Here’s What You Need To Know To Get Through This Summer’s Mercury Retrograde Unscathed

Brace yourselves, because Mercury retrograde is coming up, and it's going to be a wild ride for everyone. Mercury goes retrograde a few times a year, and it's happening for the second time in 2018 from July 25 until August 18. Mercury retrograde means that the planet Mercury has caught up with Earth, and is actually passing us as we make our way around the sun. When Mercury passes us, it's going so fast that, from our perspective, it appears to stop and start moving backwards. It isn't moving backwards, but it looks like it is, and that's why it's referred to as the retrograde period. As you probably know, Mercury retrograde can be a difficult time of the year, but have you ever wondered why? There are some spiritual meanings behind Mercury retrograde for summer 2018, and everyone should be aware of what they are so we know what to expect.

Mercury retrograde in July 2018 is happening in Leo, which is a fire sign. Fire signs have the most volatile influence, and Leos are known for being demanding and passionate. Leos, like other fire signs, tend to be more dramatic and bold, and this means that there may be more conflict than usual.

According to Astrology King, this summer's Mercury retrograde "could be an upsetting time because of the unexpected changes making you nervous and angry." Astrology King also says, "Mercury retrograde July 2018 comes with an increased risk of arguments, conflict, and accidents." This is the time to use common sense and patience to get through anything that might come your way.

That might sound like bad news, but the spiritual meaning behind Mercury retrograde really isn't as terrible as many people make it seem. Forever Conscious says, "Whenever Messenger Mercury goes retrograde, he travels into the underworld, into the depths of our psyche, in order to gather old secrets, clues, and information that we need to go back and look through one more time. During his travels, Mercury has the job of collecting past messages that either got lost by the wayside or were not heard the first time. Mercury does this in order to bring them to our attention once and for all."

In other words, Mercury retrograde is an ideal time to reflect on your past and figure some things out. This is the time you should think about your past mistakes and accomplishments and figure out what you can learn from them. This could be a painful process, but it's also really important, and it's a great way to learn what you need in order to move forward. Since our subconscious mind is becoming more active, and we're able to look back on the past with more clarity, this is also a great time to meditate and look deep into our souls.

That's always true with Mercury retrograde, but because this summer's retrograde falls in Leo, it means something slightly different. We might find that more painful truths are coming out, and we may feel challenged a bit. Forever Conscious says, "This Leo energy wants us to find our independence and hold true to our power." We might feel the urge to use the extra energy in an angry, combative way, but we should fight that urge and work on patience. Mercury retrograde in Leo might make it easier to lose your temper, to over-indulge, or to fall into chaos, but we should be using this time to work on patience.

So instead of looking at Mercury retrograde as a negative thing, try to spin it into something positive. As Astro Style points out, this could actually be a good thing: "Mercury retrograde is a great opportunity to handle unfinished business. Most of us start a million things that we don’t complete, never realizing how much psychic clutter this creates. The retrograde is like a quarterly review, a chance to tie up those loose ends and create a clear vision for the future."

Don't let this summer's Mercury retrograde get you down, because it definitely doesn't have to. Good luck!