Mercury retrograde: A guide to surviving and thriving for all the zodiac signs

Yes, it’s that time again. The third and final Mercury retrograde of 2025, currently in full swing, to end on November 29. This month, the planet of communication and intellect will take its infamous backward spin through the impulsive sign of Sagittarius before moving through passionate Scorpio. The energy might feel chaotically start-stop, with moments of brutal honesty giving way to calm introspection and clarity.

Can you expect timeline shifts? The chance to rewrite old scripts? Some unexpected switch-ups? According to Priscila Lima de Charbonnières, astrologer, author, and founder of the personalised astrology app Soulloop, yes: “Communication, business and planning take centre stage, touching both the big-picture stories we tell ourselves and the unspoken truths that shape our closest bonds.”

If that sounds intriguing, get ready. Despite its reputation for wreaking havoc on travel plans and causing mechanical glitches, Mercury retrograde can actually be pretty illuminating—especially when it comes to our limiting beliefs, philosophies and the ways we think. “When Mercury is retrograde, the mind runs at peak frequency,” explains Charbonnières. “Our attention to detail sharpens, our awareness of flaws heightens and imperfections stand out. Yet we’re also more articulate, able to build ideas from the ground up and turn complexity into clarity.”

To find out what this Mercury in retrograde will mean for your sun sign specifically—and how to use all that energetic potential to thrive—read on.

What is Mercury retrograde?

“Mercury retrograde happens when the planet of communication appears to move backward in the sky, an illusion with very real effects,” explains Charbonnières. “It’s a time when communication, travel, contracts and technology may feel glitchy, but it’s also a powerful moment for reflection.”

If it seems like Mercury is always retrograding, that’s because its backward orbit happens pretty frequently—around three to four times a year, to be exact. But as Charbonnières points out, the planet is not really moving backwards—it only appears that way because Mercury is the closest planet to the sun and has a shorter orbital route.

How to use Mercury retrograde to your advantage

We can think of the perceived backward motion as a reminder to check in with certain aspects of our lives. After all, astrology is all about working with energy—not against it. “Mercury’s energy turns inward, inviting us to revisit the past, resolve misunderstandings and shift the way we think, speak and connect,” says Charbonnières.

In other words, Mercury retrograde is a chance to “slow down, reflect and realign,” Charbonnières says. “Whether it’s refining your message, reconnecting with people who matter or reworking plans that once felt ‘off,’ this period helps you course-correct with more wisdom and purpose. It’s a second shot to get it right. Use this time to fine-tune your communication, rethink decisions, and breathe new life into old ideas.”

Tips for Mercury retrograde

In general, the overarching advice for Mercury retrograde is to “show up as the most aligned version of yourself, and don’t be afraid to rewrite your own script,” says Charbonnières. Below, she shares her tips for taking advantage of this passage.