Not that you needed a reminder, but yes, Mercury went Retrograde June 26th and will remain so until July 20th. And many people hold a not-so-nice feeling towards these times, but truly you can learn to utilize it productively. Retrogrades may seem like a hidden enemy, but I’ve found them particularly supportive. It’s all about learning the language of energy and putting to use your skills you’ve been cultivating. Retrogrades don’t mean a time to throw out all that you’ve acquired in life training to be at the mercy of a certain time of the year. Rather, it’s the perfect time to exercise a little self-mastery.

And this particular Retrograde’s astrological influences call in a time for balancing of moods and balancing the right and left sides of the brain. So while you may feel pulled to extremes, remember you can tune in to the ebb and tides of your emotions so that you can keep that equilibrium of fire and water in the body and use it productively.

This Retrograde may not be as jolting in your life, as it has in the past because there has been a consistent flow of heightened energies to maneuver in. However, if you’ve been challenged with Retrogrades before, here is just a little reminder about how to navigate its waters and understand what might be going on with your current experiences.

This is a good time to complete and release things that no longer support your highest good, put to rest old “stuff”, have more patience and light-heartedness about things, take time for yourself away from it all, slow down and be still to receive, cleansing is a great way to utilize the energy, as is focusing on intentions you want to put out to the Universe, be more present in your life and with others, especially in terms of communication, realizing that things can get heated and meanings mixed up, so stay in your heart, listen and go within, and realize it’s not all that serious.

Things can be amplified during this time, but that in no way means it has to rule your life. This is a great time to exercise self-mastery skills and work a little alchemy in your life. Put to use all that you’ve learned and you can actually ride Retrogrades with ease and utilize its energy in very positive and productive ways.

Realize that if something is confused or delayed, or your electronics go awry, it’s not the end of the world and it may be serving a purpose you just can’t see in the heat of the moment. Let go, detach, and embrace that everything is working for the highest good. You will come to understand later, why things happened as they did.

You can utilize determination during this time to help carry out visions and goals, but you will also need to stay on top of your willpower, as illusions and immediate pleasures may easily sway you. Yes, that means more shadow work to help you to integrate and balance and be able to see things clearly. People and things that trigger us need to be looked at, not pushed away, in order to understand the trigger and what it is telling you about yourself and hidden feelings you may be afraid to see or acknowledge within. Do you secretly envy someone or wish to be more like that which annoys you? Is the thing that is bothering you about them, a quality you, yourself possess, and therefore if you integrate it yourself with love, can transform your experience of self and others? Is the quality that you fear or cast out in another, a part of you that if nurtured, could really catapult your passionate life?

What are you willing to do and give up short-term for the things you desire? Your strength, will, determination and focus are key now, along with the flexibility to know when to flow so you maintain balance of mind, body, and spirit.

This isn’t so much the time for doing, as it is for being, so all of this is done on the inner planes and if done with commitment to the process of you, you will reap the benefits of the Retrograde, rather than feel controlled and beat down by it.

Keep the faith and lovingly nurture yourself and others during this time. The more you practice these things, the more you can discover how Retrogrades can be powerful catapulting times.