Celebration is in the air: Mercury retrograde is finally over. The first astrological shift of the year ran from 1 - 25 April, wreaking havoc in everything from our careers to our dating lives. For the uninitiated, or perhaps just a little sceptical, a retrograde simply means that a planet appears to be going backwards, rather than its usual forward orbit. However, because each planet has an association with different facets of life (Mercury, for one, is believed to govern communication, technology and travel) when it starts to reverse its motion, the areas that the planet is associated with can also go awry.

However, if you thought that difficulties with mixed messages, interrupted communications and misunderstandings were all behind you, you may want to reconsider. Because retrograde also comes with a “shadow period” that is set to last until 13 May, so unfortunately the disruption is far from over.

Mercury retrogrades three or four times per calendar year, and its path is divided into three phases: the pre-retrograde shadow period (when Mercury passes along the degrees of the zodiac where it will eventually retrograde), the official retrograde period (when it appears to move backwards in the sky from a geocentric standpoint) and the post-retrograde shadow period, when Mercury moves forward again along the degrees of the zodiac where it retrograded.

According to astrologist Evan Nathaniel Grim, we should think of the post-shadow phase as a postmortem after the completion of a work project. “While the official retrograde forces us to look backwards and presents roadblocks whenever we try to press ahead and initiate new endeavors, the post-shadow offers space for residual reflection and resolution of missteps and tends to be the most manageable phase,” he tells Stylist.

Indeed, while the retrograde itself can disrupt the flow of our thought processes, requiring careful decision-making during the pre-shadow phase, themes and events arise that eventually demand introspection or rethinking. But it’s not all bad news. “The post-shadow is the final stretch of time within the retrograde zone where we hopefully correct any mistakes during the retrograde and continue to reflect on areas for improvement,” he continues.

“Surviving the Mercury retrograde shadow period can be an opportunity for growth and reflection if approached with mindfulness and patience,” adds astrologist and spiritual counselor Letao Wang. “This astrological phase is often associated with communications going awry, technology mishaps, and plans not unfolding as expected.”

However, by viewing it as a time to slow down and reassess instead of forging ahead impulsively, Wang says we can harness this period for positive introspection and planning. 

Keeping introspection in mind, Grim’s best advice is to start the post-shadow phase right by retracing your steps from the retrograde phase and evaluate what went well versus what went poorly. “Come up with a go-forward strategy that minimises future mishaps based on these learnings and identify unresolved issues and devise solutions,” he says.

However, he warns, contracts and negotiations should still be handled with care, and ideally they pertain to situations that were reflected on in the retrograde phase. “You may resume high-stakes conversations with anyone in your life and seek reconciliation, particularly among those whom you experienced challenges with during the retrograde.”

So tread carefully but don’t fear: Mercury retrograde is nearly, finally, over. Until the next one on 23 August, that is. 

Images: Getty