Navigate Mercury Retrograde 2024 Like a Boss!

This complete guide for navigating Mercury retrograde in Aries which begins on April 1 to April 25. The tips will help any of the four Mercury retrogrades this year.

In a rush or too ADHD to focus on the entire post? Here’s the main do’s and don’ts. 

 

The Dos:

• Do give yourself extra time and breathing room for any travel plans, important shipping/mail matters and activities involving communication technology like computers, phones and vehicles as snafus are more likely.
• Do re-read emails, contracts, texts and double check details before sending to avoid misunderstandings amplified by Aries’ blunt communication style.
• Do revisit any past decisions, unfinished projects, creative ideas or life plans that have been sitting on the backburner and are now in need of re-evaluation and refinement.
• Do consciously find productive outlets and releases for the excess, restless mental/physical energy Aries stokes through exercise, artistic activities, martial arts or passion projects.

The Don’ts:

• Don’t make any major impulsive life decisions, sign crucial contracts or legal agreements if avoidable until after the retrograde completes. What’s initiated now may bring delays and require revisions.
• Don’t begin any brand new jobs, business ventures, creative pursuits or romantic relationships if possible, as there is likely to be a false start or misunderstandings that need ironing out down the line.
• Don’t overcommit yourself with too many activities and an overly hectic schedule that leaves no room for flexibility and potential delays. Simplify and moderate obligations when possible.
• Don’t lash out in anger or stubbornly react to conflicts and misunderstandings without pausing first. Apologize quickly if you’ve spoken too bluntly under Aries’ fiery influence.

Okay, now let’s do a deep dive!

 

 

When the Planet of Communication goes retrograde in the bold, impulsive sign of Aries, expect life’s cosmic trickster to unleash some fiery chaos and delays around communication, self-expression and decision-making.

During the pre-retrograde shadow period beginning two weeks prior on April 1, you may start to feel the initial build-up of scattered energy, misunderstandings and technological glitches foreshadowing the retrograde themes to come.

First off, we all know Mercury retrograde gets a bad rap for causing communication breakdowns, travel delays, and electronic malfunctions galore.

It’s like the little trickster planet decides to throw a gigantic wrench into our daily operations just for kicks. But when Mercury’s backspins happen in the fiery, impulsive sign of Aries? That’s when the real madness begins.

 

Contrary to popular belief, it’s not all doom and gloom. There are positive aspects I’ve learned since becoming aware of retrogrades over 30 years ago. The first time I experienced it’s power was on a trip to Paris.

Everything went wrong from delayed flights, a transportation strike, walking dragging luggage from the train station in the rain without an umbrella, desperate for a warm room and a hot shower. The hotel gave me the worst room with no hot water, and was just the beginning.

The takeaway? If possible, avoid travel during a retrograde or have a plan B.

• Do give yourself extra time for travel, shipping delays, and anything involving transportation or communication technology. Snafus are likely. Double check reservations. Plan a detailed packing list.

Aries is represented by the Ram, which should tell you everything you need to know about its Bull-in-a-china-shop energy. This is the first sign of the zodiac, filled with that fresh, youthful zest for action.

Aries doesn’t tiptoe around anything – it kicks down the door and dives head-first into every situation with a total IDGAF attitude.

So combined with Mercury’s erratic retrograde dance, you can only imagine the level of boldness, blunt communication, and impulsive decision-making about to ensue.

• Do re-read emails and texts before sending to avoid misunderstandings amplified by Aries’ blunt communication style.

It’s basically like the universe’s way of shouting “Hold my beer and watch this!” before pushing you into a situation tailor-made for regrettable social media content. The potential for putting your foot in your mouth and offending people is high, high, high. Aries doesn’t believe in beating around the bush – its words come out hot and harsh like a flame-thrower to the face.

At the same time, that fiery Ram energy makes everyone around you quick to blow up over the slightest thing too. Arguments and conflicts could ignite rapidly over a tiny misunderstanding or miscommunication (which are par for the course during any retrograde).

•  Don’t make any rashly impulsive decisions or burn bridges you may regret later.
• Pause before reacting. Breathe…

So keeping your cool when anger flares will be crucial for not burning any bridges you can’t rebuild later.

Because trust me, when the retrograde fog finally lifts, you’ll hopefully realize that friend, coworker or loved one you delivered those zingers to doesn’t actually deserve to be incinerated from your life.

Finding productive outlets to channel that excess Ram-force will help tons, whether it’s hitting the boxing gym, going for rage-runs, or writing a killer diss track to get it all out.

•  Do find productive outlets like exercise, martial arts, or creative projects for excess fiery energy.

On a more practical level, expect plenty of delays, miscommunications, and haywire electronics par for the usual retrograde shenanigans.

Your packages could get lost in transit, delivered to the wrong address ( it happened to me already), your computer might randomly short-circuit, or you could end up stranded on the side of the road with a flat tire thanks to God knows what.

 Expect the unexpected

But before you start smashing all the things out of sheer frustration, remember that retrogrades do serve an important purpose – forcing you to slow down, stop rushing ahead, and reassess anything that’s been swept under the rug.

I’d even go so far as calling this a potential blessing in disguise specifically because Aries has a tendency to charge ahead into situations without fully thinking it through first.

The retrograde provides a pause for you to revisit issues and decisions from the past that could probably use a second look.

• Do revisit past plans, ideas, or creative projects that need re-evaluation during this retrograde period.

Instead of starting anything brand new, use this backspinning energy to rethink existing projects or commitments. Did you rush into something impulsively that now has you doubting your move?

Here’s your chance to revise and refine it. Are there any nagging problems or unresolved conflicts you’ve been avoiding? Time to finally address them head-on without holding back through some open, honest dialogue.

• Don’t begin brand new jobs, relationships, business ventures or creative pursuits if possible until after the retrograde. Avoid signing contracts or triple check everything.

At home, the Aries fire energy will have you feeling the urge to purge and cleanse your spaces on a core level.

Don’t try remodeling your place from top to bottom, but do take the retrograde as a cosmic nudge to finally declutter those overstuffed closets, storage areas, and catching up on deep cleaning.

Get aggressive about editing down what you own and donating anything you don’t actively use anymore. Clear the slate and create more breathing room.

• Use this time to sort through closets, reorganize spaces and purge what’s no longer needed.

While physical spaces could use some reorganizing, the retrograde nudge to hit “reset” also applies to your mind, body, habits and routines too.

I’m talking things like finally getting back into that workout groove you fell out of, meal prepping healthy foods again, clearing energy blockages with meditation or breathwork, reworking disorganized budgets/schedules that have you stretched too thin.

Anywhere there’s a logjam of stagnant, stuck vibes, the Aries fire can help blast through it.

• Review your budget, scheduling and routines to edit and streamline where needed.

But be warned – homeboy Aries is an impulsive ram who wants instant gratification, so you may get quickly bored or derailed trying to see reorganization efforts through to the end.

Enlist a more patient, practical friend to be your accountability buddy throughout the process.

And don’t get in over your head redecorating or making big purchases you’ll later regret. Window shop and create inspiration boards at most.

 

The good news is this retrograde can be powerfully productive if you consciously channel the ram’s courageous, enterprising spirit into the right areas.

For instance, use it as fuel to finally schedule that personal rebrand photoshoot you’ve been putting off, hire a resume coach to rework your outdated CV, or revisit an old creative passion project gathering dust. Emerge from this chaos cycle renewed!

•  Revisit any old interests, hobbies or creative skills you’ve been wanting to pick back up.
• Go through old keepsakes like journals, photos, memorabilia deciding what to let go of and what’s still meaningful to reconnect with.
• Tap Aries’ crafty, resourceful spirit by upcycling, repurposing, and making handmade items with materials you already own lying around.

If you’re a writer or artist struggling with creative blocks, this wild retrograde period could actually provide the astrological dynamite to explode through limitations. I find it a great time to edit any writing.

Prepare for totally unbound streams of consciousness spilling forth, even at unconventional times like while you’re in the shower or out on a run.

The key is just making sure to capture those ephemeral bolts of genius on whatever scrap of paper or voice note app is handy in the moment.

The tail end of the retrograde provides an excellent opportunity to revise and polish any of those spontaneous brainwaves into more cohesive final pieces.

Speaking of randomness, you’ll absolutely want to lean into the cosmic curveballs and plot twists headed your way. Mercury retrogrades crave your patience and adaptability more than any other time.

Don’t fight the inevitable delays or cling too tightly to rigid plans – that’s a surefire way to drive yourself crazy with frustration. When the universe throws you detours, be willing to get delightfully lost on the adventure instead.

•  Don’t overcommit during this chaotic period. Simplify schedules and leave room for flexibility with delays.

Embrace the Retrograde “Re” Energy

Rather than initiating brand new endeavors, this is a powerful time to re-evaluate, revise, rethink, redo, review and revisit any areas of your life that feel stagnant.

 

 

Make Mercury’s Trickster Archetype in Aries Work in Your Favor

The planet Mercury carries the energy of the mischievous “Trickster” archetype that loves to disrupt the status quo and turn our assumptions upside-down in unconventional ways.

Amplified by Aries’ restless, impatient energy, this retrograde will likely bring unexpected surprises, reversals and chaos that force you to challenge your usual ways of operating.

Call on your most mischievous spirit guides, guardians, or mystic allies to be your shamanic co-pilots throughout the retroshade hijinks. Poke a little harmless fun at yourself and finding humor in the madness will go a long way too.

See if you can spot the deeper lessons or hidden opportunities embedded within any challenges, misunderstandings or surprises that pop up.

More often than not, the trickster forces are nudging you toward growth in utterly unexpected ways.

Work with the “trickster” energy by surrendering control and looking for positive lessons in the chaos.

Don’t fight or resist it! Surrender control, stay light-hearted and keep your wits about you when technology breaks down, plans detour or miscommunications arise. The trickster is revealing a fresh perspective or hidden truth that you’ve been missing.

Have the courage to make a “foolish” mistake and poke fun at yourself and your seriousness when the cosmic joke momentarily upends your agenda.

Shamanic Rituals & Practices: 

 

• Perform ceremonial fire rituals like candle meditations, fire-gazing or smoke blessings to embody and direct Aries’ powerful transformative energy productively.
•  Call spiritual support from the totemic spirit guides of the Ram, with its bold confidence, or the Ram-Headed Serpent for its wisdom and renewal powers.
• Work with grounding, energy clearing and chakra balancing exercises like spending time in nature, crystal healing layouts, or chakra-attuning meditations to counterbalance excess heat and restlessness.
• Chant mantras invoking Ram/Aries energy.

The “Rang Rung Rung Har Har Har” chant is a Hindu mantra associated with the goddess Durga for courage. It is a type of devotional chant or sutra used in worship.

Some other well-known Hindu mantras and chants include:

• Om Namah Shivaya (Salutations to Lord Shiva)
• Gayatri Mantra (Vedic mantra from the Rig Veda)
• Om Gam Ganapataye Namaha (Mantra invoking Lord Ganesha) to clear obstacles on your path.

Post Retrograde Integration

After the Retrograde’s official conclusion on April 25,  the 1-2 week post-retrograde shadow period helps you process any unresolved delays or mishaps and fully integrate the profound perspective shifts or personal growths catalyzed during the retrograde phase before you can cleanly move forward with new goals and initiatives.

With a patient, open mindset for life’s unexpected plot twists and the flexibility to adapt to reversals and delays with humor, you can alchemize this astrological shift into a period of profound reinvention and rebirth.

Allow Aries’ fiery, pioneering energy to clear a courageous new path ahead, incinerating any remaining obstacles and stagnant conditions. This universal restart shakes up the status quo so new growth can emerge from the ashes.