Hello, Mercury Retrograde Is (Finally) Ending

It’s been a rough past few weeks, y’all. It’s been the tail end of Venus Retrograde, we’ve been blasted by a couple of eclipses, and the infamous Mercury Retrograde has really thrown us all for a loop. Luckily, Venus Retrograde is in the past, eclipse season is done, and on July 12, Mercury Retrograde is finally over!

There's been tons of Mercury Retrograde-y stuff going on, like technology glitches, misunderstandings, miscommunications, and scheduling mishaps, but now you can kiss them goodbye! Since this most recent Mercury Retrograde occurred in the cardinal water sign of Cancer, it pulled your attention towards your inner world, your past, your home, and your family. You probs had an emotional breakdown or two (Cancer is the moodiest sign of the zodiac, after all) and struggled with unpacking memories from your past. But all of the challenges and obstacles you faced weren’t for nothing—Mercury Retrograde was encouraging you to explore your emotional side and pay attention to how your past has helped form the person you are today.

Retrogrades are all about revisiting the past, reviewing how it impacts your life now, and reworking how you communicate. The drama isn’t 100% over quite yet, though, because we’re in Mercury’s post-retroshade period until July 26. There isn’t any new drama coming up, luckily, but you’re still focusing on the past and smoothing out any lingering issues that popped up in the past few weeks.

What did you learn about yourself during this Mercury Retrograde? Are you more aware of your emotions? Are you better at sharing your feelings with others? This post-retroshade period isn’t a tough time, but you’re still being asked these questions for the next couple of weeks.

Read your sign’s post-retroshade horoscope, below:

Aries

First, if you’ve been struggling with household appliances breaking down and/or beef with your roomies/fam, that’s all coming to an end. Second, there parts of your childhood that hold a ton of weight over the person you are today, and the past few weeks have really pushed you to reflect on them. Now, you’re being given an opportunity to relinquish the control your past has over you, while still drawing positive lessons from otherwise sh*tty circumstances. Once you understand this, you’ll feel a humongous weight being lifted off your shoulders, Aries. Then, you can step back into the world feeling freer and more lighthearted than you have in a long, long time!

Taurus

Transportation issues have been a major theme of your Mercury Retrograde experience, Taurus, so if your car’s been acting strange or your time management skills have been trash, all of that drama is coming to an end! This Mercury Retrograde also wanted you to focus on how you express your emotions. You might have had a few heated exchanges (or fights!) over the past few weeks as you've been pushed to learn how to take feelings (both your own and other people’s) into account. You’re a matter-of-fact, practical earth sign, Taurus, so when it comes to emotions, you tend to say, “I don’t know her.” But your biggest takeaway from this Mercury Retrograde is that logic doesn’t always have to come before feelings. Now, you’re beginning to understand that sharing your feels is vital when it comes to connecting with others.

Gemini

This Mercury Retrograde threw your chart’s second house—which governs values and valuables—for a loop, Gemini. In the realm of “valuables,” you’ve probs been feeling a tad terrified to check your bank account. You've been encouraged to learn how to take better care of your stuff and your cash, so as long as you’re able to focus on being a bit more responsible, you can expect the money drama to slow down. As far as “values” go, this Mercury Retrograde pushed you to take a good look at how your past shaped your morals, beliefs, and sense of self-worth. You’re an intellectual air sign, and this past retrograde occurred in Cancer, an emo water sign, so you were feeling verrrryyyyyy weird. But the more you pushed through these unfamiliar vibes, the more you learned how to honour your emotions, understand that your past doesn’t define you, and focus on who you are in the present. You’ve worked hard and made plenty of tough decisions, and now you can build your self-esteem back up. Celebrate all of the good choices and hard work you’ve been doing lately, and not don't get so hung up on your past shortcomings.

Cancer

How are you feeling, Cancer? Probs exhausted since this Mercury Retrograde stirred up all sorts of sh*t in your sign! You’re a water sign, so feelings are sort of your “thing,” but that doesn’t mean you never feel confused about your emotions, y'know? It’s been tough for you to feel like you’re showing your true self to the world, and you’ve been struggling to connect with other people. You likely spent the past few weeks hiding in your shell, just doing you—which is the best way to deal with Mercury Retrograde in your sign, TBH. You’ve been able to focus on you, and as a result, you can now release emotional blockages and let your walls down around others. You can connect with others more easily, and you’re less afraid of expressing your emotions and showing the “real you."

Leo

It’s been a lonely few weeks for you, Leo. You might have felt like you were isolated from others, and whenever you were able to be with your friends or family, connecting them was a major struggle. This Mercury Retrograde wanted you to hone in on your innermost self, your deepest feelings, your past, and how these things all contribute to the way you communicate. The habits and behaviours that prevented you from making strong connections have been popping out way more so that you can pinpoint the root of these issues, and break the bad habits associated with them. Now, you’re able to speak more clearly and be an active listener, and as the post-retro shade period carries on, you can look forward to feeling better about how you connect with others.

Virgo

What kind of drama has been playing out in your friend group lately, Virgo? You likely had a falling out or two, and probs felt like the people in your squad were shuffling in and out like a bizarre game of musical chairs. As you reconnected with old friends, disconnected with people you’ve outgrown, and tried to find a sense of equilibrium in your circle, you’ve learned that the people you surround yourself with say a ton about who you are. As we move forward, don’t be afraid to let go of toxic friends who don’t support you, Virgo. For every sh*tty person, you’ve kicked to the curb (and you might have a few more of these bad friends to take care of), you’re opening up space in your life for people that want the best for you.

Libra

Life at work has been pretty intense lately thanks to Mercury Retrograde in your chart’s career zone. You've been struggling with the idea of what it is you want to do with your life. Is your current career path aligned with who you are as a person? Are you able to fulfil your inner wishes on the life trajectory you’re currently on? If you’ve been thinking about quitting your day job and trying to pursue something more true to who you are and what you want, use the post-retro shade period to put the finishing touches on your resume and start applying to different places. You’re and motivated to make a living doing something you enjoy, and as a result, you’re better able to express yourself and show the true you.

Scorpio

For all of you Scorpios who are students or thinking about pursuing higher education, this Mercury Retrograde has been pushing you to think about your options. If you’ve been confused about what degree path you want to take, what school you should go to, or whether you should even go to school at all, then expect some mental clarity to come through. But don't make any set in stone decisions until after the restroshade ends! For all Scorpios, this retrograde urged you to really consider others' perspectives instead of holding onto your stubborn, opinionated sensibilities. Mercury rules communication, and you’re learning that communication is a two-way street—you can speak and say your piece, but you have to listen, too. And as you listen more and more, you’re now noticing that it’s okay for other people to have different opinions, and you don't have to be "right" all the time. You don’t have to change your mind on anything, but you’re broadening your horizons, even if your perspective doesn’t change. Best of all, you're becoming a more well-rounded person as a result.

Sagittarius

You're famously averse to commitment, Sagittarius, but it’s not your fault—you just don’t like feeling held down or stuck in one place, y'know? This Mercury Retrograde urged you to open up to the idea of commitment, though—and you’re now better able to understand that you can be super, super tight with someone without jeopardizing your sense of individuality. You’re able to connect on a much deeper level with others now, because you’re more open to sharing your feelings and listen to others'. Better yet, you're doing so without being afraid of being vulnerable, or feeling like the other person is being clingy. It’s sort of a weird dynamic—you’re feeling a sense of entanglement (whether in a platonic, romantic, or sexual context) with others, while still being able to recognize that you're both individuals. Your commitment doesn’t hold you back or make it hard for you to feel that sense of freedom you need. Your relationships are much stronger now, and if you're in a relationship, you’re way closer to your boo. You've realized that it's possible to be independent, together.

Capricorn

This Mercury Retrograde brought aaaaallllll the drama to your relationships, Capricorn. Not just the relationship you have with your boo, but the connection you share with your besties, your business partners, and even the people you’re beefing with! As an earth sign, you’re practical and logical, but lately you’ve been pushed to acknowledge your feelings (and others' feelings) when communicating. You’re learning that sharing your feels isn’t bad or scary—it’s necessary, if you want to have strong, healthy relationships. Continue to work on opening up, Capricorn. It’s not easy, I know, but it’ll be less hard the more you try. As you start to honor your emotions more, you’ll be surprised at how much your relationships (even with people you’re beefing with) improve!

Aquarius

Over the past few weeks, you’ve been encouraged to find time for self-care in your day-to-day routine. Think about how you took care of your health (mental and physical) in the past. You likely didn’t have the best habits, did you? Maybe you weren’t eating right or staying organized—but now you’re able to pinpoint the shortcomings in your self-care regimen and fix them. It’s not easy to set productive habits, but by introducing healthy behaviors now, you can maintain a happier, healthier life in the future!

Pisces

Your Mercury Retrograde narrative was objectively (in an astrological sense) easier than any other sign, Pisces—but still, you probs hit a few bumps in the road. Creative and emotional blockages may have come up, but now you’re able to reconnect with what sparks joy in your life! If your love life’s been stale AF, that's about to change! You're feeling more capable of accepting love—both romantic and platonic—and you’re better at expressing and receiving affection. Over the past few weeks, you've undergone a deeply healing experience ajd reconnected with your inner child. Now, you can start to feel lighter, happier, and more loving as you swim forward.

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Your Monthly Horoscopes for July Are Here Jake Register Jake Register (better known by his Instagram handle, @jakesastrology) is a Libra and the author of Cosmopolitan’s weekly Sexoscopes. This content is created and maintained by a third party, and imported onto this page to help users provide their email addresses. You may be able to find more information about this and similar content at piano.io This commenting section is created and maintained by a third party, and imported onto this page. You may be able to find more information on their web site.