To get the exact times and dates for when Mercury goes direct in 2020, please consult this link and convert the times for your specific location:  https://www.astrologyhoroscopereadings.com/2020-mercury-retrograde-calendar.html 

If you are reading this, chances are that you are aware of the astrological phenomenon called “Mercury Retrograde” and most probably heaving a sigh of relief that for this month, this specific planetary retrograde period is about to end.

The thing about Mercury retrograde (to be referred to as MRx hereinafter) is that one of the most important, constructive and fruitful benedictions of this period is what we learn because of it, what lessons it can bestow upon us, and how we can use these gifts for our lives in the period going forward.

There have been so many negatives attached to the MRx period that truly, it is high time for a more constructive outlook on this planetary pause that comes 3-4 times a year for 3-4 weeks at a time.

MRx is akin to a pause, a break. Just think if you have been working really hard for a long period of time, you would need a break to just relax your mind & body. If we applied this to our minds, MRx is a necessary and welcome breather to take a reflective break, to allow our minds and concentration to remain, fresh, sharp and positive. This will then allow us to return to our tasks with renewed enthusiasm and keen observations.

One astrologer has likened the period of MRx as a “mental tune-up”. The Universe is giving us this chance to slow down, to “chill” so to speak. To relax the mental intensity that we normally approach to our days; it is important to note that this does not mean we would stop all that we are doing, hide under a bushel and cease all productivity. Rather it suggests that we find perhaps alternative ways to express ourselves and to communicate with others. Perhaps to become more creative and more reflective and in doing so, thus probably we could also learn new things about how we can achieve our goals. We can discover new ways of communicating and looking at things, and thus enrich ourselves by giving us more experiences to deal with the way we live our lives, both personally and professionally.

As MRx is a slowing down period, we will likewise begin to notice that as the  period for when Mercury begins to go direct approaches (in this case, 15 April 2018) we may begin to feel a renewed sense of purpose and direction. A quickening. It might be that all the internalised thinking and planning that MRx period caused us to undertake, begins to result in a crystallisation of what we need to do, in the period after MRx, when Mercury goes direct once more. As with all things that require renewed energy and undertaking, it is similar to a fighter about to go into the ring, or a performer about to go onto a stage. There is a period of quiet, reflection, internalisation that is beneficial immediately prior—a period of “getting into the zone” I like to say. I am a yoga teacher and always before my classes, I like to spend 1 hour alone, taking the time to be quiet, to meditate, to review in my mind what I am to teach. I avoid interactions with others during this period so that I can totally focus my entire being on the energy that I must give during my class.

The period immediately before MRx goes direct is one such similar period and we are in that period right now. It is wise and beneficial to take some time to ourselves to reflect, to internalise all that MRx has asked us to be mindful of, to plan, to prepare for when we need to go out into the world and interact at top speed once more. A period of self-care & self centering and grounding would be beneficial and highly advised. Yoga, meditation, exercise, self-nourishing activities and food as well would be beneficial. In short, give yourself some TLC and prep yourself for the busy period about to come.

You may find during this period leading up to Mercury going direct, that you begin to feel lighter; you may begin to feel renewed brightness and vibrancy. What may have looked like a mountain in front of you, begins to look like a molehill…and you begin to see the way forward for all your plans and activities. Rejoice and welcome this period! For some of us, the period immediately before Mercury goes direct, we may feel extra pressure and a resetting of the balance. Things had slowed down so much that now, as the direction is about to change, we may again feel off balance and need to re-centre and find our footing once more. This is also normal and thus it becomes even more important if you are affected in this way, to take some time to care for yourself. To ground and centre. And of course, to be mindful that the energies are shifting once more; it's like the big ship is changing course and you will begin to feel this huge shifting of direction and some people will feel this redirection more keenly (and perhaps be affected negatively by it.) Self-awareness and mindfulness are essential tools to getting through this time with calm, peace and without any arguments and mishaps! Take heart in the certainty that this period is temporary and will be over in a few days.

Mercury going direct is a wonderful opportunity to commit to renewal in the pertinent areas of your life. One way of looking at it, is that it is a renaissance, a rebirth. It is like our minds have been cleared and rebooted of all negativity and now we can proceed forward with a more positive outlook. With this rebirth, we may be able to see a new way of working with a prior challenge in our life; we may be able to shift our paradigms of old, and realise fresh ideas to enhance our daily lives and routines. Sure, during MRx there may have been a plumbing of the depths of us, perhaps facing some difficult things about ourselves or dealing with issues that come up that might be unpleasant. However in going through these experiences, we learn new things about ourselves and our lives and these are lessons that we can apply going forward after MRx. We can come out of MRx richer, wiser and more able to handle all that life will throw at us, because we have new concepts and alternative methods in our arsenal, gifted to us by the MRx period.

Namaste yogis!

"Tomorrow will be a new chapter in my life. This book is getting very interesting." ~Scottie Wave