Mercury entered the pre-shadow to its retrograde on August 3rd and will station retrograde in Virgo on Wednesday August 23rd. It stations direct on September 15th, and its post-shadow runs through September 30th. During Mercury's retrograde in Virgo, we are able to see more clearly what isn't working in our lives. The good news is: We have time to make repairs.

Although Libra is often associated with relationships, there’s more to it than that. Libra is the sign of creating peace and harmony within ourselves. It’s about the ways that we try to find balance in our lives. During the time when Mercury Retrograde is in Libra (and during the post-shadow), we will be shown what is out of balance in our lives, so that we might attempt to bring it to rights.

Every Mercury Retrograde has a pre-shadow and post-shadow period. The pre-shadow begins about two weeks before the retrograde, and the post-shadow ends about two weeks after Mercury stations direct. I often get asked how to use these times. Are the shadow periods just “Mercury Retrograde lite”? No. I’ve come to realize that, like any other planetary cycle, they go more smoothly for us when we align with the energies at play.

When I share with you about the current astrology, my underlying intention is always the same: To offer you useful, practical strategies for aligning with the energies at play. I want to help you work with the flow rather than against it.