Surviving Mercury Retrograde 2025 – Your How to Guide

Unless you’ve been buried under a rock for the past, say, ten years or so…you’ve probably heard of Mercury Retrograde. You might not know exactly what that means, however, or how it can specifically affect you though. Maybe you know that it has something to do with computers (which is why everyone says to save stuff on your computer and have a backup of your backup of your backup)...but what does this actually mean? 

Is It Mercury Retrograde

First things first…is it actually Mercury retrograde like, right now? The answer…it depends on when you’re reading this. For 2025, Mercury retrograde is happening on July 17, 2025 through August 11, 2025. It happens again on November 9, 2025 and lasts until December 29, 2025. On average, Mercury goes retrograde three or four times per year (usually only three though). They’re also (thankfully) usually spaced 3-4 months apart. Each retrograde lasts about three weeks, but the shadow can (and does) make it feel a bit longer. Note, I’m writing this in the shadow of the upcoming July Mercury Retrograde, and let me tell you what…I’m feeling it. 

What is Mercury Retrograde

This is a really common question, so if you feel like you don’t fully understand it…you’re not alone. Mercury—and any planet—is considered retrograde when it appears to move backwards through the sky from our perspective on Earth.

This doesn’t mean Mercury actually reverses its orbit or spins backwards. Instead, it’s like when you’re driving past a slower car on the highway—it looks like the other car is moving in reverse for a moment. 

What Happens in Mercury Retrograde

Anytime a planet goes retrograde, it usually signals a period of reflection or review connected to whatever that planet represents.

In Mercury’s case, this means communication, technology, contracts, and travel can get a little unpredictable. You might experience misunderstandings, delays, or the need to revisit old conversations or projects. Now, delays is actually seen as a more modern interpretation of mercury retrograde. When ancient astrologers would see mercury retrograde, they also viewed it as a time to slow down and reflect, but also something to be cautious of and potentially problematic. 

It’s also helpful to see where Mercury falls in your natal chart, because the houses it touches can show you where these themes might show up most strongly. For example, if Mercury is in your 10th house of career, you’ll want to double-check any work you’re submitting, confirm appointments, and be extra clear in conversations with bosses, clients, or coworkers.

Astrologically, this apparent backward motion is thought to symbolize periods of reflection, review, and the chance to tie up loose ends. The details can get fuzzy, things might slip through the cracks, and you could find yourself in one hot mess if you’re not paying attention—so slow down, breathe, and give yourself extra time.

Can Mercury Retrograde Make You Tired

Absolutely. Mercury can affect our energy levels just like how the moon affects our sleep. Talk to any ER doc or nurse, and they’ll tell you about the “crazies” that come out during a full moon. Biologically speaking, the full moon was a time when women were supposed to be at their most fertile, making hormones and sexual activity much higher (as tribally women’s cycles would align). That increase in that raw, sexual power made for, I’m sure, very interesting vibes. But in today’s society, where we’re so disconnected from all of that…women are on birth control, our cycles don’t align, we’re stimulated by electronics…we’re out of sync with our natural rhythms. But the moon still has power over us. It controls the oceans and affects all life on earth. So if the moon can do all of that…so can Mercury. Now just a note here…there isn’t a proven biological effect between Mercury and Earth. But energetically it can still effect us through mental overstimulation, whether that’s because you’re revisiting issues, (or rewatching The Walking Dead…again). 

Mercury affects everyone in different ways. This is because, even though Mercury rules communication, travel, and electronics, it all depends on where it falls in your chart, and which sign Mercury is in. For instance, if Mercury falls in your 7th house, that might affect your relationships during a Mercury retrograde. How? You’ll probably start reviewing your relationships more. Let’s say your Mercury is in Virgo in the 7th house, well that gives an even deeper understanding of how that energy will affect you. Virgo is detail-oriented and analytical, so you might be going through your relationship with a fine tooth comb or reviewing every detail in your mind (over, and over, and over again). That’s enough to make anyone tired!

If Mercury is in your 6th house - house of health - then it can definitely make you tired. You might also start reviewing your daily health habits to ensure that they’re aligning with your current season. 

Can you Manifest During Mercury Retrograde

I’m a believer that you can manifest at any point in time, so long as you’re in the right state of mind. Another thing to note here is to check your chart and see if Mercury was retrograde at your time of birth. People always talk about how “bad” Mercury retrograde is, or how it negatively affects them during cycles. But then you get these other stories of people and how they’re not affected at all. That’s probably because Mercury was retrograde at the time of their birth (or they have some really amazing aspects to Mercury). 

Either way, Mercury going retrograde is neither bad nor good. It’s just one of those things in life that happens, and it allows us to review our life, what’s happening, and whether we want that to continue. So, you might call this “re-manifesting,” where you’re revisiting ideas that you’ve already had and figuring out if you want to continue them, or how things need to change (if at all!). If we can tap into the energy and the lessons that Mercury is trying to teach us during that time period, that’s an amazing thing. And some might even call that manifesting. 

Short answer: yes, you can totally manifest during Mercury retrograde.

How to Protect Yourself from Mercury Retrograde

As I’ve already mentioned before, Mercury rules travel, communication, and technology. During the shadow period and actual Mercury retrograde, I often experience or notice that other people are experiencing trouble with technology. And, being as how technology is in everything nowadays…that pretty much means everything. Maybe your phone starts going really slow, there are tech glitches, you find that you’re constantly having to reach out to customer support, spaces on your intake form aren’t working now, a chip in yoru car goes out…and the list goes on. Regarding that, you can take as many precautions as you can (ensuring automatic backups), but in my humble opinion, when it comes to protecting your tech from Mercury retrograde, I think the best thing that you can do is to have patience and give yourself grace. 

Another common thing we see happen is communication failures. This can be communication between your colleagues, employees, employer, spouse, friends, kids…you name it. But communication issues are also common. Again, this depends on where Mercury falls in your chart (and how it manifests is the sign that it’s in). So…to protect yourself here, double check things before you send them in emails. Run your email (so long as there’s not sensitive company info in there) about how it sounds to make sure it doesn’t come off as bitchy or insensitve. Pull up your gentle parenting GPT and ask it how to handle a situation with your kid. Pause before saying the first thing that pops into your head when a potentially heated discussion arises with your spouse…Just, review yourself before you communicate. What do I want to say? What’s my intention? How do I want the person to feel? What am I actually wanting to happen? Am I honoring my truth? 

Travel is another part that Mercury rules, and this can also be a frustrating part. We usually see delays with travel plans during this time. Your flight could be delayed, your car could break down, maybe your friend bails on you last minute for your girls weekend…Whatever the situation is, that’s good ol’ Mercury retrograde. But hey, those things can happen even outside of Mercury retrograde. Maybe your friend is just flaky? Maybe your car is old and that part was cracked for a while. Who knows. Everything happens for a reason though. And I don’t know about you, but if my flight is ever delayed due to needing a different plane, I’m usually thankful. Better safe than sorry. So for this, my best advice is to mentally plan for things to not go as planned. 

What is the Shadow Period of Mercury Retrograde?

The shadow period of Mercury retrograde is the time just before and after Mercury retrograde. It typically lasts between two and three weeks. During this time, you might actually start or still feel the effects of Mercury retrograde. I know for me, I tend to pick up on things. My phone will start to lag or I’ll start experiencing tech glitches.

The shadow period can also be seen as a warm up and a cool down to the actual retrograde period. This is essentially just like, when you’re passing another car on the highway, just as you’re passing them, it looks like they’re driving backwards. That’s exactly what a retrograde is like. But the shadow period is just before you start to pass them, and just as the back your car is passing the front of their car. Obviously driving a car takes much longer than ginormous planets in the solar system passing each other, but you get the point. 

How do I Know if I Was Born in Mercury Retrograde?

To know if you’re born in a Mercury retrograde, all you have to do is pull up your natal chart and check to see if there’s an R next to Mercury. If you’re using Café Astrology, type in your birth information (date, exact time, and location), and then it’ll come up with a table of your placements. Scroll down to where it says Zodiac: Tropical, and you’ll see a symbol for the planet, the name of the planet, another symbol for the sign, the name of the sign, numbers for the degrees and minutes, and then another column to the right. If the column is empty, then that means that planet was stationed direct. If it was stationed retrograde, then a capital R will be in there.

Final Thoughts on Mercury Retrograde

I know this can seem like a lot, and maybe the start of a zombie apocalypse, but I promise you…this too shall pass. You might even be one of the lucky few who don’t experience any mercury retrograde symptoms at all. And if so, that’s awesome for you. If you do notice any issues though, just remember that it doesn’t last forever and to have patience and grace with yourself. But the biggest thing I can recommend is to figure out what Mercury is calling you to reflect on. What lessons is it trying to teach you? What do you need to review in your life? Is it a system, a process, relationships, money, your career, or something else entirely? Whatever it is…write about it, do some meditations, and allow yourself to think the thoughts and feel the feelings. It’s also okay if you don’t have clarity in the moment or if things feel even more confusing or overwhelming. Create self-care practices that will support you, and in time, clarity will come. If you need any support at all during this time, please reach out. We can do a general natal chart reading, or a deep dive into specific areas of your life that you want more clarity around.