I hate to break to it you, but everyone’s least-favorite time of year is back. The most harrowing period—when communication errors cause headaches, scheduling mishaps result in overbookings, and everyone’s long-forgotten old flames creep in with the classic “what’s up?” DM. From July 18 to August 11, Mercury will station retrograde in Leo. Cue the dramatic music.
All theatrics aside, Mercury retrograde is not the worst thing that can happen to you. Yes, everyone is going to feel a bit topsy-turvy, especially since Mercury rules the mind, but this is a necessary period of reflection. Every year, Mercury stations retrograde three to four times, giving us a three- or four-week period of pause—to make sure we aren’t moving through life on autopilot.
Mercury represents mental focus, and who our mind fixates on during a given time. Mercury rules over communication and intellect. It reveals how we think and speak, the ways we process the information thrust upon us by the world, plus all mental functions. And because retrogrades “reverse” the energy of a planet, what normally would be clear thought comes through foggier, and often with confusion.
Additionally, Mercury rules over local environments and daily life. Things like your neighborhood, your commute to work, you schedule are all connected back to Mercury. Even the tools we use to keep our daily life in check—like laptops, computers, social media platforms, e-mails, and phones—are all brought back to Mercury’s domain. Do not make big tech purchases during Mercury Retrograde. Trust me, you will regret it.
This Mercury retrograde is going to be loud, dramatic, and excessive. With Mercury in Leo, you can expect life to feel like a poorly run circus.
Most notably, Mercury in Leo brings us bold communication styles. Typically, you can expect people to speak and share ideas in a dramatic, almost performative manner. Things are about to teeter on the line of confidence and arrogance. Usually, you might laught this kind of thing off—but because this is a retrograde, you may start to feel like the air is being sucked out of the room.
During Mercury’s retrograde in Leo, you’ll want to do some reflection on your passions. Retrogrades are always the best time to reflect. Leo is the sign of happiness, passion, and playfulness. And though you may feel a bit disconnected from what you love, these next few weeks are your permission slip to explore what you love unapologetically. The caveat, though, is that you can’t yuck someone else’s yum or throw a fit when things aren’t going your way.
Spend these next few weeks reflecting on how you express yourself. For those who struggle with being their 100 percent true self, you may feel the fishbowl effect, like all of your perceived flaws are under a microscope right now. However, rather than stressing about what “isn’t right” ask yourself why you see yourself that way. When you think about who you are, do you have a positive narrative in your mind? Keep in mind that Mercury in Leo is the most amazing storyteller. How do you share your story with the world?
On the other end of this Mercury retrograde comes the sweet release of laughter. The best thing you can do for yourself during Mercury retrograde in Leo is to be patient and understanding. Leo is the fixed fire sign that loves to move fast and confidently. Be careful of stubbornness and taking things personally. Stand your ground, of course, but don’t bully your way through life.
For a more detailed look at what this retrograde brings, make sure to read your rising sign horoscope below! Wishing you all the best.
Aries
With Mercury retrograding through your fifth house, these next few weeks are going to be filled with reflections on what you love and how you communicate your passions. Mercury is the mind, so you can expect your own brain to be focusing on how you process your self-expression—and how that is interwoven with your hobbies. Be careful of old flames creeping into your DMs, particularly those sneaky links you’ve been trying to forget. Your goal for this retrograde should be to better understand how to prioritize your passions on a regular basis.
Taurus
With Mercury retrograding through your fourth house, you can expect there to be plenty of activity in your home and with your family. You may find yourself reflecting on how you take up space in your home and how the four walls you live in are a reflection of who you are. This could result in you exploring how you express yourself to your family—but be careful, because there could be misunderstandings along the way. Ultimately, this is a good time to reintroduce yourself to your family and be careful of letting old emotions cloud who you are as a person today.
Gemini
With Mercury (your ruling planet) retrograding through your third house, you are in for a wild ride over the next few weeks. You can expect yourself to be a bit frazzled, especially regarding your daily life and scheduling. You may want to say yes to everything because they are exciting opportunities and feel aligned with who you are at this moment. It’s essential for you over the next few weeks to find a mental release so you can let your mind be at ease and focus on what matters most—being true to yourself.
Cancer
With Mercury retrograding through your second house, the next few weeks could be a bit hard on your wallet—and your ego. Prepare for some overspending and confusing your wants and needs. Leo is desire but the second house is core values—just because you desire something doesn’t necessarily mean you really value it. You may find that you are wavering on what matters to you if you notice others have a distorted image of that value. Don’t slip into any negative self-talk if being authentic results in going against the grain. Reconnect with your self-worth and do consistent affirmations.
Leo
With Mercury retrograding through your first house, this is your time to reflect on who you are. Whenever a planet transits through your sign, it is a great time to step inward and ask yourself “who am I?” You could even do this in the mirror to make sure the person on the inside aligns with the person on the outside. You may find yourself disconnected from yourself at points, but remember that these next few weeks are the universe bringing you back home to who you truly are. Embrace a new era of expressing yourself as authentically as possible.
Virgo
With Mercury (your ruling planet) retrograding through your twelfth house, it’s time to embrace your inner witch. These next few weeks could be a bit difficult, since any twelfth-house transit tends to make us want to retreat inward and address all of the subconscious truths of who we are. For you, this could look like cutting cords and letting go of ideas of who you thought you are. Starting now, you’ll be more aligned with where you wish to take yourself. This will be tough, though, so be willing to dive deep into the work that will uncover what’s really holding you back from embracing the fiery Leo energy within you.
Libra
With Mercury retrograding through your eleventh house, the next few weeks will be filled with socializing, plus dramatic group chats. You might find that you’re becoming increasingly frustrated with your social groups, or that everyone around you needs to be “the leader of the pack.” What’s important to reflect on during this time is: how are the people you surrounding yourself with helping you be the most authentic version of yourself? Be patient with friends and colleagues, and make sure that if you allow someone to spend time with you, it helps you get one step closer to your dream and doesn’t ruffle your perfectly coiffed feathers.
Scorpio
With Mercury retrograding through your tenth house, you might find the only thing you can think about is work. These next few weeks will be a great time to reflect on whether or not the job you’re doing is the one for you. Do you feel like you have a sense of fulfillment? Or are you grinding through a 9 to 5 to get a paycheck and call it a day? Right now, you need to make sure your goals are aligned with your sense of self—and that you truly love what you do. Stop trying to force yourself down a path that doesn’t help you express your true self.
Sagittarius
With Mercury retrograding through your ninth house, you’ll be questioning a lot of who you are in this big, bad world. The next few weeks will be a fabulous time to step outside of your comfort zone and challenge yourself to see the world through a wider lens. You may find upon reflection that you’ve dug your heels a bit too deep into the sand, and now you’re feeling attacked that the world around you is changing. The beauty of this, though, is that when you allow yourself to accept that you don’t know everything, you can learn more about who you are. It’ll give you more freedom to explore the world.
Capricorn
With Mercury retrograding through your eighth house, it’s time to get deep, intimate, and vulnerable. By reflecting on your shared values, financial investments, and most intimate connections, you’ll be able to better understand yourself as a part of a whole. Mercury in your eighth house wants you to be honest and open about what you’re feeling beneath the surface. This will help you be more transparent and use your shared resources more wisely. Be careful though, you could find that these next few weeks are your personal retreat and you’re forgetting about those who matter the most to you.
Aquarius
With Mercury retrograding through your seventh house, you can expect a mix of miscommunication and missed connections. The seventh house rules relationships, which means you may have some old flames popping back in, or the chance to rekindle relationships that fizzled out. That being said, this is Mercury Retrograde… in Leo… so the potential for egos to cause riffs in relationships is going to be more than usual. Be patient, understanding, and honest. Don’t let hot-headed stubbornness stop you from holding space for others, but don’t shy away from sharing your truth.
Pisces
With Mercury retrograding through your sixth house, these next few weeks are going to whip you into tip-top shape! This time will be perfect for getting real about how efficiently you’ve been working, and what habits may bring out the worst in you. Focus on what works for you, how are you holding yourself accountable to showing up authentically every day, and putting your best foot forward. You’ll want to start exploring a more routine schedule that lets you balance work and play so you don’t drive yourself up the wall.
