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June 24, 2020

Mercury Retrograde (2020): What the Eff is Going on Energetically & Rituals to Help along the Way.

Are you spending a lot of time facepalming and shaking your head in disbelief? 

If so, you are not alone. These times have been taking us on a ride and it keeps getting more intense.

I am not an astrologer, but I do identify myself as an intuitive clairvoyant. Through my six years of teaching yoga, I have developed a strong spiritual muscle that can read, pick up, and analyze energies within myself and the collective.

When I used to teach yoga full time, I would take an energy scan of the room before speaking to anyone. I needed to get a feel for where everyone’s head was at and I did this by simply connecting to the energy in the space. This is a practice that helped me connect to students. 

After several years of doing this ritual, I have shifted into creating energy readings for the collective. They have been put together from some of the most current astrology happenings, reflections on conversations that I have been having, energies of the people around me, and themes that I have seen being thread through the collective.

The Collective Feels 

Most people know what Mercury retrograde means, but if you are unfamiliar, it is basically a transit that occurs a few times a year. Mercury retrograde will happen and can take about two to four weeks to complete.

I won’t go deep into Mercury retrograde since there are so many other things going on, but the issues to remember are that it has the capability to mess with technology, communication, conversations, intentions, and the nitty-gritty of contracts, and travel (things that are detailed in any orientation).

So, during a Mercury retrograde, we can be faced with dark truths and problematic situations that feel more intense. This is because there is a layer of miscommunication added. Everything is “figure-out-able,” so taking your time and don’t rush through anything. Give space and time to yourself to nurture and nourish your body and mind.

Staying away from our phones and technology a little more than usual can help us tap into healing mode. It’s summer—spend more time outside, sit by the pool, lay in the sun, or read a book (not a Kindle).

Not only is Mercury retrograde to blame for a lot of the challenging and intense energies we are dealing with, but there are about five other main planets that are all moving away from us. Sprinkle in a solar eclipse, a new moon in Cancer, and a big welcome to the Summer Solstice season.

Let’s break down the energies and shifts that the collective is experiencing:

Cancer New Moon Vibes 

We are in the midst of the new moon in Cancer and its eclipse, along with the planets going retrograde, which happens only a few times a year. Cancer actually rules the moon and its element is water. Cancer tends to be labeled as the emotional sign; motherly energy of emotional nature can occur during this shift.

These are the most beneficial times to turn within and truly connect to the practices that help us reclaim any sense of clarity and surrender. As we move into the Cancer season, we may be experiencing betrayal, shedding, and abandonment.  

I wanted to share a list of practices and rituals that have been the glue holding my sanity together during this mega triggering time. 

>> Be by water: If you can spend time around bodies of water, this is going to play a vital role in your grounding and healing those mentally shaky feelings. This could be a lake, a pond, the sea, a pool, or even a shower or bath. If bodies of water are not close by to you at all, I recommend taking a shower and a bath each day or adding an extra shower. Anything with water will serve as an energetical portal where all toxic energy can drain off, leaving you cleansed so you can reclaim your power. 

>> Free-flow writing: On paper if possible. You can always transfer it into your phone or Google docs if you are hyper-organized with your journaling, but writing on paper gives you the freedom to let the source flow through you genuinely. In fact, before writing this article, I stream-of-consciousness wrote on one blank sheet of paper while I was at the pool—the words flowed effortlessly.

To do shadow work and dive deep into a writing and meditation practice, check out my Modern Meditations journaling and meditation workshop. ** Use code MAGIC for a discount. ** 

>> Sun and nature therapy: The sun is the most natural way to let Mother Earth touch your energetic body. The sun brings us natural Vitamin D, an essential nutrient for brain function, immune system health, and hormonal health. Without proper levels of Vitamin D, we become tired, fatigued, lethargic, and unmotivated. There have been studies that have proven that taking a vitamin D supplement or getting more sun can actually help naturally heal depression. 

>> Energy shielding and self-protection: Create space from your energy and other energies that do not mesh well with your own. 

>> Energy clearing: Use sound to shift the energy within a space. You can also use scents like lavender, or grounding scents like patchouli, orange, sage, and Palo Santo. Use sound bowls and tuning forks. If you don’t have a sound bowl, you can use a wine glass filled with water. 

My favorite guided meditations that are specifically meant for healing each chakra are by Healing Camp on YouTube. My favorite sound healing artists on Spotify are Jason Stephenson and Star Gods sound Healings.

>> Ritual bath energy cleansing: You can use baths to physically and emotionally clear heavy, unwanted energy that is trapped in the body. Try bathing with salts, placing herbs into the bath with you (like eucalyptus), creating a tea of herbs, and pouring it into the tub. Once in the bath, connect to your spirit guides, your highest self, or your angels. Express what you are doing, what energy you are calling in, and what energies you are asking to be cleansed from. Submerge yourself into the water completely. Head to toe. White candles and sage can also help create an illumination of cleansing energy. Use your hands to physically move energy off your body from head to toe, in downward motions.

>> Phone a friend: You can also text, email, FaceTime, or direct message. Whatever! Having a connection is key during these times, and it’s important to have—even if it’s a small, solid support system. Someone who allows you to open up and have options when you require support. Having at least one real-life friend is also important. If you do not have a friend you can spend time with in person, use your resources. Visit a coffee shop, bring your computer, and see if you meet anyone. Sometimes simply being around other people’s energy can be healing even if you are not speaking to them. (This is why bookstores and cafes are always so busy!) People love being around other energies while working, and it’s a great space to meet like-minded individuals.

>> Invest in therapy: Talk therapy has been a game-changer for me during this time. I use BetterHelp and what I love about using that platform is that you can communicate with your therapist via text, and write journal entries between your therapy sessions. It’s nice because if you need some sort of support in between sessions, you can get that through messaging with your personal therapist. If therapy isn’t your thing, maybe start a private online blog where you can journal about your day. Sometimes typing rather than writing creates an effortless release of emotions and anything you are going through. There are also free virtual groups that have become more popular as a result of COVID and quarantine. You can do some Google searches and find exactly what you are looking for, whether it’s eating disorder support, depression, or substance abuse.

Post Solar Eclipse Energy 

We just had a beautiful solar eclipse as we entered into Cancer Season and the Summer Solstice! The longest day of the year brings us the most light and serves as a catalyst for connecting to our emotions, which can sometimes feel quite dark. This solar eclipse aided in our personal evolution.

The solar eclipse, especially since it’s occurring during the New moon in Cancer, can feel fluid and help you connect to a creative flow. You may feel as if your creative spark has been amplified. Perhaps your creativity is flowing through you in mediums such as writing, music, movement, or art. Maybe your creativity is manifesting in different ways, and you’re coming up with new ways to transform your life. Your life is art, so the way we change our lives is an art project in itself. Cancer time comes with a deepening of connection to our emotions, so we may feel overwhelmed and helpless or hopeless when it comes to a current situation.

We feel the urge to change something—to release, cry, scream, express, and a longing for connection. Although we feel this strong urge to create a new reality, we must not become attached to the outcome. This is a great time to practice “non-grasping,” which is a huge theme in yoga practice. 

This brings me to Neptune’s energetics and why we are feeling so connected to the self, source, spirit. Let’s talk about how to have a more spiritual way of being during this time. 

Neptune Retrograde Energetics 

Neptune is fashionably late to the party of planets, which are also in retrograde. This happens from June 23, 2020, to November 28, 2020. 

Astrologer Jessica Lanyado said on her podcast “Ghost of a podcast” that:

“Neptune is a slow-moving planet and represents your experience and expressions and presentations of anxiety.” 

(It’s a fantastic podcast that you can tune into to learn about all aspects of astrology.) 

Neptune is in charge of the nervous system, which is connected to anxiety, panic, and mania. So, old, toxic patterns and ways of soothing our anxiety might begin to resurface, or manifest in new ways. Neptune can bring up feelings and emotions that are within the energies of helplessness, hopelessness, and can leave you feeling demoralized—as if there is no place for you. It has a dark, outsider vibe, especially within the times we are in. Isolation can start to feel amplified and unbearable. Since the nervous system is so fragile during a Neptune retrograde, overwhelm is normal to experience. 

You may be asking yourself deep soul questions about where to gear your life: where should I go? What should I do? 

The current realities we are experiencing during this time can be up for evaluation as if we are using a microscope to view our lives. Along with viewing our life with a sort of super-spiritual lens, we may experience a projection of ideas from others. Since Neptune is a heightened spiritual planet, it asks us to connect to our capability to love all walks of life regardless of their views and perceptions (which can feel triggering and off-putting). We may also find ourselves tapping into more of a fantasy and daydreaming headspace. Not in a delusional way, but in a productive, energetic way to manifest the reality we are desiring. 

Neptune is also directly correlated with romance, arts, divine connection, and idolization of people. With Neptune and Venus both in retrograde, this might be a time when a divine spark and new intense relationships may form. Be aware of the energy of anyone new or old who is coming into your life or showing up after not seeing them for a while.

Lastly, being the most spiritual planet, also means that it is the least materialistic. We are being asked to shed material items that are taking up space and clogging our mentality. We are being called to release our worldly ways of thinking and judging. If we feel attached to certain ways of life—we only seek friends and romantic partners with certain material qualities—now is the time to notice these thinking patterns. We have the opportunity to see what is true and what is only material based. 

Venus Retrograde Energetics 

Our romantic planet Venus has also begun to retrograde, which can bring up emotional wounds that are linked to romantic connections, relationships within friend realms, and family ties. Wounds that you thought were permanent scars are now reopening. It sounds gross, but it’s exactly what may occur. These relational wounds are connected to ex-partners, old toxic relationships, and people from the deep past will make an appearance in some way during a Venus retrograde. Similar to Mercury retrograde and how it can bring situations, people, and issues back up to the surface, Venus does the same, only more oriented in the romantic department. 

Not only will some past connections resurface in the reality of waking life, but they can also reappear within our dream state. Our energy and their energy could be calibrated within the astral plane. Drawing past lovers into our dreams is totally normal and a big part of Venus retrograde. Family members, friends, and random people who you haven’t thought about in years may pop up in dreams, leaving you feeling frazzled. Write down your dreams, and you will be able to see which were more premonitory—if someone you dream of reaches out to you in your physical reality, you can feel the connection and your ability to tap into other realms of energy. 

Traumatic dreams may occur and give off a theme of lost control, abandonment, and betrayal. This is due to the stellium (more than five planets) of planets going retrograde.

Sex Dreams

Venus retrograde is the perfect time to anchor down into a sex dream ritual. You can manifest and choose what you dream about if you do it properly. If you want to dream about someone specific, look at photos of them before you go to sleep. If you want to feel a loving and comfortable energy within your dream space, then as you are falling asleep, envision yourself in that special place. It could be a villa or a vacation moment when you enjoyed pure bliss. It could be imagining you are on a beach. You could imagine you are in the most comfortable bed made of clouds—create an ambiance for you to tap into that serene feeling by putting on waves and rain sounds. Nature and water sounds (specifically during this time of Cancer) will bring you those wet dreams you are craving. 

Side note: If these ex-lovers or friends reach out to you and come out of the woodwork, notice the energy they are coming to you with. Is it coming from a good place? Is it coming from a place of confusion or seeking attention? Are they coming to you for closure, or help in any way? These are important questions—it’s a cycle and pattern that our spirit guides are trying to communicate with us through.

Family Triggers

With everything going on in our current political climate, COVID-19, and the social justice movements occurring worldwide, we are now being faced with challenging conversations and triggers revolving around our families. We are going to feel pushed into the energy of standing up for ourselves.

The harsh truths in this phase of social change and anti-racism movements will be a constant thread within our relationships’ energetics. Some of the more spiritual and empathetic people will feel as though they have taken the primary role of “outspoken black sheep.” 

When we are expressing ourselves, once the floodgates open, there is no stopping until the pressure has subsided. That is what is happening with our mental state and our emotions. The ego and emotional self are at battle, oppression and liberalism are at war, patriarchy and old paradigms are being shattered. With that comes a lot of triggering within the older generations who have decades of conditioning under their belt. We may be called “crazy millennials” or “useless Gen-Z,” but it’s coming from a place of fear and lack of knowledge.

For the first time in our lives, we are able and willing to express ourselves after years of oppressing ourselves to make others comfortable—that is toxic. So, even though we feel like we are speaking truths for the first time in our lives and expressing what needs to be expressed, not everyone around us is going to receive it in that way. We may feel like we have the golden tools we’ve been searching for in order to communicate with our families and friends in the most logical way, but with the Mercury retrograde layer added in there, it slaps us in the face. Family members who are not awakened, are delusional or brainwashed, will only see in one direction, and it can feel like we are chipping away at a never-ending pile of rocks. 

Boundaries are crucial here. Setting boundaries on what types of things you are willing to tolerate or talk about. Set boundaries around how much of your energy goes into these things. Self-care and knowing our integrity is the strongest validation we can experience. Boundaries are needed immensely during this time of triggers. 

~

If you enjoyed this article, You can tune into Gab’s podcast, “The Vibe Within”, where she interviews psychologists, holistic healers, tarot readers, and spiritual leaders in the wellness space.

 

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