I have been thinking a lot about how to link my writing practice more closely to the cycles of the seasons, moons, and stars. There is a part of me that feels some dread every time Mercury retrograde approaches, and because of Mercury’s connection with words, this dread is especially acute when it comes to my writing. Though Mercury retrograde has a terrible reputation, we can work on using the energy of the messenger slowing down to rethink our direction with writing, revise our work, and refresh our plans, our spaces, and ourselves.
What is Mercury Retrograde?
Mercury retrograde is the time when instead of traversing forward in its march through the night sky, the planet Mercury seems to move backwards. In Greek astrology, Mercury is the messenger of the gods. The planet symbolizes language, expression, and communication. When Mercury goes retrograde, all kinds of things about our communications can go haywire. We might get in arguments, be misunderstood, or have trouble with our words. Mercury also rules technology and travel, so people often report computer problems, vacation hiccups, and trouble with contracts.
A lot of people dread Mercury retrograde. It’s famous for creating trouble and basically gets blamed for every single thing that goes wrong. Ex back in town? Mercury retrograde. Computer on the fritz? Mercury retrograde. Stubbed your toe? Mercury retrograde!
Mercury retrograde is so famous, there’s a whole slew of memes about it. And I mean, A. Whole. Slew.
Why Mercury Retrograde Matters for Writers
Are you a writer? Mercury is the planet of communication, self-expression, messages, and verbal communication. He is all about words, ideas, speech, and language. My writing friends, Mercury is our guy! So it’s no wonder that when he goes retrograde, we feel writer’s block or the story doesn’t flow or we lose our last draft or whatever. It’s a time when we accidentally hit send on that unfinished email to our publisher, drop our notebooks in puddles, or send out messages that we haven’t actually thought through.
But it’s not all bad! When Mercury goes backwards, he’s just slowing down, and with that, he’s also asking us to slow down, to look within a little more than usual, and to take care with our words.
This is not the time to send things out in the world. It’s the time to look within. This can be so difficult because we want to always be moving forward, getting in our word counts, or sending out submissions. But instead of working against the energy of Mercury retrograde and trying to force our way forward, we might be better off trying to slow down with the Messenger and use that energy to our advantage.
How to Work with (not against!) Mercury Retrograde
My favorite way of thinking about Mercury retrograde is to think of it as an opportunity to slow down and do “re-” activities. A big shout out to Stephanie Gailing at CreativeLive.com for introducing me to this way of thinking. She writes, “Mercury Retrograde is an amazing time to rewrite, re-edit, revise, reorganize, et al. Put “re”- at the beginning of any communication activity and discover the great new insights that this time period can offer.”
Basically, this is a great time to reset and re-evaluate all of your communications, self-expressions, and messages. If you are a writer, there is lots of room to move forward in purposeful ways while avoiding some of the troubles that Mercury retrograde can bring.
Revise
Probably one of the most useful things we can do for our writing during Mercury retrograde is to revise. Mercury is inviting us to slow down and take a hard look at our words before we send them out into the world. If you are a writer, this is a clear sign that the universe has your back on any revision. Have a short story or poem that hasn’t felt quite right? It’s time to look at it with fresh eyes and get the words right, slowly and carefully.
Re-read
Often, we are told to re-read contracts during Mercury retrograde because those teeny tiny details can really come back and bite you. But for writers, this is an excellent time to read over old work. Maybe the last book in your series needs to be re-read before you start the next one. It might be useful to re-read an old favorite for fresh inspiration. Maybe it’s time to re-read that old draft before you start an edit, or maybe it will be useful for you to re-read some of your old work from decades past. You might be surprised at what you find.
Re-envision
Perhaps the retrograde is calling you to revise in a different way, perhaps it is telling you to rethink the vision you have for yourself and the direction of your writing or your life. Mercury retrograde is actually a great time for introspection, and maybe you, like me, need to rethink the words you use when you are talking to yourself and the story you tell about yourself. I am currently working through Rewrite Your Story: Get Unstuck, Reach Your Goals, and Become the Empowered Author of Your Life by Dan Teck. The book is focused on rewriting the narrative you tell yourself and it is geared specifically toward writers. I think this is an excellent use of some Mercury retrograde down-time.
Replan
I don’t know about you, but I often make plans that just don’t seem to stick. This might be a good time to re-evaluate what’s most important, what’s working for you and what isn’t. Can you do less and get the same results? Do you need more direction in your writing career? Remember, this is the universe explicitly asking us to slow down and rethink our direction. You couldn’t ask for more support in doing this.
Reset
This is also an excellent time to reset your space. Maybe your workspace has you feeling uninspired or frazzled. Use this energy of going within to revisit that space and make it work for you. I wouldn’t make any large changes, like painting or buying new furniture. But it’s an awesome time to refresh. Move your desk to a new spot. Hang that picture that you haven’t had the chance to hang. Put up some inspiring quotes and get out some candles. Get your space looking spiffy, comfortable, and inspiring. Then when Mercury goes direct, you will be ready to go!
Reorganize
This would be a great time to reorganize your files. I don’t know about you, but my folders often get messy because I feel like I don’t have time to sit down and organize them. Perhaps you want to create a Google Drive system, organize your thoughts in Scrivener, or finally dive into Notion. Think of retrograde as the universe giving you time. Just make triple sure to back everything up!
Reflect
Mercury retrograde is a great time to just sit with your thoughts. Maybe if your creative writing is not moving forward in the way you would like, you can use this energy just to journal about what you want for your writing. If you are looking for some introspective prompts, you can find a whole month’s worth here. Mercury retrograde usually lasts about three weeks, which is a great amount of time to start a habit. Perhaps this is an excellent impetus to commit to sitting down each day, just for the period of retrograde, and take a little time to journal.
Relax and Rejuvenate
Sometimes it can be difficult to give ourselves permission to just relax and take care of ourselves. There are so many things pulling at our attention and asking for our time that we might feel guilty if we are not constantly being productive. Think of Mercury retrograde as the heavens expressly giving you permission. With all the mishaps that can happen during this time, the universe is practically forcing you to relax. Take a bath. Do some yoga. Take a walk. Play video games or whatever fills your cup. During Mercury retrograde, rejuvenating might be a much better use of your time than accidentally sending that embarrassing email to all your coworkers.
Recommit
Maybe all you need to move forward after Mercury retrograde is to recommit to your writing practice and your goals. This is such a great time to think about what you can do to support yourself moving forward. Maybe you start working with writing sprints, start giving yourself rewards for your accomplishments, join a writing accountability group, or even just find a friend that can help you move in the direction you want to go.
We do not need to be scared of Mercury retrograde. Like all the cycles of nature that ask us to slow down and look within, Mercury retrograde can be a gift. If we work with the energy of slowing down and looking within, we can actually do some really important writing work during this time. Remember, when it comes to our writing, all of the “re-” actions will be supported at this time. So revise that manuscript, reread old work, re-envision and replan, relax, rejuvenate, and reflect. Mercury has got your back!
But also, recheck and reconfirm that you’ve backed up your work!
