[Week 22: Saturn in Aries] Revision 🔁
Mercury retrograde in Leo
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Hi, there! How are you doing?
I don’t know about you, but last week was a little bit unstable and filled with surprises. Uranus definitely wanted to show me that he has changed signs and is now in Gemini.
The energy this week will be different.
Not super chill. But different.
The astrology of the week
This is the perfect week to complete pending tasks, tie up loose ends, clean, cleanse, and declutter.
Two events point in this direction of wrapping up the past instead of moving forward to the future.
On Thursday, the 17th of July at 20:37 EST, the last quarter Moon occurs at 25°40’ of Aries.
The very next day, Friday the 18th, Mercury starts retrograding at 15°34’ of Leo. The retrogradation starts at 00:45 EST.
You can use the weekend to organize your house, make lists of all that is pending, and do a revision of the last time Mercury was retrograde.
The last time Mercury was retrograde
Mercury’s last retrogradation started on Saturday, the 15th of March at 09°35’ of Aries.
The astro climate back then was very weird.
It was Pisces season + Eclipse season + Venus retrograde. A whole lot of psychedelia.
If you want to remember that time, check this edition of the newsletter:
![[Week 4: Saturn in Aries] Surrender](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!656O!,w_140,h_140,c_fill,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep,g_auto/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fb27686e4-f674-4f01-8463-e420872b68f4_1080x1080.png)
Back then, I wrote this:
“Mercury is the planet that retrogrades most frequently, but not the one that spends the most time in retrograde motion. That’s Pluto. While Mercury spends 20 % of its cycle retrograde, that number jumps to 44 % for Pluto.
Mercury retrograde periods have now entered pop culture in a fear-mongering fashion. Every time this planet changes gears, social media accounts and internet outlets proliferate with alarmist content.
You’ll lose your keys! You’ll experience delays when you travel! You’ll need to back up your electronic information! Your ex may reappear, but they haven’t really changed!
Even though some of these manifestations are factual, there’s more to Mercury retrograde than confusion and snafus.
Especially when Mercury retrogrades in a fire sign.”
Mercury retrograde in Fire signs
The three retrogradations of Mercury in any given year occur in the same element.
Sometimes they could start in an element and go back to the previous one. However, the majority of the retrogradation will take place in a specific element.
In 2025, that element is Fire.
In March, I also wrote this:
“Usually, before Mercury retrogrades in Fire, you feel bored and sense that you need more excitement in your life.
I know I do. Life has felt dull lately.
The retrogradation is an opportunity to reconnect with our need for play, creativity, and spontaneity.
Creativity is more than painting, music, literature, and the other arts. Creativity is a lifestyle. How you respond to crises and problems in life shows your creative skills.”
This time around, life is not dull.
But you know why? Because during that retrogradation, I decided to commit to a massive creative project.
Even though it’s not done yet, I have nurtured it almost every day since April, when Mercury conjuncted the Sun.
When Mercury retrograde makes a conjunction with the Sun, this marks the middle of the retrogradation. It also means that you can start taking action based on the epiphanies you got during the first 10 days Mercury was retrograde.
Mercury retrograde phases
On the Volatility edition of this newsletter, I wrote the following:
“The second part of Mercury’s retrograde phase will be smoother, and the miscommunication or snafus that may have occurred in the first part will slowly dissipate.”
The 22 days of Mercury retrograde are not all the same. There’s a stark contrast between the first part of the retrograde cycle and the second part.
Mercury in conjunction with the Sun marks the division between the first part and the second part. This means that Mercury retrograde conjuncts the Sun in the middle of the transit.
The first part of Mercury retrograde is the Epimethean phase. After the conjunction with the Sun, the second part is known as the Promethean phase.
From Friday, the 18th of July at 00:45 until Thursday, the 31st of July at 19:41, Mercury will be in its retrograde Epimethean phase.
What can you do from the 18th of July until the 31st of July?
The Epimethean phase of Mercury retrograde demands careful consideration and retrospection.
The first half of the retrograde phase is especially introspective, allowing us to analyze our past actions. We often only perceive our results on reflection.
When Mercury turns retrograde, the cosmos offers an opportunity to reduce direct action. It’s best to wait. Allow the results of the last month and a half to come to the surface instead of pushing.
Signals from the environment will begin to alert you to inner conditions that need reflection. If you tend to force results, you will be more frustrated during the initial phase of the retrograde cycle.
Struggles during the initial stage of the retrograde cycle can be profound. Your mind may show a strong resistance to change.
A liminal phase begins when Mercury starts retrograding. It is a time of suspense and uncertainty. The unconscious is given a greater range of participation. The mind embarks on a journey without a specific itinerary. But what is discovered cannot be forgotten or unseen.
Lessons learned during Mercury retrograde relate to your capacity to be flexible. They help you face stillness and adapt to changes in plans.
This gift can be disguised in many forms, including trickster activities, frustration, and snafus.
Disconcerting events could occur in this phase. They are a direct signal to analyze the signs you have been too occupied to notice. Revising your motivations and perspectives becomes necessary.
The Epimethean retrograde phase lasts for approximately eleven days. Its most significant characteristic is the forced review of your environment. The reflection upon the inner landscape is equally intense but not as dramatic.
The information that surfaces or the confrontations with unresolved issues are a blessing in disguise. They frequently take the form of trickster jokes because the unconscious employs this technique to catch your attention.
There is a tendency to reject the signs indicating that it is best to cease forced activities and reflect. This is why an abrupt departure from daily experiences marks the beginning of the retrograde phase. It is frequently disorientating.
Flowing with this brief journey into the unconscious will serve you well. Allowing messages to surface in symbols, images, and signals will heighten your intuitive powers. Heightened intuitive powers result in greater freedom of choice.
You should devote the first part of Mercury retrograde to engaging in reflection and revision.
A form of loosening is taking place. A solution to a stuck situation is brewing. This solution disengages you from what was to prepare you for what will be.
The characteristics of that solution remain to be seen.
Dates to remember
July 18th at 00:45: Mercury starts retrograding at 15°34’ of Leo. It starts the Epimethean retrograde phase.
July 31st at 19:41: Sun conjuncts Mercury at 09°00’ of Leo. Middle of the retrogradation. It starts the Promethean retrograde phase.
August 11th at 03:30: Mercury is direct at 04°14’ of Leo.
If you want to know all these dates in advance, download the free calendar with astro information about 2025.
Prompts for Week 22
Write [Week 22: Saturn in Aries] Revision on top of the page and the week we’re in, just like in the last edition.
Go back to the “Activities I enjoyed as a kid” you wrote in prompt 4 during Week 4. Have you been connecting with them recently? Did you remember something else you would like to add here? When Mercury turns retrograde in Leo, choose some of them and nurture them consistently.
How do you plan to use the Epimethean phase of Mercury retrograde, from the 18th of July until the 31st of July? Write 5 activities that work well with this energy, and act on them, even if they are reflective tasks. These tasks could also be related to the last time Mercury was in its retrograde Epimethean phase, from March 15th until March 24th. Check your planner or emails to see if something is pending from that time.
That’s it!
Hope you have a great rest of the week.
With love,
Valentina
P.S.: During Halloween weekend, I’ll be hosting an unforgettable astro + yoga retreat with Cat Esteves. Check these slides or for more info and email me to save your spot.