Beyond Words and Beyond Thought: What to Expect When Mercury Goes Retrograde This March

Mercury will next station retrograde on March 5, 2019 at 29'38 degrees Pisces—the first retrograde period of 2019. When Mercury went retrograde in Sagittarius/Scorpio back in November, it bought us a test of beliefs. What can we expect from Mercury's retrograde through Pisces? And more than that, how will it affect your sign?

What does it mean for Mercury to be in retrograde?

A retrograde planet is one that appears to be moving in the opposite direction. Astrologically, this means that the energies represented by the planet are directed backwards or inward.

Retrograde periods are often riddled with delays and disruption, but they don't have to be. These periods are not so much a time for action but a time for reflection. Retrograde periods are also loaded with synchronicity and karma.

So, they can also be periods of magic and manifestation if you just focus on within rather than without. Things from the past will return to us. This could be people from our past, including from our past lives, situations or memories that we thought we had forgotten about, or maybe just lessons that we're getting a second chance at learning after having failed the first time around.

And what kind of energy does Mercury represent?

Mercury is the messenger of the gods in Roman mythology. Like Venus, Mercury is a social planet, but unlike Venus which is more about intimate relationships, Mercury is more about communication in general. This includes letters, emails, and even divination.

Mercury is also associated with commerce, travelers, and in astrology, it represents the mind (especially the logical mind), intelligence and the way we think. Look out though: known for its speed and swiftness, Mercury is also the trickster god, associated with both tricksters and thieves.

Ruled by the mutable signs, Virgo (the virgin) and Gemini (the twins), there is a dualistic nature to the planet, that gave birth to the word "mercurial," (meaning unpredictable or changeable).

It makes sense then that Mercury would travel between two worlds, being the only Olympian god with the ability to travel between the realm of the gods and the realm of the underworld, where his job was to accompany souls on their journey to Hades.

As the planet closest to the Sun and also the planet with the fastest orbit, Mercury goes retrograde about three or four times a year, for periods of about three weeks. Mercury in retrograde periods are generally riddled with delays and mishaps around communication, travel, and technology.

For example, your flight might be inconveniently delayed or your computer may freeze at the most inconvenient time. To use my own life as an example, just about every time Mercury is in retrograde, my phone charger breaks.

Miscommunications and misunderstandings are common during this time, so try to be as clear as you possibly can when speaking to others, and avoid making assumptions. Astrologers generally advise that you avoid signing any major contracts during this period, for it may backfire on you once Mercury goes direct.

These periods are often loaded with unexpected, unplanned, and seemingly inconvenient events that will make you think of Murphy's Law: "Anything that can go wrong will go wrong."

It really isn't as bad as it sounds, however. Honestly, it really isn't as bad as people make it out to be and this period also comes with numerous advantages. While Mercury direct represents the logical mind, Mercury retrograde represents the intuitive mind. As the messenger of the gods, it's retrograde period is probably the best time for divination. This is especially true when Mercury is in the mystical, God-searching sign of Pisces. There may be messages in your dreams, including messages from ancestors or guardian angels. These periods are also often loaded with tons of strange coincidences and synchronicities.

To some extent, this is true of every planet in retrograde, but in my experience, it's more true with Mercury than with any other, given it's nature. The "unexpected" and "unplanned," events mentioned in the last paragraph are not always "inconvenient." More often than not, you'll find that these events are serendipitous and wonderfully fated, presenting you with opportunities of good luck, like being at the right place at the right time. As I said, Mercury is a very dualistic and tricky planet.

You just need to know how to work with it. If you believe in the law of attraction or other forms of manifestation, this is a better time than ever to take advantage of it. Even without the magic and the metaphysical, however, this is a good time to reflect on things; the kind of deep thought, reflection and consideration necessary to yield powerful ideas and insights, insights that you can put into practice once Mercury goes direct.

Mercury Retrograde in Pisces 2019

Mercury will next station retrograde on March 5, 2019 at 29'38 degrees Pisces. This is the last degree of Pisces, or what is known as a critical or anorectic degree. Much like the first degree of a zodiac sign, the last degree represents the sign in it's purest form. It also represents endings. As we are currently leaving the age of Pisces and moving onto the new ageof Aquarius, I believe this Mercury Retrograde period represents the end of the age. It is a time of wrapping things up. It's a time to reflect on what this age has taught us. It's a time to reflect on how much we've evolved. What parts of ourselves can we bring with us into the new age and what parts do we have to leave behind?

This will continue until March 28th when Mercury stations direct at 16'06 degrees Pisces. Once direct, we can begin to move forward with the lessons we learned, but don't panic if things still aren't entirely back to normal, for they won't be until Mercury passes its shadow period and leaves the retrograde zone on April 17.

If you thought Mercury in Retrograde alone was bad, to make matters more crazy, Pisces, like Sagittarius, is the sign of Mercury’s detriment. When a planet is in the sign of it's detriment or fall, it feels out of place. Mercury feels more at home in the sign of Virgo, which it rules.

Virgo, a mutable earth sign known for it's analytical and discriminating mind, is Pisces opposite. As an earth sign, Virgo is very at home in the real world. Their real-world observational skills combined with their sharp Mercurial mind and their perfectionist tendencies, gives Virgo-influenced individuals a keen eye for detail. Unlike Gemini, another sign ruled by Mercury, Virgo is more apt for developing a specialized skill or researching a specialized topic of interest, rather than jump from topic to topic like a jack of all trades. Grounded in reality, Virgo is a skilled researcher with a strong respect for their facts, but their deductive reasoning can make them prone to prejudice and assumption. Their perfectionist tendencies can make them judgmental and nit-picky, and their strong attention to detail can make them seem critical. In addition to specialized skills, Virgos are great with lists and organization. They're good at organizing information into categories, coming up with names and labels for things. Words, that is: the very thing Mercury represents.

Pisces, on the other hand, is precisely the opposite. Pisces is the sign of boundlessness. Boundless compassion, boundless empathy and boundless love, Pisces doesn't criticize, Pisces doesn't judge. Pisces is an ocean of oneness. There are no categories, no specialties, no labels to separate one thing from another, no labels to separate us from each other, for we are all one, everything and nothing all at once. All well and good, right, but in this 3D reality, we need labels, we need words. Without them, we have no way to make sense of the world around us. Discrimination and judgement aren't always bad things either: we need these skills in order to make decisions and in order to keep us safe. If, say, for example, we keep making a certain mistake and every time we make that mistake, we keep getting hurt, over and over, again and again, it's only logical for us to not want to make that mistake again in the future.

But Pisces isn't about logic. As a water sign, Pisces is all about emotion and feeling, as well as intuition. When Mercury is retrograde in the sign of Pisces, we may have trouble finding the right words or the right labels to describe just how we feel or what we want to say. Often, there is a disconnect between our words (Mercury) and the true meaning and spirit behind them (Pisces). Words are all well and good, right, but how well do they actually work? Language has limits, and during this period, those limits will be especially highlighted. There may also be an issue with boundaries. We may have trouble separating ourselves from the feelings of others. If someone else is sad, we'll feel sad too. If someone else is happy, we'll feel happy too, etc. Emotions are contagious, so it's best to be careful of who we choose to accompany ourselves with at this time, for their feelings will quickly become our own. There's also a possibility of being too trusting, of wanting to see the good in people in times where it's not really safe. So it's best we cultivate for ourselves a sense of energetic distance.

It isn't all bad though. Like I said before, with Mercury stationing retrograde at 29 degrees Pisces, it could signify the end of an age, and the self-reflection we'll need to do as a result. Mercury stations retrograde just a day before the Catholic season of Lent (a period of abstinence, and giving things up, before Easter comes and Jesus is resurrected) which is also significant. The Lent and Easter seasons also have their roots in paganism and the Vernal Equinox (or Spring Equinox), when the Sun in Pisces "dies" and is reborn in the sign of Aries, the beginning of the zodiac. Basically, what I'm saying is that this is a very significant time, spiritually. It is a good time for spiritual work. Mercury Retrograde is always a great time for spiritual work and self-reflection but this is truer of this period than any other. It's a time for reflecting on our paths, our strengths and our weaknesses. Even if not Christian or Catholic, the stars show that you may still benefit from the ritual of fasting, and giving something up. I, myself, am going to give up drinking (possibly forever I'm thinking but let's start with this season and we'll see).

The lack of boundaries can also be a good thing for us, spiritually, as it helps us cultivate a stronger sense of empathy and love for others and a greater awareness of what really matters. The boundary between the material world and the spiritual world is also very weak and that can be used to benefit us in many ways. Mercury Retrograde periods are always seen as times of heightened intuition, strange coincidences and synchronicities but this is especially true now, with Mercury in the spiritual water sign of Pisces. You may find yourself having visions and prophetic dreams, even if this is not normally the case. You could find yourself having contact with your ancestors and beings from the other side. There may be a feeling of serendipity in the air, so it's important to keep your mind positive and your intention pure, as manifestation is especially strong.

Aspects

I also think it's important to discuss some of the aspects Mercury will be making through it's three and a half week journey backwards through the sign of the fish.

For starters, Mercury will be only one degree from the asteroid Chiron when it stations retrograde on March 5th. Chiron, the wounded healer, will be at 00 degrees Aries, in what is called an out-of-sign conjunction to Mercury (I write a little bit about Chiron's journey into Aries in this article, so if you're interested, click here). Astrologers don't always count out-of-sign conjunctions. A conjunction happens when two planets or points blend their energies together and the energies of two different signs, such as Pisces and Aries, are very, very different. Needless to say, I think the close proximity between these two planets on the day that one of them goes retrograde is significant, regardless. It shows that this will be a time for healing our wounds and making room for a spiritual rebirth, figuring who we are at our deepest core and awakening into our truest selves.

Mercury Retrograde also comes just one day before the New Moon in Pisces, making the energy of the sign even strong. A New Moon occurs when the Sun and the Moon are conjunct and represents the beginning of a new lunar cycle. The Sun and the Moon represent the two most essential parts of ourselves; the masculine and the feminine side, respectively, making this conjunction an aspect of personal integration.

The Sun will also be making a conjunction to Neptune on the day Mercury goes retrograde. Neptune is Pisces' modern ruling planet. It's essence is boundlessness, imagination and oneness. The Sun represents the ego, the consciousness of who you are, making this a good time to explore who you are at your deepest, most spiritual level.

Halfway through Mercury's journey backwards, it will meet up with the Sun at 24'11 degrees Pisces. This exact conjunction (called a "cazimi") will happen at 9:44 PM on March 14th. A cazimi is very significant in traditional astrology, This aspect is rare and represents genius (I am not too shy to admit that I am one of those few rare people born with it) so take advantage of it. You may receive a surprise moment of clarity or creative genius. If you receive any bright idea or inspiration of that sort, act on it. Anything you want to say, express it. Now is the time and you don't want to waste it. Now is the moment of truth.

Just one day later, retrograde Mercury will make a square to Jupiter in it's home sign of Sagittarius at 23 degrees. This square, which will occur on March 15th, represents a conflict between thought (Mercury) and belief (Jupiter), the details (Mercury) and the bigger picture (Jupiter). With Jupiter in it's domicile and Mercury in it's detriment, Jupiter wins. We may be prone to overlook the details at this time and exchange logic for the bigger picture, for better or for worse. We can make things mean whatever we want them to mean, even if factually inaccurate. We could also be prone to exaggeration at this time and make social errors due to overconfidence or zealousness. It's best to Many of the themes from November's Mercury Retrograde period through Sagittarius (and Scorpio) will also be repeated.

Last but not least, Mercury will be conjunct Neptune at 16 degrees Pisces when it stations direct on March 28th. This aspect will help us move forward with the lessons we learned by giving us a glimpse into the divine consciousness. Our communication towards one another will be softer, kinder, more empathetic. Our psychic senses will be heightened, our minds more creative, imaginative, and intuitive. This is a good aspect for poets, musicians and other creative writers. It is good for all of us though. As Neptune rules Pisces, this aspect once again represents the energy of Pisces Mercury in it's purest form. It's a good note to end on. This aspect helps us wrap up anything we learned during this season's Mercury Retrograde period by bringing us closer in touch with our spiritual essence.

Horoscopes

Now it's time to see how it will affect your sign. I suggest reading the horoscope for your Ascendant or Rising Sign, instead of or in addition to your Sun, as these horoscopes are based on the houses. If you don't know your Rising sign, click here. Yes, you will need your birth time for this. If you don't have your birth time, Sun sign horoscopes are fine.

Aries

Mercury will be stationing retrograde in your 12th house, Aries. The 12th house, like Pisces, is a hard house to define. It is the last house of the zodiac: the house of the unconsciousness, the house of isolation and the house of self-undoing. It is associated with exile, hospitals, prisons, monasteries and places of worship. This period will be a period of introspection, and isolation, connecting with God and getting in touch with your higher self. Make art, write poems, journal, meditate, listen to your dreams, and listen your intuition. As an Aries, you are constantly on the go and now is not the time for that. Now is the time to pull-back and focus on your soul.

Taurus

With Mercury retrograding through your 11th house, you may find yourself questioning who your true friends are. As a Taurus, you are a true and loyal friend, but are you surrounding yourself with the right people? Are these people are as loyal to you as you are them? You could find yourself tested or taken advantage of by a person you considered a friend. Seeing the good in others and sticking with them through the end is an admirable quality but it can have it's downside. On a positive note, you may also develop a friendship(s) with someone who you have a deep and spiritual connection with during the time this retrograde is in effect. There's also a chance you could give or be given a second chance with an ex-friend, someone you had a falling out with. This retrograde will give you the chance to mend things, if you both decide the friendship is worth it.

Gemini

What are your goals? What are your ambitions? As a Gemini, you are a jack of all trades. This is a great thing, but the downside is, you may have trouble deciding on a direction to take in life. Being a jack of all trades can be troubling in a job-force that increasingly requires more specialized knowledge. With Mercury Retrograding through your 10th house, these difficulties are especially highlighted. You could also find yourself questioning your current position or the career path you're currently on and possibly decide to change career tracks entirely. It's best to find something that spiritually you feel called to and that you believe yourself most suited for.

As a Gemini Rising, myself, I can tell you this is something I struggle with and that I'm struggling with right now as we speak. I am currently working in an entirely different field than what I originally went to school for (I was a double major, with a minor), and I'm a writer, a painter and an astrologer all on the side. I want to continue my education in my current field but have been unsure of what specifically I want to major in, with everything being so specialized nowadays. While I have a general idea of where I want to go in life, I have trouble honing in on the specifics. I go wherever the wind takes me and I don't see this as a bad thing, I don't "not know what I want to do," in the sense that I'm ambition-less. I see myself as simply open to opportunity! But the problem is if I get a degree in a different, but related position and end up deciding I want to take the other position instead years down the line, I have to get a whole different degree. I'm trying to decide, figure out where I want to go specifically and you might be too!

Cancer

Mercury in your 9th house may have you questioning your beliefs, as well as your ethics and morals. What is it you really believe, Cancer? Have you been living by these beliefs? Have you been practicing whatever it is that you preach? Now is a time for reflection and seeing how well your beliefs and your behavior measure up. You may also develop a deeper connection with God, or the Universe, and a deepening interest in spirituality during the time this retrograde is in effect.

Leo

You could be contacted by a deceased person at this time, dear Leo. These could be supernatural experiences. Maybe your home is haunted, maybe you'll receive a visitor from the other side. You could be having dreams or vivid memories about a person who has passed. Pay attention. Pay attention to what this person or being is telling you. You may have a growing desire to see a medium or get in contact with a deceased love one. You may also have a deepening concern with your own mortality. You may be more and more concerned with when and how you are going to die and more importantly, whether or not you've lived a good life.

Virgo

Mercury retrograding through your 7th house could have you reexamining the way you relate to and interact with others. Are you too critical of others, too nit-picky, judgmental, picky about who you surround yourself with? These are some of the questions you could be asking yourself. You might also be questioning your partner: are they really right for me? are they really who they say they are? or am i projecting my ideals onto them? are they projecting their ideals onto me? You could also be reexamining what you look for and expect in a partner. You're seeking a soulmate and nothing less. There's also a chance of a past life relationship. This could be a lover from an actual lover coming back to resolve karma, or this could be a second chance with an ex-lover from this life. This retrograde gives you the chance to mend things.

Libra

Mercury will be retrograding through your 6th house, or house of health. You may find yourself coming down with a mysterious illness, and your personal habits may be called into question. There could be a problem with diagnosis's, possibly a misdiagnosis. You may have trouble pinpointing the right label to describe the problem and figuring out how exactly to best treat it.This transit will have you reexamining your diet, your exercise routine, your sleep habits, etc. everything you do. Mercury Retrograde in Pisces will lead you down a better path of personal integration and inspire you to be a better person.

Scorpio

As a Scorpio, you can sometimes take things too seriously. Intensity is your middle name. With Mercury stationing Retrograde in your 5th house, now is a time for playfulness, a time for fun, and a time for creativity. Now is a time to set your unconscious free! Make art, make music, write poems, journal, stream-of-consciousness writing is the best. Let unconscious run free and you may find some deeper truths, buried truths, about who you really are come forward running up towards the surface.

Sagittarius

Family issues may come back to haunt you, suppressed family trauma from the past, things you don't want to deal with, things you've long forgotten about or tried to, anyway. It's hard but you need to work through theme. You may be questioning the way you were raised and how it affects your current life. You could also be questioning your own role in the family or home dynamic. I'd say it's a good time to start some sort of therapy if you haven't tried it already. You could benefit.

Capricorn

Mercury is at home in the 3rd house, the house of communication, traditionally ruled by Gemini, but not so much at home in the sign of Pisces, which is your 3rd house, Capricorn. As a Capricorn, your communication is somewhat restricted, serious and business-like, you may find it hard to be yourself around people you don't know too well, and this retrograde doesn't help. Your social anxiety may be attacking up more than ever! There could be some misunderstandings around this time, as well as social mishaps, but worse than that, you will likely find yourself having to choose your words extra carefully to avoid misunderstanding from happening. Remember, it is better to risk a mistake than to not do/say anything at all.

Aquarius

Possible financial troubles for you, Aquarius. There could be issues of overspending, perhaps, buying hyped-up products that don't work and becoming disillusioned. I could also see the possibility of being taken advantage of, this could be theft or it could also be giving to the wrong person. But don't be paranoid! On the bright side, this retrograde period could also have you saving money. It could have you questioning the usefulness of what you buy, de-cluttering what you don't need to make room for what is truly necessary. This transit will have you less focused on material things and more focused on the important stuff.

Pisces

Who are you, Pisces? As a mutable water sign, you change like the tides and you may have trouble pinning down a steady identity. Sometimes it's better to just BE YOU in this moment, without needing to think up any words for it. Nevertheless, this question of who you are may be weighing heavily on your mind now. You may find yourself wanting to come up with a label. There may also may be concerns of whether you're a good or a bad person—the question of: How do your actions define you?—and you may feel the need to determine your precise path in life.

Conclusion

March 2019's Mercury in Retrograde season is overall a good time for spiritual work. It is a good time for self-reflection, as the Piscean Age comes to an end, and a time for self-improvement. Most of all, it's a good time for going within, and listening to what the deepest part of you has to say, beyond words and beyond thought.