds
- If the current retrograde crosses over your Sun, Moon, or Ascendant (in conjunction) or makes a square or opposition
- If the current retrograde crosses over your Mercury, Venus, or Mars or makes a square or opposition with them
- If the current retrograde makes a trine with one of your personal planets or a sextile to your Sun, Moon, or Ascendant
- If you work in a job that involves technology, communication, or travel or are currently undergoing a task that involves one of these domains during this retrograde cycle
- If you live with, are in a relationship with, or closely work with a person who meets the above criteria
One can assume that the more of these factors in play, the stronger you may experience the effects of a Mercury retrograde cycle. This isn’t to say that what you experience will be bad or wrong – some people experience a lot of freedom from Mercury’s journey. The more open you are willing to give up control and stay open to the ever-changing landscape of a Mercury cycle, the easier it will be.
The Nitty Gritty
Now that we’ve established what all Mercury retrogrades bring, let’s talk about this specific one. Mercury will retrograde backward from 08° Capricorn to 22° Sagittarius which means that the degrees affected will be from 22-29° Sagittarius and 00-08° Capricorn.
This puts the stressor on the transition from mutable to cardinal signs (firstly) and from fire to earth signs (secondarily). Anytime that a retrograde cycle crosses signs, we know that there will be a focus on transitions in some fashion. The transition from mutable to cardinal is a seasonal transition – each of our seasons starts at 00° of the four cardinal signs – 00° is the start of spring, 00° Cancer is the start of summer, 00° Libra is the start of autumn, and 00° Capricorn is the start of winter.
The secondary transition from a fire sign to an earth sign is the transition from creation to structure. Earth signs are very material, they deal with what is here and are tangible. Since Mercury passes through these degrees thrice, we will first move forward from mutable/creation to cardinal/structure, back from cardinal/structure to mutable/creation, and then forward again from mutable/creation to cardinal/structure.
This coincides well with the numerology of the three months of this transition: November is a “9” month of endings, December is a “1” month of beginnings, and January is a “9” month of endings. We are on the precipice of something new, but some refinement is needed before we can fully attain that potential.
When we look at the repeated aspects Mercury makes during this time, we see another repetition of this theme. Mercury aspects three of our outer planets thrice: while in Sagittarius, it squares off with Neptune, and while in Capricorn it trines Jupiter and sextiles Saturn. Neptune brings some otherworldly confusion to the table – this shows us the unknown of where we are heading (and perhaps the fear that comes along with it). Jupiter shows us the promise of what is to come. Saturn shows us that we need to work for it.
Additionally, Mercury will make a double pass over Mars as it conjuncts Mars once in retrograde in the sign of Sagittarius and a second time while direct in the sign of Capricorn. Mars is how we get our work done; it is the energy behind nearly everything we do. If I had to pick a singular day of stress or strife during this retrograde cycle, I would choose 12/28 when retrograde Mercury conjuncts Mars at 24° Sagittarius.
A common metaphor for imagining retrograde cycles is as a lesson or “hole” in the ground with which we must fall in/pass over/encounter trice to gain the full experience of the situation.
The story unfolds something like this:
Oh, there’s a hole in the ground! I fell into it because I didn’t know that it was there. It’s not my fault. (pre-retrograde shadow phase)
Oh, there’s a hole in the ground. I fell into it again. I did know it was there…maybe I should learn to avoid this hole? (retrograde phase)
And, if all goes well: Oh hey, that’s a hole in the ground! It’s the same hole I fell into before. I know how to walk around this now. (post-retrograde phase)
In this way, retrogrades are seen as part of the evolution/learning cycle of humanity both on a personal and cultural level. We all make mistakes. We all make repeated mistakes, even. Eventually though, in a best-case scenario, we learn from them and go on to make different mistakes in the future. (I kid…sort of)
That Mercury is crisscrossing over Mars, our planet that gives us the energy to get things done, is a great boon. We aren’t just floating around in the amorphous goo of retrograde season (things can get really fucking foggy and directionless) – there is an actual opportunity to get things done.
That is, of course, is you are up for facing your demons and learning from your mistakes. If you prefer to live with your head in the sand, this retrograde season may feel quite uncomfortable.
We don’t get to choose whether or not we live in “interesting times”, but we do get to decide HOW we live in them. This retrograde is going to put a stressor on existing system failures – where can we shore up our own systems to handle more stress? What can we do to support ourselves through stress and times of change? Is there a levy that is going to be inundated, and can we divert the water elsewhere to avoid a deluge?
There is some old adage about traveling while Mercury is in retrograde that I find very applicable here: traveling during this time can be very pleasurable so long as you can let go and accept where the road takes you.
Expect delays and detours during this time. If you’re all fussed about getting to your destination, you may miss the scenic views and pure joy of the experience of moving more slowly. Mercury’s retrogrades are a time to do less more thoroughly. It is a time of cosmic refinement (Mercury is the ruler of our architect sign of Virgo).
It can also be a time of unfortunate miscommunications (especially involving technology). Packing patience and a heavy dose of empathy can help a lot here. This is the divine right time to check your work twice before you hit “send” and to sit on it for a few days before you pick that fight. Things may not be what they seem and that will go double for the dates when Neptune is involved.
Healthy human behaviors will always help here: take a break when you need to, keep an eye on your state of emotional regulation, and remember to maintain solid boundaries. Remember that this transit is going to pass over all of our December holidays so do what you have to do to care for yourself if its already a hard season for you. (oh, and be extra nice to retail workers if you can!)
The big boon of this transit is that Mercury will station direct on the first day of our new year. That makes 1/1/24 the perfect day to set intentions of all kinds.
Keep in mind that the end of the physical retrograde doesn’t mean that these shenanigans are “over” (Mercury still needs to travel back through to its post-retrograde shadow), but it means the hardest part has passed. We will enter the new year with a fresh slate and hopefully some newfound understanding.
The Details
11/25 – Mercury enters its pre-retrograde shadow 22° Sagittarius
11/27 – Mercury in Sagittarius square retrograde Neptune in Pisces (1)
12/02 – Mercury in Capricorn sextile Saturn in Pisces (1)
12/06 – Neptune stations direct 24° Pisces
12/08 – Mercury in Capricorn trine retrograde Jupiter in Taurus (1)
12/11 – Mercury in Capricorn sextile Venus in Scorpio
12/13 – Mercury stations retrograde 08° Capricorn
12/18 – Retrograde Mercury in Capricorn trine retrograde Jupiter in Taurus (2)
12/21 – Retrograde Mercury in Capricorn sextile Saturn in Pisces (2)
12/27 – Retrograde Mercury in Sagittarius square Neptune in Pisces (2)
12/28 – Retrograde Mercury conjunct Mars 24° Sagittarius (1)
12/31 – Jupiter stations direct 05° Taurus
1/01 – Mercury stations direct 22° Sagittarius
1/8 – Mercury in Sagittarius square Neptune in Pisces (3)
1/18 – Mercury in Capricorn sextile Saturn in Pisces (3)
1/19 – Mercury in Capricorn trine Jupiter in Taurus (3)
1/20 – Mercury exits its post-retrograde shadow 08° Capricorn
1/27 – Mercury conjunct Mars 17° Capricorn (2) stations retrograde 08° Capricorn
12/18 – Retrograde Mercury in Capricorn trine retrograde Jupiter in Taurus (2)
12/21 – Retrograde Mercury in Capricorn sextile Saturn in Pisces (2)
12/27 – Retrograde Mercury in Sagittarius square Neptune in Pisces (2)
12/28 – Retrograde Mercury conjunct Mars 24° Sagittarius (1)
12/31 – Jupiter stations direct 05° Taurus
1/01 – Mercury stations direct 22° Sagittarius
1/8 – Mercury in Sagittarius square Neptune in Pisces (3)
1/18 – Mercury in Capricorn sextile Saturn in Pisces (3)
1/19 – Mercury in Capricorn trine Jupiter in Taurus (3)
1/20 – Mercury exits its post-retrograde shadow 08° Capricorn
1/27 – Mercury conjunct Mars 17° Capricorn (2)