Mercury Retrograde in Scorpio: Watch Out for the Stinger!

So here we go again, folks. Mercury retrograde is upon us! It feels like things have been a little nuts, at least in my life, even before the retrograde began.

One close friend brought up an interesting point that bears repeating here. What we are experiencing right now is transiting Mercury retrograde. In other words, Mercury is retrograde right now and it affects everyone. But it does NOT affect everyone equally. If you were born when Mercury was in retrograde--we call that natal Mercury retrograde--then things may be different for you. As a Gemini friend asked me, "So are people who have natal Mercury retrograde totally fucked?"

Let me explain. Folks who were born during Mercury retrograde usually have extremely quick brains. Oftentimes, their brains work faster than their mouths, which means they may trip over their words or find themselves incapable of being clear about expressing their thoughts from time to time.

With that said, the benefit to having Mercury retrograde in your birth chart is that you live with it all the time, so when Mercury transits through a retrograde period, like it is doing now, the effects on you are generally lessened. It's like dealing with the heat and humidity of Washington, DC, but because you were born in Florida it doesn't phase you. The same could be said for someone from Buffalo who doesn't bat an eyelash at driving in two inches of snow.

One of the differences that makes Merc retro more interesting is that Mercury is retrograde in Scorpio, a very intense sign. Scorpio sun also begins in a few days to bring more Scorpio energy to the party. You'll want to be extremely careful of what you say during this time. It's said that Scorpios can either heal or kill with words, but for all sun signs, Mercury in Scorpio ratchets communication matters up a notch. So I would expect either a total shitstorm or nothing at all; this Mercury retro will not be about moderation. Be careful of anything you say that might be perceived as passive-aggressive as well.

Unfortunately, however, reports are already reaching me that things today have been hairy, with Facebook having problems simply posting things to people's timelines, for example.  

My spin teacher at the gym was having trouble with her schedule and struggled balancing her personal calendar with her personal training appointments. She was unaware of Mercury retrograde until I explained it, at which time she told me that her iPhone had been acting up all morning, only intermittently receiving email and text messages while people were trying to get hold of her. They all came in a flood. I also mentioned that she should expect more last-minute cancellations and small appointment problems. Turns out her 11:00am appointment showed up at 10 that morning! Typical Mercury retrograde bullshit. I suspect she feels like she learned something today.

Hopefully you'll have a lighter Merc retro than the last one, which was a bitch for me. I am definitely approaching this one with caution; in addition to being a sun sign Scorpio, I have Mercury in Scorpio natally as well. So you can bet your ass I'm treading very lightly.

Good luck! Send your comments on how the retrograde is--or is not--affecting you.