The first Mercury retrograde of 2024 rears its head this week as the nearby planet switches directions under Aries in the 7th House of Relationships. Mercury retrogrades are already infamous for their ability to distort communication, disrupt technology, and disaffect even the best-laid plans. Under the context of the 7th House, prepare for things to get personal.
Of course, there are ways we can avoid disaster. Speaking thoughtfully and leaving no room for misinterpretation is one way. Having a Plan B, C, and even D for tech or travel mishaps is another. You can’t control the outcome of the universe, but you can at least prepare for it.
How will your sign fare this week?
Choose Your Sign
Our bodies have a way of slowing us down, whether or not we’d actually like to decelerate. You can either continue pushing yourself toward inevitable burnout and let it decide for you, or you can take control of the situation and pull back on your own time. Surely, you can guess which option is the least shocking to your physical, mental, and emotional well-being.
As nice as it would be to be able to take on all tasks, responsibilities, and obligations, it’s simply unreasonable. The stars urge you to find time this week to prioritize the most urgent issues. Leave whatever’s left for next week, month, or even year. You’ve got time. This is a marathon, not a sprint.
Be wary of the sparkle nostalgia can place on even the dullest of situations. Feeling fond memories of past situations is normal. But regressing for the sake of going back to them is an unproductive endeavor that will, eventually, remind us of why we left in the first place. Your past is just that — your past. It’s okay to leave it at that.
Indeed, leaving your past behind means you’re leaving part of yourself behind, too. If this reality gets too uncomfortable, try shifting your perspective slightly. By turning your back on your future, are you not disregarding the future version of yourself, too? The stars urge you to remain present with your eyes ahead.
Your ruling planet, Mercury, goes retrograde this week under Aries in the 7th House of Relationships. Consequently, you might start noticing more and more disagreements, tiffs, and arguments boiling up around you. It’s imperative that you speak intentionally and directly. The universe is rife with misunderstandings, Gemini. Don’t let yourself become part of the problem.
Doing (or not doing) things out of spite might provide temporary satisfaction. But when those feelings dissipate, and you’re left with nothing but an emotional hangover, you’ll likely find it wasn’t nearly as productive as you once thought. Keep your eye on the bigger picture. Communication is a two-way street. Make sure you’re doing your part, too.
Your celestial alignment indicates a need for reprioritization, Cancer. Midweek, the cosmos will offer an opportunity to assess your emotional and physical needs. These chances are not a guarantee, so make sure you utilize it while it’s here. Consider how the people, responsibilities, or other facets in your life are meeting your needs — and, more importantly, how they aren’t.
Obviously, it’s easier to avoid this exercise. You avoid holding yourself or others accountable and effectively eliminate your need for tough conversations. But don’t confuse this ease of choice with productivity. Just because something is difficult doesn’t mean it’s worth doing. You owe it to yourself to build a life that fortifies you, not drains you.
No one is handing out gold medals for the person who can martyr themselves the most, Leo. So, why are you so dead set on receiving one? By continually shirking your own wishes for others, you’re creating a pool of resentment that will rear its head one way or another. Why not speak your truth now instead of putting that truth inside of a pressure cooker?
Self-advocacy doesn’t need to be aggressive. You can speak your piece without shouting it. Sure, those who are unwilling to hear how they might have been disaffecting you might consider the conversation uncomfortable. But if they’re not willing to listen and learn, then are you really that worried about keeping them around in the first place?
When life gets overwhelming like it is right now, sometimes the best thing you can do is the most counterintuitive: stop. Or, if stopping is too finite for a busybody like you, think of this as a much-needed pause. You can’t handle every problem or tackle every goal at the same time. So, start by putting some things on the back burner for the time being.
Just because it feels pertinent doesn’t necessarily mean it is. Honestly consider whether you can hold off on one element of your overfilled plate until next week or month. Try offloading some responsibilities to those around you where appropriate. You’ve picked up the slack countless times in your life. It’s time to start cashing in those favors, Virgo.
Mercury retrogrades can be particularly unsettling for you, someone who favors justice and order. Prepare yourself as we inch closer toward the weekend and the nearby planet’s directional shift. We can’t always understand the logic of the universe outright. Moreover, trying to wrap our heads around sheer chaos is often more damaging than productive.
Remember that not every problem is yours to mediate. As admirable as your desire to solve other people’s conflicts or conundrums may be, it’s not your sole job to ensure this happens. You only have control over your own actions. The sooner you find peace with this reality, the less stressful your life will become, Libra.
While there are obviously some exceptions to this rule, for the most part, we give what we put into our relationships. Assuming this stagnancy you’re experiencing is a cosmic punishment is the easy way out, Scorpio. Indeed, it’s far more challenging to assess where we might be holding ourselves back romantically, socially, or professionally.
Don’t underestimate your ability to appear closed off and uninterested. If there is a part of you that wants to connect, grow, or otherwise get to the next level in some area of your life, you can’t be afraid to show it. Not only is life too short to suppress your emotions like this. But it could also be the difference between you realizing your goals or not.
Be careful of making your mind up too definitively, Sag. The universe — and all that’s within it — is constantly changing. That includes you, too. The principled ground on which you stand today could easily shift into something unrecognizable tomorrow. While you don’t have to let go of your values and ideas entirely, it’s important to remain flexible.
Indeed, a flexible sapling can weather the storm far better than a rigid oak. Life’s inevitable ebb and flow becomes much easier to handle when you have some wiggle room to move with it. Of course, this is an ongoing process. Be prepared not to get it right on the first, second, or even third time. What’s important is that you keep trying. Practice makes perfect in this case.
Some people need clear structure in their lives; others don’t. The fact that you fall into the former category shouldn’t be a point of shame. It’s an objective reality, not a subjective fault. Comparison is a thief of inner peace, Cap. Focus on what you need as an individual to feel safe, happy, and motivated. You are the captain of your own ship. You navigate it as you see fit.
But remember, the opposite is true as well. For as much structure as you are entitled to, everyone else is entitled to their own life approach as well. You must find a way to be okay with the fact that others paths — sometimes butted right up against yours — will look wholly different.
The challenges of your cosmic alignment last week continue into this week, and that’s okay, Aquarius. Personal evolution is not an overnight process. The stars urge you to continue to pinpoint your creative energy into tangible action. You’ve dipped your toes in plenty of different water. Now, it’s time to get out and start swimming.
Luckily, you’ll be getting some help from fortuitous Jupiter this week. As this giant planet moves closer in conjunction with your ruling planet, Uranus, success and good fortune will follow. Make sure you’re not in the way of receiving this positive bounty from the universe. Don’t let your stubborn nature convince you this need for focus is a punishment. It’s an opportunity.
These financial and romantic problems won’t go away because you ignore them, Pisces. They’ll only fester out of sight until they take up too much of your field of vision to pretend they don’t exist. Why not handle them now while they’re still manageable? Doing so requires a fraction of the work that will be required of you further down the road.
You owe it to your future self to nip these issues in the bud. As uncomfortable as this process might be, keep your eyes looking forward. The sooner you tackle this problem, the sooner you’ll be done with it. If that isn’t enough motivation to get started today, then what would be?