Mercury Retrograde April 1 to 25

Mercury turns retrograde on April 1 until the 25. This is an intense retrograde phase for a few reasons, firstly because it happens between the eclipses when everything is more erratic and secondly because it happens in Aries and Pisces, crossing over the overwhelming and karmic gandanta area found here. Not to mention that Mercury is debilitated in Pisces and loses its strength. We can start feeling the effects of the retrograde 2 weeks prior, during the shadow phase.

What this means for the world is a lot of chaos and instability, from violence to floodings, drownings, to crazy weather, to communication mishaps, to transportation problems including ships and cargo, as I mentioned last week in my eclipse post, to health concerns rising globally! Yes we may hear of a new virus perhaps. Another lockdown? Maybe not.

At a personal level, it doesn’t have to be so dramatic. We just need to proceed with caution and care in our daily tasks. This isn’t the time to start anything new, this is the time for re-examination and reconsideration, and to slow things down. Make sure that your important documents are saved or backed up, etc. Medical errors are more likely now, as well as misunderstandings, and complications with travel. We may have a sudden change of mind as well, this is quite common when mercury retrogrades.

Mercury first turns retrograde in Aries at 3 degrees of Ashwini on April 1. It remains here until April 9. During this period, Mercury is in gandanda, we may feel more overwhelmed, watch out for impulsivity and hastiness, and try to avoid conflict. The lunar mansion Ashwini is ruled by the twin horsemen doctors, they are known to speed to the rescue of those in need, they relate to health or medical emergencies, and transportation. Issues in these areas will arise.

On April 9, Mercury retrogrades back into Pisces and remains retrograde until April 25, it turns direct at 21 degrees of Revati, exactly conjunct Rahu, this is intense!

April 9, 10 and 11 are dates to watch out for as Mercury is now in the watery gandanda of Pisces, we may feel more emotional, anxious, and out of balance. For the world, this may result in severe weather, hurricanes and floodings, etc.

Keeping things simple will be key, and getting organized as much as possible. Mercury retrograde in Pisces stirs up the past and the subconscious mind. Things from the past may return or show up for us to heal and let go of.