What’s that noise? It might be the sound of unfinished business knocking on your door. Mercury retrograde is coming in hot this March 15, and it’s bringing receipts. This three-week planetary cycle has earned quite the unsavory reputation. Communications go off the rails, technology melts down, and existential spirals are sparked by an ex sliding into your DMs.
More than anything, however, Mercury retrograde can force you to deal with all the pesky details from your past—the ones you’ve been trying to sweep under the rug. A positive reframe (yes, we’ve found one): Mercury retrograde is a chance to embrace the power of the pause. By focusing on “re” activities like renewing, reviewing, revising, and reuniting, you’ll stay in flow with the cosmic cycles. You might also discover some hidden jewels deep in your photo libraries and cloud files. Dig in and see.
This spring’s Mercury retrograde is in a league of its own, arriving smack dab in the middle of eclipse season and while next-door-neighbor planet Venus is also retrograde. Even before March 15 arrives, you may find yourself navigating some unexpected blasts from the past or curveballs disrupting your best-laid plans. Before life slips into chaos, pump the brakes on projects and relationships that seem to be speeding wildly in unspecified directions.
While Mercury is in reverse until April 7, you have an opportunity to slow down and sort out the plotline. Are you happy with the way things are playing out, or is it time to revise the script? It’s wise to wait until mid-April to hard-launch anything that’s costly, timely, or difficult to undo. That includes everything from cutting bangs to liquidating assets to fund a business. When spinning backwards, Mercury wants us to be mindful and meticulous, honing in on the finest print and reading it with a microscope.
But it might be hard to find your willpower during this retrograde. (Consider yourself warned.) From March 15 to March 29, the messenger planet is slipping back through impulsive Aries, a sign that doesn’t do “pause.” Then, from March 29 to April 7, Mercury backstrokes through hazy Pisces, the most non-linear sign of the entire zodiac. Connecting the dots between logic and emotion might feel impossible during that leg of the journey.
And here’s something quite rare. Venus—planet of love, beauty, and values—is also retrograde in the same signs: Aries from March 1 to March 27, then Pisces until April 12. The pull toward the past is undeniable, and probably impossible to resist, this March.
During the Aries part of Mercury retrograde, expect fiery exchanges, irritating red tape, and a universal inability to read the room. Relationship dynamics may feel combative rather than harmonious. Passion runs high, but so do misunderstandings. Exes might resurface, not in a wistful, poetic way, but more like a sudden run-in that leaves you stammering and spiraling until you remember that you swore off narcissists.
Then, from March 29 to April 7, Mercury joins Venus in a retrograde through emo Pisces. Where Aries is flash-fire aggressive, the zodiac’s Fish is flowy and intuitive. Alas, your gut feelings won’t be enough during this part of the retrograde. Brace for foggy thinking, nostalgia spirals, and misread signals. Is it inspired love or a beautifully wrapped illusion? The lines blur, and clarity feels elusive. Decisions made during this time may not hold up once the fog lifts in mid-April.
And then there’s the influence of eclipse season from March 14 to March 29, which definitely complicates this Mercury retrograde. These cosmic wildcards are known to bring fated plot twists and unexpected disruptions. Eclipses also don’t offer you long windows of time to process; they bring sudden shifts. That’s what makes this all so agitating because, during a Mercury retrograde, the last thing you need is to be rushed. That said, there may be moments where you have to act swiftly. Just make sure you have as many facts as possible so you’re moving forward with data instead of mere reactivity.
The best way to make it through this cycle unscathed? Embrace the delays, question your impulses, and don’t trust anything at face value. Mercury retrograde in Aries will want to fight through the obstacles, while Mercury retrograde in Pisces will want to escape into fantasy, but neither is the real solution. The second half of March and the first half of April will be time to observe instead of act, when possible. Revisit old stories with fresh eyes. Let go of the idea that every problem needs immediate resolution. Mercury will go direct on April 7, Venus will follow on April 12, and the eclipses will pass by March 29. Until then, expect the unexpected, and double-check every DM before you hit send.
