If you're still running late to every meeting, littering your work e-mails with typos, and hitting snags in your attempts to start even the most meager of new projects, I have good and bad news. The good news? You can blame astrology for your troubles. The bad news? Mercury retrograde may be over, but Mercury retroshade 2019 is just settling in. From Nov. 20 through Dec. 7 we'll officially be under the retrograde's post-shadow period, and as you may have already noticed, Mercury retroshade 2019 will affect your career and work life — but you can be a boss-ass babe about this and use the energy to your advantage. Set your status to DND for a few minutes and lean in for this one.
Retroshades are basically extensions of a retrograde. They carry on for about two weeks after a planet goes direct — and during that time, things still feel a little wonky in the recently-retrograded planets' territory. This may feel annoying, but really, it's just a beneficial (albeit slightly inconvenient) astrological tactic to get us to slow down and work with the retrograde's lessons before resuming life as usual.
Just because the retroshade could make things run less smoothly in the workplace doesn't mean we have reason to really worry ourselves, though. Bustle chatted with astrologer Lisa Stardust to get her guidance on how the retroshade will affect our work lives. "Word of advice: don’t stress!" shares Stardust. "Everything will work itself out. Just have faith!" Mercury retrograde and retroshade periods are normal — and they happen several times a year, every year — so if you ride their waves and try to swim with the retroshade current, you can use the energy to your advantage. Things will naturally start falling into place once the shadow fully clears.
If you're seeking a spot of astrological advice to help you navigate your work life during the ever-shady (but TBH, still helpful!) Mercury retroshade, look no further. Here's what you should expect:
Process Those Mercury Retrograde Lessons
OK star babies, I can't stress this enough: do NOT pass go or collect $200 without doing some major personal reflection on how this retrograde has affected you in your work and passions. Perhaps it brought to light things that were making you miserable about your job. Or maybe it simply caused a whole bunch of unnecessary office drama. Regardless, it's time to process and decide how you can best adjust your path moving forward.
"The second Mercury retrograde shadow is all about integration and processing," wrote the AstroTwins on AstroStyle of the current retroshade period. "Sure, Mercury retrograde might throw our lives into a total tailspin, but what are the golden lessons to glean? What necessary losses and changes did Mercury retrograde prompt?" Ask yourself these questions as they apply to your career life — maybe even journal about it — then set some goals moving forward taking these lessons into consideration.
A Past Career Opportunity Might Reappear
During the retroshade, expect some old, unfinished (or un-started!) projects to come floating back 'round your way. "Old opportunities may float your way out of the blue," explains Stardust. Now's a great time to revisit endeavors of the past — and perhaps even start making some actual headway on them. With a discerning eye, look at your current prospects, but don't be afraid to jump back into something you once considered. The timing might finally be right for it, and you can use the retroshade's energy as motivation to adjust your method and make it work this time,
Your Projects May Hit A Standstill
Some shiny doors may open, 'tis true, but this retroshade is not all rainbows and pots of gold when it comes to projects. During a retrograde, planets appear to move backwards, essentially stopping any forward motion in the areas of life that the planet rules. So retroshades may have a bit of forward movement, but it's hesitant — revisiting the same ground it covered during the retrograde. That said, don't expect new projects to flow with much force. "[Alternately,] projects may stall," warns Stardust. So while it's a good opportunity to revisit old projects, starting new ones will still be difficult. Better to wait until we're clear, post-first week of December.
Pay Day Could Come Late
Number-crunching and timing are still a hot mess through the retroshade, so naturally, this could manifest in the form of your paychecks, raises, or bonuses coming in late. "Payments may be delayed, which will cause frustrations — because it will affect our holiday shopping," warns Stardust. Once the retroshade clears, you should expect your money to come through. But it's obviously not convenient, considering we're in the middle of the holiday shopping season and all. There are quite a few astrological reasons to do your holiday shopping last-minute this year, so don't rush yourself.
Try To Go With The Flow & Keep Your Chill
Remember that retrogrades and retroshades affect everyone, and they're unavoidable, regularly-occurring transits — so try not to take the subsequent mishaps at work too seriously, and trust that things will resolve themselves. "It’s important to take every situation with a grain of salt and not get too anxious over matters," advises Stardust. "Worrying will only consume our minds and make matters worse as we will feel like a ball of stress." The holidays are already a stressful time (to say the least), so handle things at work with grace and do your best to let petty office drama roll off your back. You got this.
