With Mercury retrograde in Sagittarius about to start, I found myself on a long journey. Mercury was stationary and I was in the driving seat for five hours, so I was also stationary in a physical sense; the car was moving but I was not. There is nothing like the road ahead to focus your mind. Concentration occupies your mental bandwidth. A long journey is a time of enforced stillness, but it’s exhausting for all that. I feel a profound sense of relief when I emerge at the end of the road, and I’m sure I’m not alone in that feeling. And it was only after I arrived home that I realized Mercury was about to turn retrograde.
My long journey had been for family reasons, as I have an elderly and demanding parent. Over many years, I have discovered that distance is helpful when it comes to putting that often difficult relationship into perspective. I can think more clearly about the situation when I am some distance from what can be a fairly toxic environment, and my understanding of certain issues becomes connected to wider concerns. That – in so many ways – is what Mercury retrograde in Sagittarius is about: perhaps it’s time to get a few things into perspective, and try to keep things that way.
Mercury Retrograde in Sagittarius: The Basics
Mercury turned retrograde in Sagittarius ( 22˚ 40′) on November 26th at 02:42(UT). When Mercury turns retrograde, its energy turns inwards. We become more analytical or thoughtful, less scattered or superficial – and often you have to be, as Mercury retrograde has a habit of reminding you of things you’ve overlooked. The things you forgot to do and the stuff that you put off indefinitely will reappear. You may try to rush things (like an important decision) or you may try to do everything at once because you can’t work out what your priorities are, or you fail to understand the broader implications of decisions or actions.
Mercury retrograde in Sagittarius reminds me of the old saying about not being able to ‘see the woods for the trees’. What that means, is that you lose the ability to see the big picture. You lose your sense of perspective, and with Mercury retrograde in Sagittarius, that point is going to be made loud and clear. For some of you, the challenge is going to be how to keep a sense of perspective. Some of you may need to re-calibrate your perspective on life as the situation demands. And to do that, you need to stand back and look at things in the round.
Your general world-view – or your opinion on a certain situation – may be called into question. Mercury retrograde in Sagittarius is thought provoking. Its going to be bringing your beliefs and opinions up for examination, and that’s because Sagittarius signifies your overall belief system, the set of principles you use to navigate the world around you. With Mercury retrograde in this sign, you will be working out which beliefs work for you – and which ones don’t. You may need to be flexible about how you make your judgment calls.
Fortunately, flexibility is built in to Mercury retrograde in Sagittarius, as mutability is in ready supply. And so are optimism and a good sense of humor. As Mercury retrogrades go, this is the one where you are most likely to gain from the law of unintended consequences, though that will depend on the exact nature of this Mercury retrograde. Every Mercury retrograde (and there have been three this year) brings a specific set of circumstances that are detailed in the retrograde chart. And this retrograde chart may give you a lot to think about.
Mercury Retrograde in Sagittarius: The Chart
Mercury Retrograde: The Aspects
As ever, no astrological event occurs in isolation; they all form part of the greater universal plan. This Mercury retrograde in Sagittarius is an integral part of that, and its chart foregrounds the issues that have astrological currency right now. The opposition from Mercury In Sagittarius to Jupiter in Gemini ties this retrograde into the influential Jupiter – Saturn square; Mercury retrograde is also square Neptune retrograde in Pisces and inconjunct (150˚) Uranus in Taurus. Both of those planets will change sign in 2025, There is also a trine aspect from Mercury retrograde in Sagittarius to Chiron.
Mercury Retrograde Opposite Jupiter
Mercury is currently opposite Jupiter Retrograde in Gemini. Jupiter in Gemini is also in retrograde motion as part of a long stay in this sign, which it has occupied since May 26th 2024. Its retrograde motion began on October 9th. I wrote about this transit some time ago and I set out the meaning of this particular Jupiter retrograde as follows:
Jupiter in Gemini: Station / Retrograde – Jupiter turns retrograde on October 9th 2024. It’s time to assimilate what you have learned. Is your understanding correct? Have you learned anything from the information that has been presented to you? Do you need to take care with your judgement? Gemini is not always truthful – and with Jupiter in this sign that propensity increases. Getting down into the detail may be difficult – but essential. The theme is, ‘Are you sure about that? I think we need to check the facts…’
That theme – of assessing what you understand to be real – is at the heart of this Mercury retrograde. And that’s because Jupiter is square Saturn, so your understanding is being tested. That may be in connection with a personal matter, if the astrological placements make contact with your natal chart, or it may relate to matters occurring in the outer world. Whichever applies to you, it’s time to review everything you thought you knew. You may be conflicted about a certain matter, but compromise is possible – even if Saturn in Pisces indicates there are (possibly imaginary) obstacles to overcome. Have faith.
Mercury Retrograde Inconjunct Uranus
An inconjunct is a tricky aspect, as it speaks of making adjustments. Mercury retrograde inconjunct Uranus means getting your head around a new or unexpected situation – and fast. If you’re having to adjust to a new personal situation, or you’re having to get your head around significant external changes, you may be thinking hard about how those changes will affect your future – either in general or in the context of any specific plans you have already made. Adjustment and adaptation need to be uppermost in your mind.
Uranus is currently part of the outer planet minor trine (the ‘mini triangle’) that is going to re-structure our outer world over the next four years. That’s likely to be stressful and your challenge is going to be how you can adapt to what may be a random and rapidly changing situation. Because Mercury retrograde is in Sagittarius, it shows a need for all of those things I mentioned earlier: flexibility, a sense of proportion, adjusting your perspective – and maybe adjust your expectations too. Be prepared to re-think certain parts of your life based on new information or changed circumstances.
Mercury Retrograde Square Neptune
And guess what? Neptune is also part of that outer planet configuration. The square aspect from Mercury retrograde to Neptune retrograde in Pisces, is tense and one reason for that is you really don’t know what is going to happen in the immediate future. If your expectations of the future were based on expectations that are no longer valid, you need to get your head around some alternative possibilities, that may (or may not) be more realistic than the stuff that just got junked. And by the way, you may not even realise certain things have just been rendered obsolete. This aspect can be a rude awakening for the confused…
Misunderstandings are possible with any Mercury – Neptune square but Mercury retrograde suggests you may be attempting to deal with a situation where a misunderstanding has already occurred. Getting to the bottom of misinformation or lies is often difficult; you need to turn the situation around and free yourself from the chaos that accompanies a breakdown in communications. It may be especially hard to deal with some of the worst outcomes of this aspect. If gaslighting, lies, conspiracy theories and extremist views have affected your world view, they will need to be questioned.
Mercury Retrograde Trine Chiron
As Mercury turns retrograde in Sagittarius, it’s going to open some old wounds. The trine aspect to Chiron makes it easy for those wounds to open, but that doesn’t mean it will be easy to deal with whatever poison emerges. A lot of things may be said that are painful. There will be a lot of lessons to be learned, although a trine aspect does not provide the impetus to do so. If that occurs, try to reach out in a spirit of reconciliation. Chiron is squared by Venus, so that energy is available – if you choose to use it. Learn from your mistakes and try to reach agreement – even if it comes at the price of swallowing your pride.
Further Reading
Aspects | Jupiter Square Saturn
Transits | Jupiter in Gemini 2024: Too Much Information
REblog | The Outer Planets Mini Triangle 2024-2028
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© Sara Shipman 2024
Picture Credit: Image by Ryan McGuire from Pixabay
