Yes, Mercury, the Winged Messenger, will be in retrograde.
And communications among other things may glitch and go sideways.
Mercury Retrograde Alert
Mercury will be retrograde from December 2nd to the 22nd
Which means you just might experience Mercury Retrograde Gremlins during the December shopping and Holiday season! But this is nothing new.
Keep in mind, there is also a shadow effect to Mercury retrograde. (Yeah even the good ole Winged Messenger has a friggin shadow!)
Mercury’s Retrograde Shadow generally shows up 10 days to even 2 ½ weeks before the actual retrograde event.
Whoa. I know.
So instead of a 3-week retrograde period we are actually dealing with with a 7-8 week period where we have some communications slowdowns or outright disruptions. The Mercury and its Shadow Effect.
Did you know that the days when the planet switches gears and goes into retrograde or back to forward motion (goes direct) are generally the most intense?
I put those dates in my calendar so I know to take it into consideration before taking action.
So as we enter December, we’ve already been operating under the influence of Mercury’s retrograde shadow for about 2 weeks.
It really started showing up for me last week.
My phone is acting out in weird ways.
Curiously, my tech-whisperer husband’s phone is also misbehaving.
Computer commands changing what they're supposed to do.
TV hiccups and a host of other minor things.
Tech Gremlins at work...
In addition to the Tech Gremlins, there have been appointment cancelations and plans changing and changing again!
And the not-so-good-news is this shadow and will be felt for a good10 days after Mercury goes direct again on December 22 (so the slowdown will be in play through December 31).
Sigh.
So take extra care with your communications (phone, email, and in-person), along with any travel you are undertaking, your plans and schedules, your purchasing decisions and your tech gear.
All of this is ripe for interfering Retrograde Gremlins.
Back up your computers!
Double check every-freakin-detail.
Especially anything dealing with communication of any kind, written and spoken.
The Good Bits about Mercury in Retrograde
Because Mercury Retrograde is considered a “slowing down” period, this is a most excellent time to chill… and engage in large doses of self-care and self-nurturing!
As luck would have it, this is in perfect alignment with the 3 vibration energy affecting us throughout December.
You can read what I wrote about December's energy here.
Merc Retro is also a great time for diving into other “RE”s:
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Revisiting past plans and ideas
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Rewriting existing drafts
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Re-evaluating what you want in life
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Reassessing where you are
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Rethinking your commitments and direction
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Relaxing
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Regenerating
- Replenishing
- Refocusing your priorities
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Releasing things that no longer serve you
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Revisiting your past (old friends & things you once loved but make no time for now)
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Resolving past life issues
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Reorganizing… your closet, drawers, office, house
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Removing clutter
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And getting plenty of REST!
You get the idea...
My friend, Astrologer Debra Clement, has written a brilliant piece explaining what Mercury retrograde is and why it occurs… plus she offers a comprehensive list of “Do & Don’t Do” during a Mercury Retrograde. Worth the look see if I say so myself 
No need to surrender your power to the Retrograde Gremlins, just be aware that they might show up.
And don’t try to fight the slowdown effect of the retrograde either… or do things in defiance of the retrograde.
If you work with the energy, it will be supportive of you.
Take your cue from the Winged Messenger and hit the pause button. Slow and steady.
My love, appreciation and deep gratitude for you,
I invite you to like and share my posts if you feel guided to! Thanks in advance
PS. For those of you who are into this on a deeper level... This December's Mercury Retrograde begins in Sagittarius then moves to Capricorn. So if you know what house Sag sits on in your natal chart, you'll see where you are most likely to be affected.