Before resident astrologer, Jane Taupier, arrived in our midst, Mercury retrogrades were something we dreaded.

We found them to be times when equipment unexpectedly fritzed out on us, things got lost in the mail, or simply got lost in translation. We found them to be times when we made more mistakes than usual and generally misunderstood each other. We found them to be times when we needed to slow down, listen a lot more carefully, and ask for things to be repeated to us several times. I would bet my bottom dollar it was a Mercury retrograde when I sent an entire set to someone in Reno who did not want it. Mercury retrogrades have been times when we have misunderstood what people wanted to order. So, if we seem to be going over things excessively when you call, it is probably because it’s Mercury retrograde and we are trying to compensate for the confused energies around communication. And computer crashes, unfixable losses of filemaker files, technology glitches, that kind of thing? Mercury retrogrades.

After Jane’s inservice about Mercury retrogrades, I know we will still have these kind of difficulties, but now we are all more aware of the gifts of these astrological times. Gifts! I am almost giddy at the thought. Thanks to Jane, when I post a sign in the office next week to remind everyone its Mercury retrograde, there can be a genuine smiley face on the sign!

My understanding of Mercury retrograde is that it is a time period in which the planet Mercury, as viewed from Earth, appears to stop in its orbit and actually move backwards. While this is not literally happening, it appears in our skies as if it is. Mercury is named after the wing footed Roman god of communications, commerce, education, and everyday routines. Astrologically the planet Mercury is understood to be associated with these things. So when this planet of communication, commerce, and everyday life appears in our skies to stop and go backward, it pulls associated energies in a backwards direction too and there are more delays, standstills, misunderstandings, and snafus in communications, commerce, and everyday life.

This used to make us wobble nervously through the three or four stretches of Mercury retrograde we go through each year.

Enter Jane, with a much more helpful spin on Mercury retrogrades.

Jane explained that this apparent going backward over the same territory makes the time period of Mercury retrograde a chance to re-consider our situation, rehash events, review what has happened, and re-evaluate our decisions. In other words, we are given a second chance to understand things better. If we accept this time of reflection with grace, it gives us the opportunity to move forward again after the retrograde with more wisdom, less baggage, and a chance to change some of our decisions because of what we have learned.

Jane explained to us the specifics of this coming Mercury retrograde which begins on Saturday October 28th and ends November 18th with some slowing down of Mercury in the days beforehand and the days afterwards as well. This retrograde is happening in the part of the sky associated with the astrological sign of Scorpio, so it will bring a return focus on Scorpio issues. She suggested secrets, hidden truths, and unseen negative habits might come to the surface during this retrograde. This retrograde will also offer a chance to release old and unfruitful emotional patterns such as resentment, suspicion, fear, anger, paranoia, possessiveness, and thoughts of revenge. Some of this will be emotional baggage that we didn’t even know was there because that is the nature of shadow work. We don’t see the things hidden in our shadow until they come to light. And this retrograde is probably going to bring quite a lot of things in our individual and collective shadows to light.

With Jupiter conjunct to Mercury Jane offered that this retrograde will bring a BIGGER than usual reconsideration of things. With Saturn squaring Mercury and Jupiter she suggested there might be a serious re-examination of the role of authority figures in our lives. The fact that the Sun, Mercury, Venus, Mars, and Jupiter are in Scorpio right now also indicate that this retrograde will be a zesty one.

Jane suggested that because the hidden truths and hidden problems that surface have been very well buried, it will take patience with ourselves and careful listening to know what is surfacing to be reclaimed or released. Most importantly, this release can be a truly healing time if we can be gentle with ourselves and not move into judgment as things come forward to be seen and resolved one way or another.

This all seems like good news. So, how do we harness and run with this energy instead of resisting the flow of this excavation and release process? We sat around our morning circle yesterday and came up with some Flower Essences that will support this particular Mercury retrograde process more fully and perhaps all Mercury retrogrades in general. The Angels also chimed in with their suggestions as I assembled this list to post here.

Release of old negative patterns and counter productive habits: All Ego Contracts Null & Void, The Sacred Feminine

Release of fear: Old Blush China Rose, Scarlet Runner Bean, Aspen*

Release of paranoia: Red Clover, Scarlet Runner Bean, Anxiety

Release of bitterness: Eggplant, Meadowsweet

Release of thoughts of revenge: Love Prevails, The Alignment Garden, and Don’t Worry- Bee Happy** trio, Cherokee Trail of Tears

Release of judgment: Crab Apple, Don’t Worry- Bee Happy**, Nasturtium, Wild Rose

Release of conflict: Mary Queen of Scots Rose

Release of Sour Grapes: Grape

Release of fanaticism: Maple, Crab Apple

Release of blame: Hyssop and Heliotrope for self blame, Sage for blaming others

Release of illusions of duality: Cherokee Trail of Tears

Release of painful memories: Honeysuckle, Flow Free

Release of addictive patterns: All Ego Contracts Null & Void, Recovery, Banana (sugar), Grape( alcohol), White Nicotiana ( tobacco), Coffee ( caffeine)

Release of illusions so we see the truth more clearly: Eyes of Mary, Bottle Gentian

Release of competitiveness: Agnes Rose, Jealousy, Old Blush China Rose, The Sunflower Spiral, All Ego Contracts Null & Void

Release of particularly big knots of confusion: Ladies Nodding Tresses**

Release of family baggage: Black Currant, Bloodroot, Pipsissewa*

Release of the hold authority figures have on us: Cardinal de Richelieu Rose, All Ego Contracts Null & Void, Flow Free

Taking back our own authority in our lives: Pink Yarrow from the Cliffs of Moher, St David’s Rose*

Release of materialism: Ginger, Maple, Rose a Parfum de l’Hay,

Release of the experience of self as only a physical body: Mallow, Maple, Eyes of Mary, Rosemary, Pearly Everlasting,**

Release of possessiveness: Ginger, Flow Free, Rose a Parfum de l’Hay

Release of childhood trauma: Abandonment & Abuse, Inner Child, Logan’s Force of Truth*

Release of insecurity: Anxiety, Old Blush China Rose, All Ego Contracts Null & Void, The Watchman*

Smoothing the flow of these releases: Flow Free, Lime, Agrippina Rose

Calming the emotions during release: Orange, Healthy Coat, Feverfew, Sarah Van Fleet Rose

Support to expect the unexpected: Anxiety, Flow Free

Bringing the shadow into the light: Bee Balm, Elderberry

Forgiveness: Love Prevails, The Alignment Garden, and Don’t Worry- Bee Happy** trio, Heliotrope, Hyssop

Support during disorientation of letting go: Grounding, New Beginnings, Phoenix Rising, Cherokee Trail of Tears, Red Mangrove, The Sunflower Spiral, Joe Pye Weed

Co-dependence issues: To Thine own Self be True, All Ego Contracts Null & Void, Abandonment & Abuse, Recovery

Containing the new truths: California Poppy, The Sacred Feminine, Corn, Astrantia Roma*

Accepting loss: Grief & Loss, Omey Island, Witch Hazel*, Hellebore*

Rebuilding sense of community and sense of self after all these releases: Peach, Willow,

Courage to do the work: Alex Mackenzie Rose, Borage, Nuuphretia Lavarissa,

Support for the physical vehicle to make the changes: Mutabilis Rose, California Poppy, Gallandia Rose, Golden Armor

Finding a roadmap for where you are: Sage (when you still have some basic frame of reference for where you are), Russian Sage (for when you are not sure which way is up)

Communicating more clearly: Cosmos, Lemon, Pink Yarrow from the Cliffs of Moher, Celandine*

Listening Better: Allamanda, Daffodil, Lemon, Spiderwort, To Hear the Angels Sing

Patience with ourselves: Don’t Worry- Bee Happy**, Blackberry

Please feel free to copy this list! Please feel free to discard these suggestions and go with your own wisdom about what Flower Essences would support you!

*Flower Essences from Research list, available on request
** Flower Essences on New Essences for 2006 list, available on request
The Flower Essence suggestions without asterisks can be found in our Guide in brief as well as extended descriptions or on the website in a brief form. Email us at green.hope.farm@valley.net if you want any of our written materials mailed off to you. We also can send the New Essence list or the Research Essence list to you by email. I hope to post these two documents on the website soon, but in the meantime, I am happy to send you this data in any form that works for you.