Here is Sphere + Sundry’s obligatory post for remediating Mercury retrogrades…

The good news: Mercury retrogrades aren’t nearly as bad as the hype surrounding them most of the time, and actions can be taken to reduce their impact. This is what we in the traditional + Vedic astro biz refer to as “remediation”, which we’ll get into shortly.

Retrograde Considerations

When a planet goes retrograde, the areas of life it has rulership over are universally affected. Mercury is in charge of many things, especially in our modern world, which is why there’s so much generalized panic the three times per year they start backin’ that thang up.

Side note on my use of gendered planetary pronouns: I use she/her for Luna and Venus, he/him for Sol, Mars, Jupiter, and sometimes Saturn (even though he’s mostly just post-hormonal and crotchety), and they/them for Mercury, given their status as the OG androgyne.

The planet Mercury oversees —

• Communication in general
• Written communications specifically
• Transmitted information (so basically the entire internet)
• Electronics
• Software/ code performance
• Travel, getting from point A to point B
• Paperwork
• Logistics and processes

Since Mercury’s function is to act as a bridge between any one person or thing and another, we can see how easy it is for shit to hit the fan when even just one baton pass gets flubbed, because it so often means we can’t proceed with the rest of a process, which results in delays and irritation.

Mercury retrogrades are typically characterized by things going haywire or not working the way they’re supposed, which means we have to go back and fix something before being able to move forward again — a literal representation of apparent retrograde motion.

Some retrogrades are more powerful than others, both generally and personally. To determine if any given retrograde is going to kick your ass or not, here are some factors to consider —

• Which house does the planet go retrograde in?
  Angular houses (1, 4, 7, 10) are the most impactful, meaning mutable risings are on high alert
• Are any of your planets (or key chart points) in the retrograde’s path?
  In this cycle, anything in the last half of Pisces
• Is the retrograde planet particularly important in your chart?
  If it rules the Ascendant, sect light, or many other planets, it’ll be more significant
• Is the retrograde planet highlighted by profection or time lord?
  It’ll have a greater impact

The more significant a role the retrograde planet plays for you, generally and for each particular cycle, the more attention you should pay to remediating the effects and the more carefully you should tread.

So, aside from the generally impractical advice to avoid contact with anyone and everything, signing paperwork or initiating new endeavors, what can we do about it?

Mercury Retrograde Remediation Ritual

The face of a retrograde planet is different from its standard presentation. It’s in an underground or darker phase, as Venus Cloacina can attest, so we shan’t be appealing to Mercury proper, who is drunk. We’ll be turning instead to Hermes Chthonius.

On the day and hour of Mercury during their retrograde phase, burn some storax or incense as an offering and say the orphic hymn to Terrestrial Hermes, who can help us navigate the chaos Mercury retrogrades sometimes bring —

Hermes I call, whom Fate decrees to dwell in the dire path which leads to deepest hell
O Bacchic Hermes, progeny divine of Dionysius, parent of the vine,
And of celestial Venus Paphian queen, dark eye-lash’d Goddess of a lovely mien:
Who constant wand’rest thro’ the sacred feats
where hell’s dread empress, Persephone, retreats;
To wretched souls the leader of the way when Fate decrees, to regions void of day:
Thine is the wand which causes sleep to fly, or lulls to slumb’rous rest the weary eye;
For Persephone’s thro’ Tart’rus dark and wide gave thee forever flowing souls to guide.
Come, blessed pow’r the sacrifice attend, and grant our mystic works a happy end.

You can also call upon this form of Hermes and pray to them to help solve specific problems that arise during Mercury’s retrogrades, and provide further offerings.

Shout out to upcoming collaborator Rosarium Blends, who for some time has offered a remediation incense which includes the above prayer, but more on that later 

Practical Remediation Using Talismanic Materia

Items from the Exalted Mercury Cazimi series can serve as exquisite Mercurial aids, during direct and retrograde phases alike.

Created while Mercury was in Virgo, the sign of not only their rulership but ALSO their exaltation, these offerings are a dose of hyper efficient, effective Mercury in a bottle, which can be invoked as needed —

• Apply the Oil or Hydrosol to yourself, especially around the head, neck, and hands, to help bring your full mental faculties to bear, assist in problem solving, and increase focus and technical proficiency.
• Anoint or spray malfunctioning electronics, paperwork, or other objects which are being (or may be) impacted by Mercury’s wayward status.
• Burn storax or orphic Incense during remediation rituals
• Use cazimi ritual ink to draw sigils or write petitions
• Experiment with Hermanubis I or II offerings, as they were also created during Mercury’s cazimi but are aligned with darker, more underworld aspects.

Keep these items with you for quick day to day use as issues arise. They can (as always) be applied as needed at any time, but will be especially potent on Wednesdays and during Mercury’s hour.