Mercury Retrograde in Sagittarius
Digital collage by Christina Libetti
Mercury in General
The planet Mercury moves quickly around the Sun, and, from our perspective on Earth, frequently changes direction, going back and forth between different points and planets, while never straying very far from the light of the Sun. On Earth, Mercury's movements in the sky correspond to things of a similar nature to its planetary style: exchanges, communications, ideas, transportation, technology, thought processes, commerce, language and other quick, light, changeable things that circulate and pass between people and places.
In my chart interpretations below, I frequently translate Mercury into "ideas," "communications," and "thoughts," but you could substitute those words for any of the other keywords above and also come up with a correct interpretation.
In other words, every planet signifies many things. To write about them succinctly has benefits, but always cuts them off from their other meanings. Keep this in mind any time you read a simple interpretation of any astrological phenomenon. Many books have been written about each planet, sign, etc. Even a lengthy blog like this one can never do them total justice.
Mercury Retrogrades in General
Approximately three times each year, Mercury laps the Earth as both planets revolve around the Sun. Since Mercury is so much faster in this journey, from our perspective there are times when it seems to be moving backwards in the sky.
As a result of this apparent backwards movement, Mercury will cover the same area of the Zodiac three times: moving forward in the pre-retrograde shadow; backwards, during the retrograde; and forward again during the post retrograde shadow.
These periods correspond with reversals and revisions of the things that Mercury governs. Misunderstandings, mistakes, break-downs, missed appointments, road blocks, lost packages and late shipments are all classic occurrences during a Mercury retrograde.
These times also provide us with the opportunity to restate, repair, revise, reschedule, reconsider, reroute, revisit, and return things said, done, and purchased during the pre-retrograde shadow.
Mercury in Sagittarius
In Sagittarius, Mercury drops the details in favor of enthusiasm. This is great for whipping a crowd into a frenzy or preaching one's beliefs, but where it falls short is in sorting out the facts from the feelings.
Currently, Sagittarius' ruler Jupiter is in Gemini, a sign that Mercury rules. In this setup, each planet is taking orders from the other, but neither is in a place where they're able to function very well. In Gemini, Jupiter's expansiveness is depleted by myriad causes and interests.
This creates a situation where Mercury is trying to create words and data in response to Jupiter's variety of growing projects, and Jupiter is trying to grow in response to Mercury's words and data. They are feeding a dynamic together, but not likely resulting in something useful or desired long term.
Meanwhile, both Mercury and Jupiter are squaring Saturn, the planet of laws, boundaries, and responsibilities. In a nutshell, this means there is friction between our words, our rules, and our beliefs. More on this dynamic in the following sections.
This Mercury Retrograde
Below is a detailed summary of the charts for the following points in the retrograde:
Mercury Enters Retrograde Shadow: 7 November 2024 at 6°23' Sagittarius
Mercury Stations Retrograde: 25 November 2024 at 22°40' Sagittarius
Cazimi (Sun-Mercury conjunction): 5 December 2024 at 14°27' Sagittarius
Mercury Stations Direct: 15 December 2024 at 6°23' Sagittarius
Mercury Exits Retrograde Shadow: 2 January 2025 at 22°40' Sagittarius
Mercury Enters Retrograde Shadow
7 November 2024 at 6°23' Sagittarius
Mercury in Sagittarius' first decan*: Communication as propaganda, sales-pitches, and words used for motivation more than to communicate facts.
Mercury copresent with Venus in Sagittarius' 3rd decan: Connections fueled by beliefs put to the test as people struggle toward their goal.
Mercury in mutual reception with ruler Jupiter in Gemini's second decan, both squaring Saturn in Pisces' second decan: Throughout the retrograde and shadow periods, this aspect pattern describes the same conflict: Ideas are caught in a feedback loop with beliefs. Both beliefs and ideas are in conflict with laws and rules separating one realm from another. While ideas seem likely to win over laws, and laws seem likely to win over beliefs, both ideas and laws are belief-driven at this time.
Mercury enters shadow 6 days after the Scorpio new moon, with Moon applying to conjunct Pluto: Something is building that relates to power in hierarchical structures.
Mercury loosely trining Mars in Leo's first decan: Communication to motivate others easily lends itself to the ambition to be seen, the will to bolster the ego.
Trining the degree at which Mars will eventually station retrograde the day after Mercury’s cazimi: This Mercury retrograde story leads into and supports the events that will happen during the Mars retrograde.
Mercury Stations Retrograde
25 November 2024 at 22°40' Sagittarius
Mercury stations retrograde in Sagittarius' third decan*: Turning back to revisit our thoughts and communications over the past few weeks. Thoughts turning to worst case scenarios and necessity. Ideas about bringing something to completion, but first needing to turn back to re-examine the past.
Copresent Sun Sagittarius' first decan, trine Mars, sextile Moon with the south node in Libra's first decan, sextile Pluto in Aquarius: Strong beliefs flow with actions taken in the spotlight, energizing the loss of feelings of fairness, as well as abuses of power by outsiders and tech giants.
Mercury in mutual reception with ruler Jupiter in Gemini's second decan, both squaring Saturn in Pisces' second decan: Throughout the retrograde and shadow periods, this aspect pattern describes the same conflict: Ideas are caught in a feedback loop with beliefs. Both beliefs and ideas are in conflict with laws and rules separating one realm from another. While ideas seem likely to win over laws, and laws seem likely to win over beliefs, both ideas and laws are belief-driven at this time.
Mercury square Neptune: Double confusion. Ideas and communications are in conflict with illusions, imagination, and deception.
Waning moon: Something is ending after the Taurus Full Moon.
Cazimi (Sun-Mercury conjunction)
5 December 2024 at 14°27' Sagittarius
Mercury conjunct Sun in Sagittarius' second decan*: Thoughts, communications and ideas are purified in the fiery heart of awareness. Halfway through the retrograde, we get a moment of insight into the situation at hand, which may clarify belief-driven goals to be unwaveringly pursued.
Mercury in mutual reception with Jupiter retrograde in Gemini's second decan, both square Saturn in Pisces' second decan: Throughout the retrograde and shadow periods, this aspect pattern describes the same conflict. But at this time the aspects are the closest they will be throughout the cycle, making this dynamic more pronounced. Ideas are caught in a feedback loop with beliefs. Both beliefs and ideas are in conflict with laws and rules separating one realm from another. While ideas seem likely to win over laws, and laws seem likely to win over beliefs, both ideas and laws are belief-driven at this time.
Moon waxing in Aquarius' second decan, trine Jupiter, opposite Mars: Something is building and gaining strength after the Sagittarius new moon. Our feelings of being in between worlds are bolstered by our many beliefs, but are at odds with ambitions to project a certain image. Sign up for the newsletter for the forthcoming article on the Sagittarius new moon.
Day before Mars stations retrograde: Revelations corresponding with this cazimi relate to what we'll revisit with Mars' retrograde.
Mercury Stations Direct
15 December 2024 at 6°23' Sagittarius
Mercury stationing direct in Sagittarius' first decan*: Turning forward, again with the same themes as during the pre-retrograde shadow: communication as propaganda, sales-pitches, and words used for motivation more than to communicate facts.
Mercury copresent with Sun in Sagittarius' third decan: There is a focus on the hard road ahead to achieve a goal, and an acceptance of the dedication that will be required to see it through to the end.
Mercury in mutual reception with ruler Jupiter in Gemini's second decan, both squaring Saturn direct in Pisces' second decan: Throughout the retrograde and shadow periods, this aspect pattern describes the same conflict: Ideas are caught in a feedback loop with beliefs. Both beliefs and ideas are in conflict with laws and rules separating one realm from another. While ideas seem likely to win over laws, and laws seem likely to win over beliefs, both ideas and laws are belief-driven at this time.
Mercury trine Mars retrograde in Leo's first decan: Ideas and motivating communications fuel and flow with retracing steps and revisiting past actions. "Courage and conflict", "struggles for the spotlight," and "backstabbing" are terms Austin Coppock uses to describe Mars here*.
Mercury sextile Venus in Aquarius's first decan, with Venus near the Moon's location during the Cazimi: Ideas and communications energize connections with outsiders in a way that echoes the feelings present during the cazimi on December 5th.
Day after full moon in Gemini: Something that has just reached a point of culmination is beginning to recede. Sign up for the newsletter for the forthcoming article on the Gemini full moon.
Mercury Exits Retrograde Shadow
2 January 2025 at 22°40' Sagittarius
Mercury leaves retrograde shadow in Sagittarius' second decan*: We return to the headspace we were in at the retrograde station, mulling over worst-case scenarios and anticipating adversity.
Mercury in mutual reception with ruler Jupiter in Gemini's second decan, both squaring Saturn direct in Pisces' second decan: Throughout the retrograde and shadow periods, this aspect pattern describes the same conflict: Ideas are caught in a feedback loop with beliefs. Both beliefs and ideas are in conflict with laws and rules separating one realm from another. While ideas seem likely to win over laws, and laws seem likely to win over beliefs, both ideas and laws are belief-driven at this time.
Mercury applying to square Neptune: As we leave one phase of confusion, we enter another in which communications and ideas are in conflict with imagination, dreams and illusions.
Mercury sextile Moon and Venus in Aquarius' third decan: Our thinking energizes feelings and desires to leave an alienating place or a situation in which the responsibilities outweigh the returns.
Mars retrograde in Leo's first decan closely applying to opposition with Pluto in Aquarius' first decan: As we leave this space of reconsidering and revising our ideas during the retrograde, a retrograde Mars is less than 5 hours away from a perfect opposition to Pluto. Ambitions direct the spotlight for their own benefit, causing tension with revelations of power abuses within outsider groups and tech spaces. Explosions may result.
* I use Austin Coppock's book 36 Faces, an excellent guide to the decans, as a reference for writing these articles, and while I have done my best to convey those ideas in my own way, many of the keywords from that book appear above.
Summary
Mercury-Jupiter-Saturn T-Square
Ideas are caught in a feedback loop with beliefs. Both beliefs and ideas are in conflict with laws and rules separating one realm from another. While ideas seem likely to win over laws, and laws seem likely to win over beliefs, both ideas and laws are belief-driven at this time.
Connection to Mars' Retrograde
Halfway through Mercury's retrograde, Mars stations retrograde. Mercury stations direct trine the degree of Mars' retrograde station. Mercury leaves its retrograde shadow mere hours before the Mars-Pluto opposition.
Turning back to review communications, contracts, and ideas from early to late November leads into turning back to redo actions taken from early October to early December. Something revealed in the process leads into an explosive conflict.
Mercury-Neptune Square
Mercury stations retrograde, and then later leaves its shadow, in a square to Neptune. This heightens the potential for confusion and deception, even after the retrograde is over. It could result in a fact-finding mission that merely accumulates false information, or actual truths that interfere with an existing illusion and then perhaps get lost in it.
Recommendations
Until a few days after Mercury stations direct:
Delay major purchases and contract signings if possible.
Leave wiggle-room in your schedule to accommodate unforeseen events.
Take extra care to be clear in your communications with others.
Triple check to make sure you are understanding others correctly.
Consider that you may not have the full picture in a given situation.
Be extra careful driving.
Avoid making important plans.
Check your work, emails, texts, and posts before sending them.
Forgive others for being just as prone to accidents and errors as you are.
Emphasize internal communications, such as journaling. Reflect on the past, especially things that happened during the pre-shadow period.
Repair things. Revise your writing. Reconsider your plans. Research something thoroughly.
Take note of things that happen during this time and see how those things develop between now and the next Mercury retrograde, which will be in about 3 months.
Observe what these periods mean for you and the people around you on an experiential level.
Topics by Rising Sign
If you know your rising sign you can further individualize your approach by considering the house topics Sagittarius represents for you. If you don't know your rising sign, you can email me your birth date, time and city and I'll look it up for you: element@octothorpeindustries.com.
Aries: Beliefs, higher education, long-distance travel
Taurus: Inheritance, shared resources, taxes, debt, mortality
Gemini: Romantic partners, close friends, clients
Cancer: Physical health, work, chores, pets, service
Leo: Creativity, children, leisure
Virgo: Home, family, private life
Libra: Communication, daily schedule, siblings, commute
Scorpio: Finances, values, self-worth
Sagittarius: Self-presentation, appearance, personality, body
Capricorn: Solitude, meditation, dreams, substance use, mental health
Aquarius: Community, friend groups, goals
Pisces: Career, reputation, public life