How I survived the Mercury Retrograde

I’m someone who does not “get” astrology very much. Of all my occult interests, Astrology just is one I’ve never had an interest in. I never pay attention to it honestly. However some years ago I became aware of the dreaded Merury Retrograde. There would be times when just nothing was going right. I’d be fighting with my wife, having chaotic miscommunications at work, car and computer problems, etc. Time and time again during these periods I’d hear others complaining about it, and find out, it’s a Mercury retrograde. I finally started to dread them when they came, only to have the same experiences. I became a believer 😉

This past retrograde was different. I was somewhat amused to hear everyone bemoaning it around me and hearing of all the experiences I’d often dread. because it didn’t affect me at all. If anything I felt like I was thriving during it, riding in the eye of the storm as it where. it was a very tranquil place to be. I attribute this to two practices.

First (on suggestion of Sarah Lawless, thanks Sarah!), the night before the retrograde began I made an offering to a Mercurial deity. Since I don’t actually work with Hermes or Mercury it felt wrong to petition them directly. However I do have close connections to Anubis, who is a mercurial deity to be sure! As a matter of fact he was once synchretized with Hermes to be Hermanubis.

So for Hermanubis I set out offerings of whiskey, olive oil, and Kyphi incense as well as prayers to guide and lead me unscathed through the retrograde period. I also oiled his statue with bay rum, a scent I find he likes.

Second I did daily, or every other day attunement rites based on the PGM 824-834 passage called “Calling the 7th to induce equilibrium”. I’ve found 4 different takes on this rite so far. First off M.C. gives basic instructions for performing it as instructed in the PGM. Sorita D’Este also has a daily  Heptagram rite that works with the planetary vowels in a similar way. Third the ritual is described in great detail in Greco-Egyptian Magic by Tony Mierzwicki. The method I personally used was to do the Heptasphere ritual from Jason Millers Strategic Sorcery course. I’ve used all 4 methods, but found the last to be most effective for me.

After the retrograde was over, I repeated the offerings to Hermanubis in thanks. It’s only the appropriate thing to do after receiving such aid. I think with a little bit of planning and forethought, retrogrades don’t have to be the chaotic frenzy inducing affairs many of us are used to.