Going Analogue for Mercury Rx

It's time again for everyone's favourite celestial event!

Oh you don't like Mercury Retrograde? Well, you're not alone.

The planet mercury rules things like communication, thought, and travel and I can't imagine a worse set of things to go wrong. You may find your electronics on the fritz, your car won't start, the morning commute takes extra-long, and you're having trouble communicating your feelings to others which is resulting in fights and misunderstandings all over the damn place. It can be the worst. If you're prepared, it can also be kind of great. Mercury Retrograde is great for clearing out the old to make way for the new, nostalgia, running into old friends, righting old wrongs and just relaxing. In other words, it's time to kick it old school and here's how.

1. Go analogue - All of your fancy electronics are on the fritz? Maybe live a couple weeks

without so much high tech involvement. Break out the old turntable and some records, pop some film in that old camera (or if you're high tech old school like I am, get some film for your new instant camera!) and get excited about taking a bike ride. Just remember to back up all of your data before you go off the grid! You can join my GOING ANALOG FOR MERCURY RX email list project and share pictures of yourself enjoying the less mechanically inclined things in life and stories about how it's going!

2. Remember what love feels like - Those of you who are already married, MRX is an awesome time to renew your vows! Throw yourself a fun party and remember your special day and how far you've come together. Maybe celebrate your anniversary early/late or just break out the photo albums. This is also a good time to reach out to old friends (and mercury might even do the work for you and thrust them in your path) and get closure on old relationships. If you're in a relationship now and things get a bit scary during MRX, take some time to wait and see what happens when you're more level headed. Maybe it's time to focus on why you got into that relationship in the first place.

3. Clear it out! - Let’s face it, its right after the holidays and your place is tore up. I literally have a thousand tiny gold stars on my floors right now thanks to New Year's Eve. Now is the time to clean it up! Not only will general cleaning go smoother during MRX, but major clutter clearing will too. Clear out your closets and cupboards and make some donations to local shelters. Clutter around the house, and especially on your altar, can also hold stagnant or negative energy. Once you clear out any stuff that no longer serves you grab a bundle of sage or sweetgrass and clear the place out energetically. If you want to get a little more in-depth with the home and energy clearing I suggest Magical Housekeeping by Tess Whitehurst, which I have legit read cover to cover a hundred times.

4. Re-Write, Review, Release - Now's the time to look over old notes and documents, refile important papers, re-write your resume or cover letter (though I recommend waiting to send it out), re-read old journals or articles and just review everywhere you've been. If any of that is no good or doesn't serve you, now you'll know for sure it's time to cut it out. If you’re a magical practitioner now is the time to do magic to reverse or release old things and cord cutting rituals are especially potent this time of year. People in therapy often find breakthroughs during this time and lawyers may even find important clues on cases they might have missed before! If you have appointments or plans, double check all of your times and locations. Plan a little more and don't leave anything to the last minute.

5. Take The Long Way Home - You need to slllooowww dooowwwwnnnn during mercury retrograde. Remember that bike I mentioned earlier? Travel can get a bit crazy during MRX so maybe it's time to stop relying on machines and power yourself without their help. Take your bike or walk to work for a few weeks. If you have to drive, get excited about traffic jams. Look at it as a way to scope out the local scenery or jam out to the radio or just have some time to yourself. Take the scenic route and don't worry too much about time. If you've planned out a vacation that's taking place during MRX (you crafty witch, you) don't be afraid to go, and bring that slowness with you. Don't stress over routes and schedules or tours or appointments. Just go with the flow. If you've done the reviews and pre-planning in step 4 you have a little less to worry about, but if you do get lost or show up more than fashionably late laugh it off and enjoy the ride.

Are you convinced? PROVE IT! For the three weeks of our first MRX of the year I'm running a project to show the world how you go analogue for mercury retrograde!

Take photos and tell stories about the way you're going old school to counter-act mercury retrograde. I want to see you listening to music on your turntable, or pictures of your film photos, stories of your bike ride to work, your first entry in your grimoire or book of shdows that you've written by hand, your magic and spells that you do with paper by hand to ease these topsy turvy times. You can use the hashtage #ANALOGUE4MRX to share your submissions on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram or email them to me directly at fatfeministwitch@gmail.com.

I'll be sharing everyone's submissions through the email list and also sending out more survival tips for Mercury Retrograde!

Go here to sign up to the email list, or go to the Go Analogue for MRX! tab on my facebook page!

As a special bonus, everyone who participates will be entered to win a tarot reading, admission into my online black salt class and a package of black salt - which counter-acts the effects of mercury retrograde - all for free!