Mercury Retrograde through the Houses

by Milky Way Maid

I have had lots of experience with Mercury retrograde. Perhaps because I was born with Mercury retrograde in my chart, I have taken more notice of its effects.

Please do not dread these weeks while Mercury is retrograde. I have tried to note ways that it may be positive in each house, as given below. Mercury retrograde can bring problems to light, so that they can finally be properly fixed. You may find out the truth about a company, person or issue by chance or by checking things out on the internet. You may have made a search before, or asked the same person before, but at last you ask in a way that elicits the desired information.

And lastly, Mercury retrograde can be a fine time to travel memory lane. Pick up the photo album. Talk about the great times you had as a kid. Play that CD or DVD again, or re-read that classic novel and discover new layers of meaning.

Mercury Retrograde in First House: May cause you to misspeak more often, forgetfulness, or make your written communications garbled. Proofread emails and documents before sending, and think how someone will interpret what you say before blurting things out. It can however be a good time to get feedback from others on your thoughts. Some chance of getting lost, taking a wrong turn, falls, stumbles, etc.

Mercury Retrograde in Second House: Affects money and financial accounts, income and sources of income, material possessions. Double-check those bank statements and other financial papers. You may misplace a possession and have to backtrack to find it. You may buy something you never use, or it may not work right.

Mercury Retrograde in Third House: Minor injuries to legs or arms. Hitting hand on doors or furniture. Lost or misplaced mail or email; check the spam folder. Transit difficulties such as getting lost, taking a wrong turn, traffic jams, being given wrong directions. Printers can get overtime or rush orders needed to issue corrected documents and mailings.

Mercury Retrograde in Fourth House: Can mess up communicating with family members, so make sure everyone is clear on who is picking up whom and when, and where. Having errors in home repairs or having to redo home improvements. The repairman doesn't show up or is late.

Mercury Retrograde in Fifth House: Romantic dates go wrong or are canceled. You go out on a double date and wind up switching partners. Changes in schedule or cast for plays and other performances. Actors may forget lines or have to ad-lib when things go wrong. Also sports events may have surprising winners. You gotta roll with the punches with this placement. Also dust off that old game from the attic and re-discover how much fun it is.

Mercury Retrograde in Sixth House: Lab tests or x-rays miss the diagnosis. Surgery may be canceled or delayed due to equipment malfunction. The healthcare provider may be ill. Having to undergo a second surgery to fix what was missed.

Mercury Retrograde in Seventh House: Keep to prepared statements if speaking in public. Try not to laugh too hard at a spouse's errors. Performers may be brought back for an encore appearance.

Mercury Retrograde in Eighth House: Can cause confusion and misunderstandings regarding insurance or what you expect to inherit. Re-read those insurance policies and wills. A corrected claim may submitted successfully this time.

Mercury Retrograde in Ninth House: Can cause snafus in printing your latest book, or lost/misplaced records or homework at college. Keep backup copies of your final papers or book draft. A court case may be rescheduled or dismissed. The lawyer may steal your money. Canceled airline flights or missed connections. Other travel snafus.

Mercury Retrograde in Tenth House: Can cause cutbacks at work, rescheduled meetings or temporary down time due to any cause (but often for computer downtime). And of course the dreaded pink slip or firing. Temporary layoffs. But also work orders and overtime on a rush basis, often to issue corrected versions of company statements or mailings. The boss overhears you say something embarrassing.

Mercury Retrograde in Eleventh House: Can cause canceled or rescheduled get-togethers with friends, or rearranged club meetings where the guest speaker misses a flight. Be prepared with a Plan B; that may mean getting your notes and Powerpoint together if you have to substitute for the original speaker.

Mercury Retrograde in Twelfth House: Possibly the worst place for it, due to shooting yourself in the foot! You blurt things out in interviews when you admit that you did not do much of some key operation. You may also suffer from others' errors, so ask for a review of any decision or fee that goes against you. Gad, maybe you should just shut up and stay home reading a book!