Silenced by Violence: What To Expect When Mercury Goes Retrograde Spring 2022

In true retrograde fashion, I am very late to the game in writing about Mercury's trek backwards through the signs of Gemini and Taurus. Starting on May 10th and ending on June 3rd, it looks like we're already about half way through. However, I think there's still enough time left to write about how it will affect us overall.

What Does "Mercury Retrograde" Mean?

A retrograde planet is one that, from the vantage point of earth, appears to be moving in the opposite direction. From an astrological perspective, this means that the energies represented by the planet are directed "backwards" or "inward." Retrograde periods are often riddled with delays and disruption, but there's no need to panic. It is just a time for reflection rather than for taking action. These periods can actually be loaded with magic & synchronicity, causing things from the past to return to us, whether this be people, situations, memories we thought we had forgotten about or lessons that we're getting a second chance to learn after having failed the first time around.

In Roman mythology, Mercury is considered to be the "messenger of the gods," ruling over letters, divination, and just about any form of communication. Mercury is also associated with commerce and travel. In astrology, it represents the logical mind, intelligence and the way we think. Able to travel between two worlds, he is the god of translators and interpreters. Look out though - because Mercury can be a trickster, associated with pranksters 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).

Thus, when Mercury goes Retrograde, you can expect delays and mishaps around things like travel, technology and communication. For example, your flight might be inconveniently delayed, or the letter you just posted fails to arrive to your friend on time. Your computer may freeze, and someone may gloss over the details when signing an important document. In general, miscommunication is common, so it is best to try and be as clear as you can when speaking to others and avoid making any assumptions. During these periods, you can expect to find yourself in the midst of all things unpredictable, changeable and unexpected, but not necessarily negative. Sometimes the unexpected can feel rather wonderfully fated. It is a positive time for reflecting, re-thinking, and re-doing, finishing up projects or having conversations that you should have had before. In general, this time for reflection is necessary for giving way to ideas and insight that you can put into practice once Mercury goes Direct.

Mercury Retrograde Gemini 2022

Stationing Retrograde at 4'51 degrees, Mercury is currently at 1'17 degrees of the Twins, meaning it's trek through Gemini is almost over.

Mercury is at home in the sign of Gemini, meaning that it generally performs well here. Gemini is a mutable air sign. Chatty and endlessly curious, Mercury in Gemini individuals tend to know a little bit about everything and they love to share this information with others! Flexible and adaptable, they often find it easy to communicate with people from all walks of life! Unlike the more disciplined Virgo, however, Mercury in Gemini can be a little bit more messy - scattered in many different directions, and veering off into roundabout tangents without ever really getting to the point. Keeping this last point in mind, it is possible that we may suffer from a lack of structure, with everything changing at the last minute and nothing going according to plan. My advice is to just roll with it, but Mercury in Retrograde also has a bit of a reputation for being a gossip, possibly leading to the exposure of some truth: just remember there are usually two (or more!) sides to every story.

Apart from that, Mercury's station Retrograde made some interesting aspects, most notably a sextile to Venus at 8'57 degrees, Aries and a square to the Moon at 6'46 degrees Virgo. With Mercury square the Moon, there may be some tension between our heads & our hearts, and we may struggle to put what we feel into words. The sextile to Venus indicates that this may be especially true regarding our most treasured relationships, which with Venus in the sign of its detriment may be passionate to the point of being painful. That is why this period is such an excellent time for reflection, thinking and journaling; getting in touch with our emotions and what is it that we really want to say? However, it is also possible that Mercury's sextile to Venus may smooth over some of these challenges, making it easier for us to have any difficult conversations that we might have been avoiding. It may also be a good time to reconnect with people with whom we've lost touch.

I'm going to be a bit vulnerable for a minute, and share that the last time Mercury was Retrograde in Gemini, my mind went in circles and I wrote letter after letter to a person I deeply cared about, because even though some time had passed since we last spoke, I feared if I didn't say it then, I might never get the chance. But these letters were never sent. Towards the end of the retrograde period, for the first time in a while, we spoke face-to-face, and still, I put off my confession, waiting for a better time to come. They died the next day, something that will forever continue to haunt me and cause me significant pain for the rest of my life.

This retrograde period, I am having a similar experience. The context is very different and much less intense, but it is somewhat similar in that my mind is, once again, running in circles, reflecting and re-hashing out things I want to say to a person, but I keep putting it off,, waiting for a "right time" that may not ever come. Writing this reminds me that I might as well say it, before I regret not doing it: what have I got to lose? Of course, during the last 10 days (I am writing this on the 20th of May) I have been experiencing some more mundane issues, as well, such as with e-mail, mis-spellings on schoolwork, or yesterday, when I had a major panic attack...

ANYWAY....

Mercury Retrograde Taurus 2022

On the 22nd of May, Mercury will venture out of its homeland (Gemini) and into Taurus, a fixed earth sign ruled by the planet, Venus. Unlike the fast-moving and quick-witted Gemini, Taurus is a very slow and steady talker, preferring to savor the moment of all earth's pleasures for as long as it can.

With Mercury Retrograde in Taurus, we may find that things are moving a little bit too slow. Think: those delays I mentioned and a failure to communicate on time... like a laugh a few seconds too late, when everyone else has moved on to a new subject and the joke is no longer funny. This can be a good time to pause what you're doing and reflect, but if there is one other thing I've noticed about Mercury in Taurus individuals? It's that they take things very literally. As a sensual earth sign, people with this placement tend to think in very concrete terms, and a fixed mindset may make them see things in black and white. A failure to see nuance and read between the lines could lead to misunderstanding and conflict with others.

I think this second half of the retrograde could potentially be a bit more challenging than the Gemini-half of the season, not only because Mercury in Taurus is peregrine but because Venus is in Aries, the sign of its detriment, although perhaps when Venus enters Taurus, it's own home, on the 28th, things may get a little bit easier.

Mercury Direct Taurus-Gemini 2022

Mercury will station Direct on June 3rd at 26'05 degrees Taurus, but the days leading up to this forward-motion may be very intense, as far as retrograde-things are concerned...

Mercury in Taurus will be square Saturn at 25'15 degrees Aquarius, taking all of the above (delays, literalism, black-and-white thinking, failure to communicate) to an extreme. As the great malefic, Saturn severs ties. It causes blockages. For some, this could mean finding ourselves tongue-tied, unable to put our thoughts into words. But for others, it could literally mean being blocked, like on social media: ignored, ghosted, cut-off, silenced. Because Aquarius is an Air sign, associated with large groups and social movements, on a mundane level, there might be a political sort of silencing: censorship of the media, thought-control, suppression of the truth.

Mercury's conjunction to Algol, the "demon star" or head of Medusa, the same degree as the most recent Lunar Eclipse in Scorpio, echoes the square to Saturn, in many ways. Algol is associated with violence and misfortune, and it is the most feared star in all the Heavens. However, when we look at this from a mythological point of view, we see that Medusa has quite an unfair rep. For those unfamiliar with the story, Medusa was a beautiful maiden, until she was raped by Poseidon, a cruel act that took place in Athena's temple. In short, Athena was very angry, but instead of punishing the rapist, she blamed Medusa, cursing her with a head full of snakes and a gaze that turned men into stone. This story echoes a very terrible trend I've been noticing recently: a trend of misogyny, victim-blaming and the silencing of women who dare to speak out about the way they're being treated. I can go on about this forever, as those of you who are friends with me on Facebook know, but it is everywhere these days: the treatment of Amber Heard, which regardless of what you think of her has inspired real abusers in everyday life to sue their victims for defamation, the potential overturning of Roe v. Wade which has given way to an extreme pro-birth movement that seeks to ban all birth control. Thus, my interpretation of this aspect - and perhaps this entire retrograde - is a little bit different from what other astrologers may have told you, but it is important to remember that even after being decapitated by Perseus and turned into a trophy, her gaze nevertheless remained powerful.

On a more positive note, Mercury will be sextile the Moon at 24'44 degrees Cancer, it's domicile. This means that once Mercury goes Direct, it will be easier for us to put our emotions into words, easier for us to become conscious of how we feel and speak our truths. So, on second thought, perhaps it is a good time to pause and reflect, after all, remaining silent and still until we're 100% clear and confident about what we want to say and do.

Conclusion

As some of you may know, I usually write horoscopes with these things. However, I have been extremely busy and this article is already long overdue. But if you want to know more about how this retrograde will affect you personally, you can feel free to schedule a reading with me, by clicking here: but please remember to book at least three days in advice and know that, because I have not yet had time to edit the schedule, the time you booked is subject to change and I will e-mail you so we can coordinate.

Apart from that, this Mercury in Retrograde period will most significantly affect those of you with angles or planets in the first decan of the mutable signs (Gemini, Virgo, Sagittarius, Pisces) and those with planets or angles in the last decan of the fixed signs (Taurus, Leo, Scorpio, Aquarius).

Overall, for everyone, this is a time for pause and reflection. Expect delays, mishaps, and misunderstanding. However, never let anyone silence you.