By Apoorva Mahajan & Grace Clarke
Spread the news, the Mercury retrograde has finally retreated.
If you’ve found yourself feeling particularly irritable, combative, or quarrelsome in the past few weeks (June 29–July 23)… it wasn’t you, it was Mercury doing backflips.
According to Vedic astrology, Mercury retrograde, also known as Budh Vakra, often brings forth a time of emotional dysregulation.
Mercury retrogrades, in Vedic astrology, are viewed not as curses, but as times for looking inward, for spending more time on unhealed wounds and unfinished or abandoned projects.
That off-kilter feeling you may have gotten this past month? It was a sign to slow down and reconnect with your emotions.
This month, Saturn (Shani) continues its retrograde motion which started on 27 July, and ends on 11 December.
What this means: Saturn governs responsibility, discipline, karma, and time management in our astrological charts. When this planet goes into retrograde, it affects your professional life and personal drive, causing you to feel a little less locked in.
In Vedic astrology, a Saturn retrograde is not all doom and gloom like its Western counterpart may suggest. Instead, it insists on lessons being learned from the inside out… until they stick.
Try: Use this time to reflect on your current responsibilities and career goals. Assess whether you are making the right choices professionally, and which habits could use some improvement.
Make it a point to double check your calendar, sort through your inbox, and jot things down in your agenda.
Avoid: Making large, long-term commitments, financial or otherwise. Take stock of your health and don’t put off any health concerns that may or may not have been bothering you.
Readers who practice manifestation and those curious, get your pen and paper ready for this year’s Lion’s Gate Portal.
This special planetary alignment occurs merely once a year on the auspicious date of 8 August, marking the eighth day of the eighth month; figures often associated with propensity and abundance.
Astrologers view this day as a gateway between our physical realm and the spiritual realm, creating the ideal time for manifestations.
What to do: Use the “future diary” method. Write a journal entry chronicling your day from the future with all your goals mentioned.
Get detailed, and don’t be afraid to fill up more than a page.
If you find yourself feeling stuck in life lately, alongside the journal entry, write a list of things you’d like to release.
Last, but not least, happy birthday to all the Cancerians and Leos!
Lean into your wishes, ‘tis the season!