Mercury Retrograde In Scorpio Is Here, But Not For Long

Despite feeling like there's always a planet in retrograde, it's actually been a few months since Mercury stationed retrograde via Cancer's hypersensitive cardinal waters. But since this celestial event isn't something anyone really looks forward to, you may already be wondering when Mercury retrograde in Scorpio 2019 ends. I'll give you a hint: Mercury stations direct just in time for Thanksgiving.

Mercury officially goes direct on Wednesday, Nov. 20. However, it will remain in its eerie shadow phase until Saturday, Dec. 7, which means you're technically not in the clear until at least mid-December.

Mercury's shadow phase occurs when it's transiting through an area in the sky (in this particular case, it's Scorpio) it plans on revisiting during its retrograde journey. For instance, Mercury stations retrograde at 27 degrees Scorpio before it turns direct at 11 degrees Scorpio. By the time Mercury stations retrograde, it will have already traveled from zero to 27 degrees Scorpio. So, it has no choice but to revisit the degrees prior amidst its backward journey.

Mercury Retrograde In Scorpio: Oct. 31 To Nov. 20, 2019

Who is Mercury and what happens when it retrogrades? Mercury governs all things related to communication, commerce, and cognitive functioning. According to Roman mythology, and ancient.eu, Mercury served as mediator between the gods and mortals; he was the go-to interpreter, translator, and transporter of goods and messages.

When a planet retrogrades, it slows down and the Earth begins to move faster. This is the optical illusion that makes it seem as though Mercury is moving backward in the sky, when in reality, it does not move backward. Nevertheless, when a heavenly body is retrograde, its celestial expression is emphasized, almost as if its slower pace created more oomph. In the case of Mercury the messenger, its retrograde cycles feel burdensome because communication and technology become stifled. Give Mercury some credit here: What would you do without your cellphone, emails, and text messages? My point exactly.

Although, in the end, the essence of Mercury retrograde goes far beyond the petty technology glitches and typical misunderstandings. All retrograde cycles are for reflecting, reassessing, reevaluating, and revisiting situations in your life. In Mercury's case, however, you are being asked to revisit themes that revolve around your conversations, and general exchanges. It gets deeper, especially with Mercury in Scorpio, because this fixed water sign represents all things hidden beneath the surface; it is a symbol of death, sex, and transformation. That means there is nothing subtle about this Mercury Rx cycle.

In fact, on the morning of Halloween, when Mercury officially begins its retrograde journey through smoldering Scorpio, it will meet with Venus, which is a symbol of your values, pleasure, hobbies, love language, and artistic expression. In Scorpio, the goddess of love desires something much deeper than her typical Venusian wishes. Here, Venus wants to merge with another mind, body, and soul. Mercury Rx in Scorpio will speak on that and likely bring buried truths to the light, especially those in regard to your current relationships.