Kelly Clarkson once said, "Some people wait a lifetime for a moment like this," and although she first sang these lyrics back in 2007, I swear she was referencing the end of the worst Mercury retrograde of 2021. On June 22 at 6 pm EST, Mercury will finally station direct in Gemini, ending its backwards dance and one of the most chaotic transits of this year. But before you don party hats and invite your closest friends over for a Goodbye, Retrograde-themed karaoke party, listen up — we're not free of Mercury retrograde's shackles quite yet.
For just a couple more weeks, we'll still be feeling a bit of a hangover from this transit. "The story we’ve been dealing with since May 14, when Mercury first entered its pre-retrograde zone, will come to an end on July 7 when the retro-shade phase ends," says Lisa Stardust, the author of Saturn Return Survival Guide and The Astrology Deck. While we won't be feeling this transit as intensely as we did before, we still need to make it through the retro-shade to fully be rid of this chaotic energy. On the bright side, Stardust says that we're no longer totally in the thick of things. Our communication is becoming clearer, we're understanding our relationships more, and we now have a better perspective on things — the fog is starting to lift.
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Leslie Hale, psychic astrologer at Keen.com, echoes this sentiment, acknowledging that things will still be a tad shaky for us. "One way of looking at it is that Mercury has been asleep at the wheel for three weeks, and it will take a little time before it totally wakes up and gets back to normal," she says. Think about how you feel when you're first coming out of a deep sleep — groggy. So just give the universe a little while longer to shake off its retrograde-y cobwebs before you charge full steam ahead.
We can look forward to being rid of the cliché retrograde happenings as the planet finds its stride once again. "Any miscommunications, frustrations, confusion, or delays surrounding Mercury-related things will most likely find resolution," Madi Murphy, co-founder of The Cosmic RX and The Cosmic Revolution, tells Refinery29. "Think of it like driving through a tunnel and now we finally all have cell reception."
Though we may still experience a little static, June 22, the day that Mercury turns direct, could still be incredibly eye-opening. "Things that were blocked from you may be revealed," Murphy says. "You may have ideas, insights or a-ha moments, or if you were waiting on news or an offer from someone, this may be the day it comes through." Murphy describes this day as the collective light bulb floating above our heads suddenly turning on.
Even so, Murphy advises us to wait until after the retro-shade period ends to take action and execute whatever has been illuminated. Until then, we can enjoy all the things we put on pause during this transit: signing contracts, making big purchases, having important conversations, utilizing technology, and even texting your ex. ("Jk on that last one," Murphy says.)
One date to look out for this month is July 6 — the day before the retro-shade period ends. Narayana Montúfar, senior astrologer for Astrology.com, says that things will be murky around this time due to Mercury clashing with Neptune, the Planet of Illusion, in Pisces. "While that aspect is good for inspiration, it's not the best for clearing the air or focusing on any type of analytical work," she says. "Because of this clash with Neptune, the very last days of Mercury in Gemini seem to be the best for clearing any misunderstandings or fixing any projects that might have needed revision during Mercury's backward spin."
Use this time to envision how you want to move forward, and take your time putting that plan of action into motion. With a clear mind and even clearer astrological energy, the rest of the summer is ours for the taking — that is, until the next Mercury retrograde rears its ugly head.