What To Expect From Mercury Retrograde In Scorpio — And How To Find Out Whether You'll Be Affected
Delete your ex from your phone, block your hate-followers on Insta, and double down on your mucuna pruriens intake — it's Mercury Retrograde, witch. And things are about to get spicy.
Mercury Retrograde 2019 Dates and Times
We receive three glorious opportunities to re-investigate our relationships with ourselves every year. During Mercury Retrograde, our little pal doesn't start spinning backward. No! That would be ... crazy? C'mon, #science.
Mercury Retrograde occurs because Earth outpaces the tiny planet while orbiting the Sun, which makes it look like Merc is moving backward. It is not! This, my guys, is called an illusion.
This cosmic trick happens three-ish times a year (sometimes four, if we're really lucky!). In 2019, Mercury Retrograde happened:
March 5 – March 28 (in Pisces )
October 31 – November 20 (in Scorpio )
Mercury Retrograde and What It Means
"Mercury represents logic, communication, and our ability to translate information into communication," says astrologer Emmalea Russo. And when Mercury Retrogrades, it turns all of those aspects of our life on their head.
That's not an implicitly negative thing. Mercury Rx asks us to return, revisit, remember, and re-evaluate (hence the "re-" in retrograde). It's a time for us to slow down and become a bit more thoughtful and diligent in our lives. You know, think before you speak, double-check every email you send, get to the airport extra early, communicate extra clearly with your loved ones — because if we don't, we'll end up on the receiving end of Mercury's wrath.
Here are some common positive effects from Mercury Retrograde:
Reconnecting with old friends or relationships
Receiving closure on a relationship or pattern
Unresolved opportunities resurfacing
Old sales resurfacing and getting completed
Forgotten projects or proposals getting greenlit
Deep moments of intuitive 'a-ha' moments
If you don't take this month to let things simmer, let's be honest: Shit can get tough. Mercury Retrograde gets a bad rap for precisely this reason. A lot can go wrong, and when it does, we pay the price.
Here are some common negative effects of what can happen during Mercury Retrograde:
Miscommunications and misunderstandings
Sending the wrong person an email or text
Delays on projects
Delays in travel
Missed flights, trains, boats, space shuttles
Canceled meetings or plans at the last minute
Wifi issues
Tech issues
Repeating tasks because they get lost
Electronics breaking
But as long as you're conscious of what's happening astrologically, it's easier to avoid the pains of Mercury Rx. It's especially helpful to understand which sign the planet is occupying, and how that affects specific areas of our lives.
Mercury Retrograde in Scorpio
On October 31st, Mercury Retrograde occurs in Scorpio. "When Mercury goes Rx through Scorpio, the mind plunges into the subconscious depths. There, we can find gold and also a lot of other gunk," says Russo.
During this final Mercury Retrograde of 2019, we'll feel that re-evaluating energy, particularly in all that Scorpio represents.
Scorpio is a fixed water sign. Like all water signs, it represents emotions, creativity, and intuition. But Scorpio goes deep — like, so-deep-you-think-you-might-drown deep. Intense, passionate, and a little bit cray-cray, Scorpio is the type of sign that you don't wanna mess with. Scorpio brings the mysterious and taboo from the depths of the sea to the surface.
According to Russo: "Scorpio likes to go deep and favors non-verbal communication. Classic subterranean topics like sex, death, rebirth, and transformation are getting visited and revisited, as so many personal planets are traversing Scorpio."
Like we said, DEEP.
You can expect these areas of life to be particularly affected by this Mercury Rx.
What are the effects of Mercury Retrograde in Scorpio?
Overarchingly, we'll feel the planetary shift in the areas of our lives listed above.
But some people might feel the effects of Mercury Retrograde in Scorpio more than others.
Scorpio Ruling House
First, find if you have any Scorpio in your natal chart, periodt. Then take a look at which house is ruled by Scorpio. "This will tell you where this galactic amount of Scorpionic energy will present in daily life, as the houses are what grounds astrology in the human sphere," says Russo.
Crucial Points in Your Natal Chart
"With any transit, Mercury Retrograde included, you want to look at the squares, oppositions, and conjunctions that that transit makes to your natal chart to find potential challenges," says astrologer Alexandria Rolliet.
"With Mercury Rx occurring in Scorpio (from 27 degrees all the way back to 11 degrees), you will feel the challenge more if you have crucial points in any fixed sign. The fixed signs are Taurus, which is opposite Scorpio; Leo and Aquarius, which create squares to Scorpio; and Scorpio itself, which would create a conjunction."
You'll feel this Mercury Rx even more strongly if you have any of the fixed signs in crucial points — meaning the four or five placements that affect your chart the most.
The placement you should pay attention to are:
Sun Sign
Moon Sign
Mercury Sign
Rising Sign
Midheaven
If you have a fixed sign in any of these positions, be aware of the potential Mercury Retrograde effects.
For example:
If you are a Leo Sun or Taurus Rising, you might find it difficult to articulate who you are or what you stand for.
If you have an Aquarius Moon, you might find it challenging to communicate your true feelings with your loved ones.
If you have Mercury in Scorpio, communication, in general, can feel like a hurdle you need to overcome.
If your Midheaven is in Taurus, it could be a struggle to communicate at work or with your audience effectively.
Rolliet also notes: "To effectively be aware of how Mercury Retrograde will impact you in your life, look at the houses in your chart that are ruled by Scorpio, Taurus, Leo, and Aquarius. Whether you have planets in any of these houses or not, these areas will feel the strain of the retrograde."
Conclusion
Here's the thing: Mercury Retrograde 2019 doesn't have to be all bad. In fact, with a general amount of awareness and enough CBD, it can be a pretty powerful time of evolution and personal development. Prep yourself as best you can by downloading our free guide to Mercury Retrograde Scorpio 2019.
And when in doubt — re-read your emails and double-confirm that all your meetings are on. Happy Retrograding!