Today is the last day of Mercury retrograde in the sign of Virgo. In this time, it’s said that communication is often misconstrued, from misunderstandings with family and partners to even tech problems.
But one challenge that often goes overlooked during this period is a breakdown of professional progression. If you’ve experienced this, fret not. I sat down with a cosmic expert, Psychic Saba of California Psychics to unpack exactly how the retrograde could affect us while it’s happening and immediately after, which is known as the shadow period.
How do you define Mercury retrograde and what do you want people to understand about it?
Psychic Saba: Well, retrograde simply means that the planets give the illusion of going backwards. So, it’s not really going backwards. It’s just the planets slow down a little bit. Retrograde is a time to rethink, reimagine, reinvent, revise, reconsider what is going on in your life. It is not the time to panic. But our current retrograde, Mercury, is the planet that rules communication, commerce, and commuting. If you are a person who likes to travel on a whim and you try that during retrograde, if you’re a person who likes to send emails and just press send, try to take a step back and look over what you’re doing on e more time before sending it out in the world.
Be mindful that electronics will likely malfunction as well so prepare yourself for that.
Retrograde is always a time to reflect and take a step back, to decide if maybe, just maybe, you might be moving a little bit too fast. So, I don’t like to think of it in an esoteric manner. I like to think of it as a practical time to slow down. It’s not the time to charge full speed ahead. It’s not the time to take action. It’s definitely a time to revisit things that you’ve already done. People always say that during retrogrades, past lovers come back. That might be true. You might hear from old friends or you might look up old friends yourself, because it’s a time for reflection.
Got it—so the optimal phrase here is slow down. But, how would you advise an ambitious person on navigating this time?
Psychic Saba: An ambitious person would have to make sure they’re thorough. Sometimes, ambitious people move faster than they think. I know firsthand because I’ve been ambitious my entire life, so during retrogrades, when I look back to some of my patterns, I have found myself speaking too soon, committing to things on the spot, as opposed to taking the time to think about them before I commit my time and my energy. Anything from writing PowerPoint proposals, pitching things, moving forward at a pace that is not advantageous to anyone. So during this time, I’d advise the professionally ambitious to really think through their actions and how effective they’ll really be for those around them. Stay in your lane and really focus on what you were hired to do, right now. That’s it.
Wow, you’re really reading me, haha. I can personally attest to trying to do too much and it winds up biting me in the end. I’m sure many other strivers out there can relate as well. So, when it comes to making these really astute observations a bit more practical, do you have any action steps people can take in the workplace?
Psychic Saba: Yes, I do. And the main thing I would say is don’t underestimate the technology that your job has to track your performance. What I found is a lot of times people become really complacent and comfortable. And the retrograde, this retrograde is in in Virgo, which is the planet of perfectionism and down to earth communication. This is not the time to over or underestimate your value. It’s the time to stand firm in what you believe to be true about yourself and what you bring to whoever you’re working with. If you’re an entrepreneur, if you’re an employee, if you’re an independent contractor, now is not the time to be overly confident. This is the time to stay right in the middle. ‘Okay, what was I asked to do? Am I doing that?’ If you cannot answer that question with a definitive yes, you might want to take some time to rethink, reevaluate and revisit what you’re supposed to be doing in the first place. It is never the time to overstep your boundaries on any level.
The biggest thing I’ve been seeing is people overestimating their value in a job market that is changing. Everything is changing. Technology is taking over. And if we think that any of us are irreplaceable, we are sadly mistaken.
My biggest piece of advice to grapple with that is to again, focus on what you were hired to do—do that and take radical responsibility for the life you chose.