Mercury Retrograde Dates 2020: How to Survive
Remember at the beginning of 2020, when the pandemic hit, and astrologers all over the internet were like, "LOL, you think this is bad? Just wait till October."
Heeeeeey. It's October — and were they wrong? Not really.
As of this writing, you've likely (crossing my fingers for you) survived the mega six-planet retrograde in September. Well done! But we're not through the woods yet.
Mercury Retrograde in Scorpio and Mars Retrograde just stepped into the ring and are about to go head to head. You can sing, "Astrology is fake" all you want... but is it a coincidence that the most turbulent presidential election in modern history is happening right in the thick of an astrological maelstrom that represents Shadow, rage, anger, and revolution?
I dunno, man. That's a pretty interesting coincidence for me.
In this article, I’ll tell you all about how to make it through the next three weeks without throwing your whole life into the toilet — and I’ll give you a free guide for making it through this Mecury Rx in Scorpio transit.
Keep scrolling to learn more.
What Is Mercury Retrograde?
Mercury Retrograde is an astrological phenomenon that occurs every four months and lasts for about three weeks each retrograde.
As Mercury orbits the Sun at a different rate than Earth, there's a small window of time on Earth when it looks like Mercury regresses backward on its orbit.
It doesn't technically move backward — it just looks like it from our viewpoint on Earth. And this is a perfect metaphor for Mercury Retrograde — not all is as it seems at first glance.
Astrologically, Mercury Retrograde represents a window of time when we must slow down and reconsider how we perceive the world around us.
Mercury rules:
communication,
ideas,
contracts,
expression,
learning,
reading,
editing,
researching,
negotiating,
traveling,
electronics,
technology,
selling,
and buying
During Mercury Rx, it's helpful to pump the brakes on these activities. Not to the point of ceasing entirely, but more so taking the time to be thoughtful and patient.
Review your contracts, double-check emails before you send them, and budget a little extra time for yourself when it comes to things like travel or buying electronics.
But don't go overboard — you don't need to shut off your phone for three weeks and unplug the internet. Bad things aren't destined to happen during Mercury Rx, but the atmosphere is more primed for miscommunication and delays than usual.
Mercury Rx offers us an opportunity to slow down and be more thoughtful with our time and attention.
Mercury Retrograde 2020 Dates
Here's the good news — you've already made it through two Mercury Retrograde events in 2020!
In 2020, Mercury goes retrograde during the following dates:
February 17 to March 10
June 18 to July 12
October 14 to November 3
In 2021, Mercury will go retrograde during the following dates
January 30 to February 21
May 29 to June 22
September 27 to October 23
Mercury Retrograde in Scorpio
You probably already know that Scorpio is the cool goth-punk cousin of the zodiac. A water sign that's known for its intensity and darkness, Scorpio can get a bad rep in the memefication of astrology.
But Mercury's retrograde through the sign of Scorpio isn't all angsty and dark (necessarily).
Pluto and Mars rule watery Scorpio — squirrel away that fact for when we discuss Mars Rx in a sec — and this sign has an incredible capacity for self-reflection and "doing the work."
Think of Scorpio as the deepest, darkest water. Sometimes the only way to break through the fear of the dark is to take zip up your wetsuit, mount your headlamp, and dive down deep to touch the ocean floor. Once you get there, the path back up to the light is clear.
During Mercury Rx in Scorpio, things can go in a few different directions. Really, it's choose your own adventure here:
You could decide not to prepare and potentially get your world rocked as old shadows, ghosts from the past, and situations that you've tried to push down and forget rise to the surface.
You could double down on Shadow work, journaling, resting, and confronting the fears you've kept at an arm's length distance, knowing that this is the perfect time to face those aspects of yourself and work through them.
You could pay little attention to Mercury Rx, double-check your emails, and reconsider where you've got unfinished business in your life that's worth revisiting.
Mercury and Mars Together
Because Mercury and Mars are both retrograde simultaneously, there's a healthy opportunity for tension and emotional explosions.
Mercury Rx is notorious for miscommunications, and Mars Rx in Taurus is a time ripe for blow-ups, physical discomfort and agitation, and power struggles.
Again, you can choose to let anarchy run your life (and your country), or you can take steps to learn from these energies and act accordingly.
It's time for change and revolution. Miscommunications are inevitable, but we can prevent the knock-down drag-outs if we prepare ourselves for the potential to be misunderstood by the people we care about the most.
You cannot control other people's perceptions of you, no matter how hard you try and how "good" you try to be. The best you can do is have empathy for yourself and others, communicate clearly and hold your tongue for one extra moment before you decide to speak.
Your Roadmap to Surviving Mercury Rx
If you looked at the options up above and were like, "Uh, I'd really like to thrive through this retrograde season," I've got good news for you.
We made a Mercury Rx in Scorpio shadow work guide for you.
You can download the exercise for free and go through it for the next three weeks during the retrograde's highest points of intensity.
Conclusion
Mercury Retrograde in 2020 did not play around — but you're strong enough and prepared enough to survive this powerful transit and come out the other side better for it.
Don't slouch on your inner work, and most importantly, make sure you vote!