Here's How This Summer's Mercury Retrograde Will Shake Up Each Sign's Relationships

In general, Aries is a pretty intense and competitive sign. It's just how they roll. But during this Mercury retrograde, overlapping with with Mars' retrograde, Aries may feel a little too hot to handle if they don't get control of what's bothering them and express it.

"[Y]ou will be feeling a lot of pent up energy," says Mckean. "This can make you easily irritable and lash out if you don't handle the pent up thoughts and emotions correctly. Anyone can be a target, from a slow cashier to another harried Aries. The key for you during this time is to find an outlet for that pent up energy that you do religiously at the same time each day. Kickbox, meditate, go for a jog, do what is most comfortable for you where you can expel the feelings into something inert that would lead to a positive change in the long run."

What relationships will be affected most in your life: Pretty much most of them, especially a fellow Aries.

Although those closest to you aren't likely to feel your wrath, Taurus, you have little patience for inconveniences.

"Your relationships with your friends, colleagues, family, and partner will be fine," says Mckean. "It's those you don't have a relationship with that you'll feel your reaction to the retrograde affects the most. For you, it's not going to upset you if the computerized register at the checkout is down, but you might lose patience with whoever rings up your bill being clumsy with a calculator... You'll get through the day fine, but if you want to help things along add time in your calendar for a few delays here and there."

What relationships will be affected most in your life: The people with whom you don't actually have a relationship.

"Woah, Gemini! We all really look forward to a full report on how it's like to be in a tornado and survive without a scratch!" says Mckean. "Being ruled by Mercury, you're good at reporting the facts real-time, but Leo (the sign it's currently moving through now) might make you have a tendency to exaggerate even more than the gingerly sprinkling Gemini tends to do here and there."

But while some will find these exaggerations entertaining, others will be less than pleased — especially your loved ones. Mckean suggests taking all those embellishments down a few notches. At least for now.

What relationships will be affected most in your life: Your relationships with your loved ones. Although this might sound vague, it's best to tread lightly with everyone whom you have a loving and deep connection.

"We started hugging you before the full lunar eclipse on July 27, and we're still hugging you," says Mckean. "We feel your pain. That is everyone around you, but especially your family. Not only was your lunar light extinguished, but Mars was right next to the moon laughing — or at least this is how it may have felt to you."

Because Mars is also in retrograde and fairly aggressive, what you can normally handle with grace, Cancer, won't be so easy. In fact, the communication you'll encounter will likely be riddled in passive-aggressive behavior, and that's never a good feeling — no matter what receiving end of it you happen to be on.

While it will be your inter-office relationships that might deal you some blows, it's your family who will have to deal with you bitching and moaning about it — which you have every right to do considering the circumstances. Mckean suggests modifying your own behavior in order to get to the end of August when things will be looking up again.

What relationships will be affected most in your life: Your relationships with your coworkers and your family.

"Dear Leo, we love you," says Mckean. "This will be a time of drama, ups and downs, and a seeming roller coaster ride — in other words, more of the same order of the day for you, but just a little more amplified with its ups and downs. You'll be proud of yourself and have bragging rights when this Mercury retrograde in Leo is all over."

However, according to Mckean, you're likely to forget the drama that came with Mercury retrograde. While most important people in your life will forgive you, the Scorpios in your life might not have it in them to do so. Keep in mind that not everything has to be dramatic. Although some drama can keep things spicy and feeling exciting, ultimately, too much drama can drive people away and they may not return — like those Scorpios in your life.

What relationships will be affected most in your life: Your relationships with your coworkers, romantic partners, and any Scorpios with whom you're close.

"You will be the go-to person for those around you expressing their woes, especially at work and among your friends," says Mckean. "This is pretty cool since you'll be able to hear both sides of the story plus other perspectives. The one thing to pay attention to is your energy level because you might feel a little frazzled, drained, or otherwise anxious. Your sign is ruled by Mercury. Although this particular retrograde period won't affect you as much as it does Gemini (the other sign ruled by Mercury), the fact that your time will be stretched will affect you."

Because you will be the one who everyone depends on, it just might take its toll. Mckean advices staying hydrated, sticking to healthy snacks to keep you feeling good, and trying to get at least eight hours of sleep. She also suggests that, since you'll be viewed by others as the emotionally strong one during this time, carrying tissues for others will be a very good idea.

What relationship will be affected most in your life: Your relationship with yourself.

"If Virgo doesn't try to recruit you to help with being a sympathetic shoulder for those at work, the key during this period for you is to stay balanced," says Mckean. "With Mars' retrograde overlapping with Mercury's the first 19 days of August, you're going to feel it indirectly. When you're balanced internally but the environment or people around you aren't, that's how you feel it indirectly."

While the affects of Mercury retrograde that come your way, Libra, will be indirect, you need to be wary of those trying to pull a fast one — all fingers point to Geminis and Leos who will try to do this "in matters of love and general sympathy," says Mckean. Although she also says that if you fall for whatever they throw your way, you'll be fine. A little worse for wear, but you'll get over it and be better for it.

What relationships will be affected most in your life: Your relationships with Geminis and Leos.

"Cool, calm, and collected, this is a period that you use wisely," says Mckean. "Just as others around you are scrambling, everything is easier for you because you were already prepared. With that, you're ahead of the game. Pluto, the planet that rules Scorpio, is retrograde until September 30th. Your relationships with those around you are generally going to be smooth. People will misspeak (Mercury retrograde). People will be compelled to say the wrong things (Mars retrograde). Don't take it so personally. You will have bigger and better things going on come Halloween."

Because you prepared for this Mercury retrograde, Scorpio, it's smooth sailing for you, as far as relationships go. You lucky little devil you.

What relationships will be affected most in your life: None. (Nice job, Scorpio!)

"This is going to be a fun time for you, especially with one of your favorite kind of people: strangers," says Mckean. "This is going to be a great time for you to travel. What - travel during a Mercury retrograde?! Yes. Here's the 4-1-1 on why: The travel delays, snafus, and setbacks are going to feel exciting. You'll turn it into an adventure. You'll meet people you normally would have missed because they would have already been on-flight had Mercury retrograde not delayed their plane."

It's because you'll turn these scenarios into an adventure, that your positive energy will be contagious to those around you, making them realize that flight or train delays are part of the journey.

What relationships will be affected most in your life: Your relationship with strangers — but positively!

"Like Sagittarius, this is a good time for you to travel, but for different reasons," says Mckean. "The combination of four planets retrograde along with Mercury retrograde is going to grate on you at work. You'll be annoyed at your colleagues that didn't simply follow institutional guidelines to backup their data and update their passwords regularly suddenly end up spilling into your work progress. Always one to dot your i's and cross your t's, it's a good time to take time off work."

Thanks to Mercury retrograde, you won't fall too behind on work, if you choose to finally take those vacation days. However, Mckean advises against a staycation. Instead, really get the hell out of town and make the most of those days off. You have the energy for it now, so don't waste it!

What relationships will be affected most in your life: Your relationship with your coworkers.

"Normally detached and objective, you're undoubtedly feeling hungover after the full lunar eclipse on July 27," says Mckean. "Normally outgoing and social, you're likely to be rather socially reticent at this time. If you're involved in a relationship, they will be affected the most by your hangover. ... You're shaken by the past lunar eclipse that happened while the moon was in your sign of Aquarius, and to make things more complicated it made a tough connection to your ruling planet, Uranus. Further complicating matters, Mars was there to help shake things up."

You are, indeed, shaken, Aquarius, and for good reason. Because of this, those around you will be affected, out of concern, and this jolt to your system may have you reaching out to ex-partners. Sometimes it takes an unnerving experience or feeling, to thrust you back out there into the dating game again.

What relationships will be affected most in your life: Your relationships with your loved ones, as they're concerned for your welfare, and a relationship with a past love.

"Pisces, if you're involved with a Cancer, Leo, or Aquarius, this retrograde period will be a tumultuous time for your love life," says Mckean. "If you're involved with a Virgo, you might want to lend them a hand till the end of this month. Barring any relationship with those signs, this will be an enjoyable period for you."

While this is going to be an enjoyable period for you, Mckean suggests staying away from emotional drama and making sure your shoelaces are always tied. Why? "Pisces rules the feet. Stick with the slip-ons you prefer, at least until August 19." I mean, it is still sandal and slip-on wether right now, so it's not like you were going to roll those sneakers out until September anyway.

What relationships will be affected most in your life: Your romantic relationships, but only with Cancer, Leo, or Aquarius.

Although the majority of the signs will find their relationships affected in less than stellar ways, there's no need to freak out. Ultimately, you just need to keep telling yourself that there's only about two weeks left of Mercury retrograde, so you should be fine as long as you stay relatively aware to what's going on in your world, based on your sign. Good luck!