Starting on November 25, Mercury enters its fourth and final retrograde of 2024. The retrograde runs from 22° to 06° Sagittarius and makes thrice repeating aspects with Jupiter in Gemini, Saturn in Pisces, and Chiron in Aries. Mercury will also conjunct the Sun (as it does every retrograde) and trine retrograde Mars in Leo.
The Basics
Mercury, our planet of communication, technology, and travel, is the fastest-moving planet in our solar system and retrogrades three to four 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 Mercury’s retrograde and comparing it to your birth chart, you can understand how Mercury’s retrograde cycle might affect you. If you don’t want to do this yourself, you can always purchase a Mercury retrograde transit chart from me 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 reviewed the basics let’s look at the specifics of THIS Mercury retrograde cycle. Mercury will retrograde backward from 22°-06° Sagittarius. Sagittarius is our mutable fire sign. Overall, it is concerned with higher education, big thinking, luck, and travel – all aspects that fall within the domain of Jupiter, its planetary ruler. Jupiter is currently in the sign of its exile, Gemini. Interestingly, Sagittarius is also the sign of Mercury’s exile. Gemini and Sagittarius are 7-7 Sun Sing opposites, which is a fancy way of saying that they sit in opposition with one another on the horoscope wheel. This interplay between Mercury and Jupiter – both in the other’s home signs – will play out strongly during this retrograde.
Jupiter is our cosmic cheerleader; it wants to go big and never go home. The problem with its placement in Gemini is that Gemini has endless rabbit holes and diversions for Jupiter to fall into; not only can Jupiter not go home (something that it strives towards), but it can also become hopelessly lost in the labyrinthian double-mind of the twins. This is further exasperated by Jupiter’s ongoing retrograde. We are already distracted by this before Mercury even begins their regularly scheduled shenanigans. Luck isn’t on our side right now because luck isn’t on anybody’s side.
Mercury and Gemini, the sign it naturally rules (along with Virgo), rely on luck an awful lot. They need luck to access what they know out of the scattered filing system so that they speak the right things and they need luck to be believed (or at least given the benefit of the doubt) when they are speaking nonsense that might prove to be true at a later date. I do not mean to belittle Gemini here; they are just mutable air – the essence of pure thought. Not every idea is a good idea, and Gemini doesn’t discriminate. That is one of their best and worst qualities.
And the only sign that relies on luck more than Gemini is Sagittarius. They are cosmic opposites, after all, which any good astrologer can tell you means that they are actually quite similar. Sagittarius is mutable fire – pure inspiration. Sagittarius often seems to have been born to leap before they look. And trust me, the universe (or whatever you want to call it) catches them many times more than seems reasonable.
These two signs are front and center to this retrograde, and both are at a disadvantage. (roll twice, take the worse result – IYKYK)
There are a couple of ways of looking at what is about to happen between Mercury and Jupiter over the next two months (58 days if we’re being exact):
Luck will be iffy, so I should shore up some for a rainy day.
Luck is out for lunch, so I should eat elsewhere too.
Luck has gone haywire; I can use this.
Neither is right or wrong; a lot depends on your comfort with luck streams and how much you rely on them. Whatever you choose, this will have a particular effect on our lives. When Mercury retrograde makes our vision blurry, and we’re out of luck, we should watch for opportunities that look too easy. Both Gemini and Sagittarius are known for taking the easy road to their detriment. All that glitters is definitely not gold during this time, and you should be wary of the golden-tongued swindler. Check the fine print before you agree to anything during this time.
The days in question where Mercury will oppose retrograde Jupiter in Gemini: 11/18 during Mercury’s pre-retrograde shadow, 12/04 during Mercury’s retrograde, and on 12/26 during Mercury’s post-retrograde shadow. Because Mercury and Jupiter are in each other’s native signs, this will be in effect through the next sixty days, but it will appear the strongest around these dates.
Mercury in Sagittarius will also square Saturn in Pisces three times, once when Saturn is retrograde and twice after it has stationed direct during our Taurus full moon on 11/15. Saturn can be seen as the opposite of Jupiter—where Jupiter is constantly expanding, Saturn contracts. Saturn holds fate, time, and consequence within its portfolio. I don’t mean the whimsical tit-for-tat fate of modern Western mysticism; I mean the type of fate that is unavoidable and determined by being alive in a particular place at a specific time. Saturn holds the fated consequences of aging and eventually dying – both in ourselves, our others, and in every living thing that we share breath with. This is why Saturn is often called the Greater Malefic because time is relentless and unending. On a long enough timeline, everything turns to dust. On a long enough timeline, beauty fades. On a long enough timeline, everything that ever was is undone.
In a way, we can view youth as Jupiter who says “Let’s do it all!” and Saturn as our late twenty-something who comes to the realization that choices must be made because there will never be enough time.
Its worth noting that Jupiter and Saturn will be moving ever closer to exact square with one another through this retrograde (exact on 12/24 in close t-square with retrograde Mercury). This is going to make the days on and around this event (including Christmas proper) tense and dramatic. Where Jupiter says push, Saturn grunts Pull, which will likely cause things to grind to a standstill. Don’t expect communication to be easy during this time, or to get much done with any efficiency. I would expect some major blowups between the big personalities in family systems with neither party being able to see or comprehend the other’s point of view. Since this will happen in the clean up phase (post-retrograde shadow) of Mercury’s cycle, it might be for the best if people can really get whatever is eaten them off of their chests. But tempers will have to calm down and regroup before any true reconciliation can happen.
Expect the days that Mercury squares off with Saturn (11/12, 12/06, and 12/27) to be thick and slow as molasses. Some people will undoubtedly have to face the consequences of their actions (or inactions) during this time – especially our words and the many other ways that we communicate. Travel around the holidays is going to be slow and filled with terrors (watch out for accidents and people being very reactive to delays).
Lastly, Mercury will trine Chiron in Aries three times. This is the light at the end of this tunnel, but more like the Hermit lantern than anything – perhaps the light that guides us through the tunnel is more accurate. Chiron is not a planet but rather an asteroid that astrologers have noted with extra interest. It is often called the Wounded Healer after its namesake, a centaur from Greek mythology. Like most true healers, Chiron doesn’t heal – not exactly. Rather, it shines a beacon on what is hurting so that you can face it head on and heal yourself.
Some people really enjoy this process. Others run screaming from it with every fiber of their being. You probably know where you fall on that spectrum, stay very aware of that as we move through our Mercury retrograde cycle. Although as an asteroid, Chiron doesn’t carry the heavy significant of Jupiter or Saturn, most people still feel its impacts, especially when Chiron directly aspects their natal birth chart by birth position or through a major transit like this.
The wisest advice I’ve ever seen about Chiron is that although it sometimes hurts, its wise to remember that Chiron is working for you, not against you. This is a light in our tunnel, and it can point your directly at what you need to change, evolve, reevaluate, work on, etc. in your own life. But you need to be looking and its on you to then do the work to fix what needs fixing.
Chiron has had a much bigger part in this year than most. Firstly, it has been involved in every single Mercury retrograde of the year, where its been helping us to self reflect and grow. Secondly, it played a major role in the stellium that involved our eclipsed new moon in Aries, Chiron, Mercury. and the North Node during April. If that lunation was difficult for you, the remnants of it may rise to the surface for further integration.
Chiron is a reminder that things hurt when we are hurt, or ill, or otherwise in need of healing. And that you might need to hurt more to get through the scar tissues, expel the disease, burn out the fever, or whatever healing analogy you want to get better. Chiron is also the Wounded Healer because it has a wound that can never be healed. Some things can’t be fixed, and that is a hard part of the Chironian lesson as well. Instead, we must learn and adapt to where we are; sometimes the answer is moving the marker rather than trying to walk all that way all by ourselves.
Mercury trines Chiron thrice: first on 11/19 in its pre-shadow, a second time on 12/02 in retrograde, and a third time on 12/31 in its post-retrograde shadow. The big flex is to remember these dates may be painful, but necessary.
The other component of this retrograde cycle is Mars sitting in Leo in its own pre-retrograde shadow. Mars retrogrades on 12/06 which means part of these two personal planets’ retrogrades overlap (from 12/06-12/15). Schedule less during this time. Since almost everyone will have a personal planet ruled by either Mercury OR Mars; people will just – in general – but awful to deal with during this time. Don’t sweat the small stuff and try not to take things personally because everyone is going to be in it.
Retrograde Mercury meets up in a fire trine with retrograde Mars around 12/13 which just screams “Red Flags”. Don’t let someone pull you into a fight if you don’t want to fight. Not my shit, not my monkeys (yeah, its bad enough that we are mixing our metaphors here) should be your mantra during this time. Mars in Leo is egotistic to begin with, and that is going to come to bite someone in the ass. Do the best to make sure its not you, and step out of the way of the falling rocks. Both planets are in retrograde so this is a disaster happening in slow motion – you have time to move if you keep your eyes open. Note that this trine never quite reaches exactitude, which is a deep metaphor for these two retrogrades happening simultaneously.
The full moon on 12/15 is at 23° Gemini (ruler of Mercury) and coincides with Mercury stationing direction. This is our ah-ha moment. What comes up on this day does so for a reason. See it, acknowledge it, use it to your advantage. It may be hard to take action on your insight (Mars Retrograde) so write it down so that you can at a later date when life feels a little bit easier.
Since Mercury’s post-retrograde shadow moves through the end of December and into the New Year (and Mar’s retrograde brings us into March), there isn’t an easy road in sight. Take the low road instead. Enjoy the scenic views and really dig in to what you learn along the way. This is a great time to rewrite, review, renew, revisit, and revise. It is ill advised to start a new job, a new relationship, or a new project during this time unless you are willing to follow it through deep into Wonderland and back out again. But follow the white rabbit, if you dare.
The Details
11/07 – Mercury enters its pre-retrograde shadow 06° Sagittarius
11/12 – Mercury in Sagittarius square retrograde Saturn in Pisces (1)
11/15 – Full moon 24° Taurus, Saturn stations direct 12° Pisces
11/18 – Mercury in Sagittarius opposed retrograde Jupiter in Gemini (1)
11/19 – Mercury in Sagittarius trine Chiron in Aries
11/21 – Sun enters Sagittarius
11/25 – Mercury retrogrades 22° Sagittarius
12/01 – New moon 09° Sagittarius
12/02 – Retrograde Mercury trine Chiron in Aries (2)
12/04 – Retrograde Mercury opposed retrograde Jupiter in Gemini (2)
12/05 – Sun conjunct retrograde Mercury
12/06 – Mars retrogrades 06° Leo, Retrograde Mercury in Sagittarius square Saturn in Pisces
12/13 – Retrograde Mercury in Sagittarius sextile Venus in Aquarius, Retrograde Mercury in Sagittarius trine retrograde Mars in Leo (not exact)
12/15 – Full moon 23° Gemini, Mercury stations direct 06° Sagittarius
12/24 – Jupiter in Gemini square Saturn in Pisces
12/26 – Mercury in Sagittarius opposed retrograde Jupiter in Gemini (3)
12/27 – Mercury in Sagittarius square Saturn in Pisces (3) Mutable T-square
12/31 – Mercury in Sagittarius trine Chiron in Aries
01/04/25 – Mercury exits its post-shadow retrograde 22° Sagittarius