Rejoice! Mercury Retrograde is over, so now it’s time to do some serious reflection

Finally. The latest round of Mercury Retrograde, which began on November 16th in Sagittarius, ends its not-so-sweet-but-thankfully-short run on December 6th in Scorpio. Because Mercury rules all types of communication and technology, we often feel its “backward” effect the most in these areas. From losing computer files to misconstrued texts to delays in travels, our day-to-day routines were most likely disrupted when the little red planet went retrograde. Now that Mercury is finally direct, what can we expect moving forward?

First, let’s consider the #blessings that Mercury Retrograde actually bestowed upon us. Most importantly, Mercury Retrograde helped us get in touch with our sense of timing. Maybe things didn’t happen when we wanted them to, but not everything should. When we allow ourselves to “let go and let ___ (insert God/Universe/cosmos)” we allow life to unfold as it’s meant to, and not as what we think it ought to. After all, timing is everything, and sometimes things—be it relationships, opportunities, career advancement—need more time in the oven to “cook.” Just because we think it’s ready, or we’re ready, doesn’t mean it is or that we are.

Mercury Retrograde often puts us back in contact with old friends, lovers, or even employers. While these moments can be triggering, they can also help us heal and move on, or perhaps nudge us toward the idea of exploring something new (which should be left to consider post-retrograde).

Returning to old projects is another thing that tends to crop up during Mercury Retrograde, since new projects often come with a slew of hiccups during this period. Maybe you reignited a forgotten passion for a creative work, like a book or screenplay, that has you shooting for the stars now in a fresh and exciting way.

Ultimately, if you gave yourself permission to be flexible and open-minded, Mercury Retrograde was a time of reflection. And now that it’s direct in super inquisitive and passionate Scorpio? Well, your soul-searching isn’t quite done yet. In fact, it’s being elevated to another level.

The information that we received during Mercury Retrograde can now be sifted through the penetrating and curious gaze of Scorpio. This is the ideal time to clarify intentions, feelings, and relationships. Scorpio helps us to connect to our deepest desires, so we’re now able to get clear about what we really want as we seek more intimate connections. Of course, “intimate” doesn’t necessarily mean sexual or romantic; it also means we’re thirsty for substance over fluff when it comes to anything in our lives. We want to form meaningful bonds with others as much as we want to ensure we’re truly on the path to our purpose.

While Scorpios can make skeptics of us all—the scorpion is notoriously sly, secretive, and untrusting—if we allow the lessons we learned during Mercury’s retrograde to help shift our perspective, we could find ourselves opening up to different ideas and possibilities that could pave the way for a more authentic 2019. Which is probably worth a few weeks of delayed flights, tech mishaps, and confusing text messages, right?