Mercury ‘retroshade’: Sorry, but this shadow period means your anxiety isn’t over until it is

It’s not over until it’s over, folks, and never is that feeling more appropriate than with Mercury retrograde.

As the wily planet of communication and exchange stations rules on August 28th, we’ll continue to feel the ill effects of the slowdown for up to two weeks after, a charming/attractive little epilogue known as the shadow period.

Or, if you’re the cool type, Mercury “retroshade”.

What is retroshade?

Mercury retrograde refers to the two-week period immediately before the transit and the two weeks after it. Known as pre- and post-retrograde shadows, these books bring the same emotionally charged and restless energy as the retrograde transit, but offer lessons in preparation and integration.

In this final round, Mercury’s post-retrograde/retrograde begins on August 28th and lasts until September 11th.

The fastest moving planet in our solar system, Mercury goes retrograde three to four times a year, and when you factor in retrograde shadow periods, we spend up to six months a year at the mercy of Mercury’s deceleration. face down.

When does retroshade start?

Mercury begins its prehospital phase when the planet passes the zodiacal degree in which it will eventually be placed direct.

When Mercury is officially stuck in the sky, we give it the doom-prone name “the storm.” This happens twice – the day the planet turns retrograde and the day it turns direct.

The day before, the day, and the day after are all part of this storm energy, and that’s when things are extremely chaotic and confusing. You can’t see the forest through the trees or the stars through space debris.

From the day it turns retrograde to the day it turns direct, Mercury is in its official retrograde period, which usually lasts about three weeks. This few weeks is when everything that was slowing down and causing confusion at home needs a review.

Frustrations, delays, setbacks and fatigue guaranteed.

After Mercury turns direct and undergoes the second storm, it will gradually regain speed until it passes the degree at which it was originally set retrograde. This is called the post-shadow phase or, again, “retroshadow”.

Everything that was destroyed during prehia and retrograde will finally become clear as you pick yourself out of the wreckage and find a better way forward.

What can we learn from Mercury retrograde?

Many astrophiles consider Mercury retrograde a three-part series; setting the stage (foreshadow), a chaotic climax (retrograde) followed by a minor adjustment after the main event (post-shadow)

As the planet prepares for retrograde, the foreshadowing can amplify anxiety and make unresolved issues, close exes, and general emotional upheavals more present and urgent; mark overthinking, messy expressions, and questionable logic.

Conversely, retrograde after retrograde can bring clarity and closure to circumstances we may have been struggling with during the storm surge and its aftermath.

Even and especially in slow motion, astrology is not malevolent, but important, pushing us forward, often uncomfortably, toward personal evolution.

When is the next Mercury Retrograde?

The last Mercury retrograde of the year descends, or so to speak backwards, in the sign of Sagittarius from November 25th to December 15th. The retrograde period will reign from December 15th to January 2nd, putting a nice heat on your best vacation plans.

Look alive, people!

Astrology 101: Your Guide to the Star

Astrologer Reda Wigle researches and reports irreverently on planetary configurations and their effect on each zodiac sign. Her horoscopes integrate history, poetry, pop culture and personal experience. To book a reading, visit her website.

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