Source: foreverconscious.com/intuitive-astrology-spiritual-meaning-mercury-retrograde-december-2016
Next Mercury Retrograde: Dec 19 2016 – Jan 8, 2017 in earth-sign Capricorn, ends in fire-sign Sagittarius
Ever heard the saying, don’t shoot the messenger? And yet every time Mercury goes retrograde, do we not shoot him down? Do we not blame him for the truth and illumination that we are responsible for?
“Mercury has very special role of translating wisdom and great personal awareness. He travels between humans and gods, darkness and light, and remains just the messenger not the judge.” – River Rain
Mercury has already started slowing down and is preparing to enter into retrograde on December 19th, 2016 until January 8th, 2017.
Entering a new year on a Mercury retrograde means that things are going to be slow and contemplative during the first part of next year. This may be because 2016 has been a heavy year of releasing for many people.
In order to process and start the new chapter that 2017 offers, it seems that the Universe is givings us some downtime in order to make sense of where we are headed to next.
Many people fear Mercury Retrograde, but it is actually a very powerful and transformative time. A time when we can clear away the fog and see the truth of our soul.
Mercury is the Divine messenger of the gods and rules over communication and the throat chakra. When Mercury is operating as normal, he works alongside the amazing light of the Sun. But when Mercury goes retrograde, he travels into the darkness of the underworld, unearthing secrets and old pains of the past.
It is through this process that Mercury is able to bring truth, awareness, understanding and illumination to the surface.
Mercury needs to go into the underworld because when he is in there, he fishes out old thoughts, beliefs and conversations that need to be cleansed and purified.
Any delays that Mercury brings us during his retrograde are therefore always for a higher purpose. Perhaps it is Mercury’s aim to make us stop, look and really listen to all that is going on around us.
Perhaps the delays or the confusion that Mercury brings when in retrograde is trying to teach us or show us something deeper.
In fact, if you feel negatively impacted by Mercury Retrograde, it could be a sign that you need to look into your life and assess what is really going on.
What are you skimming over? What do you need to pay attention to?
In December, Mercury is going to retrograde in the sign of Capricorn. Capricorn is practical and stable, which means that Mercury is going to be clearing out our closets in a very practical and matter of fact way. There will no room for emotion, instead Mercury is going to clear out our throat chakra with a certain air of disconnect.
This is great, because in many ways it tones down any emotional reactions and allows us to see things from a more grounded point of view.
Practices like journalling, creative activities and exercise are also going to be great outlets during this retrograde period. In fact, anything you can do to get your energy moving may help you to shift and see things from a new perspective.
During a Mercury Retrograde in Capricorn, we are encouraged to take responsibility for what we choose to express and how we choose to express it. We are also encouraged to clear out and release things that we may have been clinging on to emotionally.
2016 brought us many retrograde planets and perhaps it is only now that we are starting to make sense of all of this. Retrograding planets allow us to dig below the surface in order to uncover hidden truths and hidden treasures.
2016 being a year of endings, required us to do this work so we can enter into the new chapter of 2017 with clarity, purpose and direction.
This final retrograde for 2016 is really going to help cement everything that you have been working on this year. So embrace it.
Allow Mercury Retrograde energy to wash over you like the powerful teacher that it is. Who knows, it may just change your mind about this often misunderstood and feared aspect forever.
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10 Good Things That Happen During Mercury Retrograde
By Larry Schwimmer
source: http://m.huffpost.com/us/entry/4144221
In my article, “Top 10 Things NOT to Do During Mercury Retrograde,” we discussed the events and activities that you should avoid doing over the next three weeks from October 21 to November 10, 2013.
In the event you were a bit discouraged and wondering whether anything positive occurs during this time – I have some great news! Here are some amazingly good things that could happen to you during Mercury retrograde.
1. Finding Lost Items. This is a great time to search for personal items you lost a long time ago. Things you lost months or even years ago, will finally turn up. This is when you pull up the cushion on your old couch and discover a treasure trove of lost earrings or the phone number of someone you really wanted to ask out on a date. I’ve had clients find objects such as a set of keys they misplaced or a valuable ring they were sure was stolen.
2. Hearing From People in Your Past. You’ll hear from an old friend or contact that you wrote months ago and never heard back from. Don’t be surprised if you’re contacted by your “old flame,” wanting to say hello and see how you are. I had an ex-fiancé I hadn’t heard from in years, call me in the middle of Mercury retrograde to see if I was still single and available.
3. Hearing From Old Clients or Employers. If you’re in sales, expect to get a call from a client who refused to do business with you. But now, he’s very interested. If you’ve been looking for a job and have been waiting for a response from a particular employer, you may hear back from them during these three weeks.
4. Finishing Old Projects. This is a great time to finish any projects that you started before Mercury went retrograde. You won’t experience the problems that come with starting new projects now. Instead, you’ll enjoy completing it, whether it’s a home re-modeling project or finishing planting your garden.
5. Polishing Up a Great Idea. Fabulous time to re-consider and re-evaluate old plans and projects that need more “polishing.” The flaws and mistakes you discover now give you the opportunity to make needed changes so that a “good” idea can be a “great” idea when you’re done.
6. Running Stress-Free Meetings. Decision-making meetings produce extra stress during the retrograde period. Even worse – they usually lead to ill-considered decisions that aren’t successful. So it’s a great idea to make use of the positive purpose of the retrograde, which is to re-evaluate and re-consider ideas and plans. If you tell meeting attendees this is the purpose of the meeting, you’ll have better results and lower everyone’s stress level.
7. Discovering Problems You Can Finally Fix. Have you ever heard a “water drip,” but couldn’t find where it was coming from? Well, you will during Mercury retrograde. It’s a great time to solve a mystery, and to discover a solution to a problem you’ve had. If your auto or computer has a problem, it will show up during the retrograde which gives you the opportunity to fix it, once and for all (even if you make the actual repair when Mercury is direct).
8. Learning the Truth. Remember: while Mercury is retrograde – there is something you do NOT know. However, it’s great news to know that it’s only temporary, because when Mercury goes direct on November 10th you’ll find out the truth. You may find out that “too good to be true” real estate deal was: “too good to be true.” Or, that suit you thought was too expensive for your budget just went on a 50% clearance sale; or that romance you were excited about wasn’t what you thought it was. (Beware: cheating spouses.)
9. Corruption is Exposed. The “bad guys” finally get caught. All criminals make mistakes during their life of crime. Those mistakes are often revealed during the retrograde. You’ll be delighted to read in the newspaper about corrupt officials or crooks who are exposed at this time.
10. You’ll Laugh More. Listen to the news. You’ll read about crazy mistakes that will make you smile and chuckle. Last year (during Mercury retrograde), it was reported: “Police guarding Wembley Stadium, where Olympic football matches are being played, revealed that they have lost a set of keys to the venue. Officers searching the stadium in London, ahead of the start of the Olympic Games, misplaced the keys prompting an investigation by Scotland Yard.” (Sounds like the Keystone cops.)