5 Ways To Avoid Getting Burned During This Summer's Mercury Retrograde
It's in Leo.
JimMin
mbg Spirituality & Relationships Editor
mbg Spirituality & Relationships Editor
Sarah Regan is a Spirituality & Relationships Editor, and a registered yoga instructor. She received her bachelor's in broadcasting and mass communication from SUNY Oswego, and lives in Buffalo, New York.
Image by Anastasiia Shavshyna / iStock August 02, 2025 In case you missed it, Mercury has been retrograde in Leo since July 18—and we still have over a week left before it resumes forward motion. So if you've been experiencing things like miscommunications or delays, you can thank Mercury for that, with it being the planet of communication, travel, and technology. The good news is, Mercury retrogrades can also be a great opportunity to pause and reflect, and things don't have to go awry if you know what to watch out for. To that end, here are five ways to avoid classic retrograde snafus. 1. While we're all impacted by this Mercury retrograde in Leo, how it impacts you depends on where Leo lands in your chart. Based on your rising sign (which determines the houses of your chart), here's what Mercury retrograde is impacting for you: 2. Mercury retrogrades are known for causing miscommunications, so your best bet to avoid them (at least in the digital sphere), is to read over everything twice—maybe three times—before you send it. And we're not just talking about typos; With this Mercury retrograde in loud and proud Leo, you'll want to watch out for ego-tripping too. This goes for in person communication as well. Try to pause and think before you speak, lest you say something that doesn't exactly land with your audience. 3. Mercury retrogrades are a time to review and reflect, so it's only natural to have some fleeting thoughts of an ex (or exes). Of course, it's also not uncommon to hear from your exes during Mercury retrograde, so don't be surprised if you get an unexpected text or call. Just don't say we didn't warn you, and if you're feeling susceptible to the retrograde urge to hit up your ex, just try to resist it. 4. Mercury rules travel and technology, so when it goes retrograde, one of the most common problems you'll run in to is travel delays and/or technical difficulties. As such, be sure to give yourself extra buffer time if you have somewhere important to be or if deadlines are creeping up. Factor in the possibility of things going wrong the first time, ensuring you can still get where you want to be on time. 5. Last but not least, Mercury retrogrades are not a time to move forward with full steam, but rather to slow down and take a more reflective approach. With our mental signals scrambled, it's a less than ideal time to lock yourself into any big decisions, whether that's at work, in your relationships, or in your life in general. Take it easy, don't pressure yourself to move too fast, and allow things to play out—that's how you make it through a Mercury retrograde unscathed.
Know where Mercury retrograde is landing in your chart
Double check everything before you hit send
Resist the urge to reach out to your ex
Give yourself extra time
Hold off on big decisions or signing contracts
The takeaway
Mercury retrogrades tend to get a bad reputation, and while they can ramp up annoyances like technological issues or travel delays, these things are by design to get us to slow down. Instead of resisting it, when we lean into the slower pace of a retrograde period, we can come out of it with valuable lessons learned.
