Mercury, the planet of communication, enters justice-minded Libra on 5th September. The planet of communication isn't in retrograde — yet. But its entry into Libra can still bring up some frustrating roadblocks. Namely: procrastination and indecision, says Leslie Hale, psychic astrologer at Keen.com.
"Since Mercury in Libra has an innate ability to see things from all viewpoints, it can seem indecisive," Hale explains. "But most of the time it is a careful consideration of all options and viewpoints."
Mercury is only in Libra until 27th September — but on 14th October, the Swift Planet will start tracking backward, and during this retrograde period, it will re-enter the sign of the scales on 27th October. Hale says during this second pass through Libra, we may feel especially unsettled or confused.
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"From its position in Libra, Mercury will form tense squares and oppositions to many intense planets," including Saturn, Pluto, and Mars, adds Narayana Montúfar, senior astrologer for Horoscope.com. "This combination of aspects will set us up for a very intense and active time when it comes to communication."
But remember how we said chatty Mercury was going to leave Libra, then return? When it comes back, Montúfar says we'll get a second chance to get things right — but it won't be a walk in the park. She says that during this time, we'll be fighting obstacles and locking heads with authority figures. But, she adds, "In a way, Libra’s rational, diplomatic, and people-pleasing skills will be really helpful."
Another zinger: Mars will enter retrograde on 9th September, which will result in another blow to our productivity. "It will almost be better to pick our battles and not push things, since making strides will be so much harder than usual," Montúfar suggests. Figuring out what tasks matter most to you can help you avoid this slump, so consider prioritising your to-do list and taking things one step at a time — just don't beat yourself up if it feels way harder than usual to make progress.
"Mercury and Uranus retrograde share a semi-square that will force us to take action around manifesting our dreams," astrologer Lisa Stardust tells Refinery29.
In general, Mercury in Libra is characterized by back and forth. For instance, "Mercury will square off with Jupiter on 17th September, which will expand our minds and philosophies. But on 18th September, Mercury shares a semi-square with Neptune, which will make us feel like we are suffering from brain fog," Stardust explains. She suggests doing what you can to stay focused, whether that means taking a ton of breaks or getting outside.
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Other key dates: On 21st September, Mercury and Pluto square off, which can bring about arguments and power struggles, Stardust adds. Be careful about what words you use, because hurtful ones will cut really deep on this day.
"Mercury connects with the Nodes of Destiny on 22nd September, aligning us with others who share similar views as we do," she continues. "On 23rd September, Mercury squares off with Saturn, limiting our communication. And, finally Mercury opposes Mars retrograde on 24th September, which will bring past arguments to light."
Sure, it's a lot to take in — but having these dates out in front of us will allow us to take ownership over this brain-bending transit. Remember: The stars may make it more likely to feel or act certain ways on certain dates, but we still have free will, and with a little intention and strategising, we can make the most of any transit.
So use Mercury in Libra as an opportunity to get your priorities in order and to practice being gentle on yourself when things feel hard. When the chatty planet leaves the air sign for good, you'll be able to keep those lessons with you, and they'll continue to serve you all year long.