Mercury Retrograde and Mars in Pisces

Vol. 52 // 04-05-24

This Mercury retrograde is not like other Mercury retrogrades. It is occurring right in the middle of eclipse season, alongside all of the other planetary and light bodies in the sign of Aries. There’s a lot going on in Aries at this time, which is why many of us may feel so restless, excited, explosive, exhausted, or a mixture of all of the above. The experience of this time will vary from person to person due to it activating a different house for each of the signs; however, collectively, it will be urging us to step into spaces where we can be challenged to maintain our confidence, self-assurance, and willpower. This retrograde is partaking in the healing process, which will be more directly initiated by the solar eclipse and new moon in Aries activating Chiron via conjunction on April 8th. While that date is when the eclipse season "officially” closes on paper, the theme of these eclipses will remain a significant priority in our lives until May 16th, when Mercury migrates into Taurus. Because of this, we very well still feel like we’re in eclipse season for the entirety of April.

Mercury went retrograde on April 1st and will return to direct motion on the 25th, but it will cross paths with Chiron twice more, as it has already done once before it went retrograde. With Mercury being the messenger and lord of communication, thought, technology, and the mind, this may be a time where we experience quick frustrations in these areas, as Mercury channeled through Aries gives it a direct approach and a short temper. However, Mercury is also the way-shower; in his mythological origins, Mercury was the god of travelers and researchers and was trusted to guide them through their ventures even when they did not feel certain of themselves or the directions they were moving in. Mercury represents the brilliance of the mind and how it can solve any problem posed to it if we can create the space for it to use its cleverness and wit.

While in direct motion, the planets’ energies are primarily channeled outward, into our external experience (it’s important to note that this only applies to transiting planets and that, because the sun and moon cannot retrograde, they are more fluid energetic bodies with the ability to be seen in our inner and outer worlds equally.). A planet’s direct motion encourages us to exert our energy into our tangible lives, but when it turns retrograde, it invites us to slow down and shift our energy and attention to our inner experience, the intangible world that only we know. Because of this, retrogrades may stir up some frustration in our external experiences. This is why, in the case of this Mercury retrograde, we may experience more delays in our travel plans, miscommunications, difficulty in expressing our thoughts with words, mishaps with technology or written documents, and overall difficulty in conversation with ourselves or others. This is a common narrative used when discussing Mercury retrogrades, but unfortunately, it is all too often the only thing discussed.

Mercury retrogrades are a time for inner reflection and for us to deepen our understanding of the narratives that our thoughts and beliefs perpetuate. They are an opportune time to observe and analyze the thought patterns we flow through on a daily basis and to become more aware of the subconscious’s influence on our decisions and actions. Especially considering this retrograde happening in Aries during such a concentrated season in Aries’s themes and due to it partaking in the efforts of the eclipses, this may be a valuable time for us to rewrite the stories about our identities, capabilities, and authority that we live by and take action through. Now is a favorable time to address our issues around taking action, confidence, self-assurance, self-acceptance, and accountability by getting to their root, as we are supported to make more time for self-reflection, and exploration of the inner world. Our minds are more receptive to this energy, which is why it is our responsibility to ensure that we’re telling ourselves things that are going to be in our best interest and supportive of our desired lifestyles.

Considering all of this Aries energy is ruled by Mars, which is currently traveling through Pisces, our exploration of the depths of our inner worlds, subconscious minds, and imaginations is just further supported. Mars does not enjoy Pisces that much, due to its lack of shape, boundaries, structure, and direction. Pisces is too mushy and soggy for Mars to feel productive through oftentimes, which is why this time is not the most opportune for external motion and assertive action. While this is not guidance to avoid action, this is a reminder that it is okay to follow the flow of your inspiration and intuition at this time. In fact, you may find yourself getting more done when you do this rather than trying to keep yourself on a regimented schedule. With the concentration in Aries, we collectively have a GO GO GO feeling within us, as if we feel there is something we must accomplish but are not quite certain of what it is. Many of us might be reaching some type of clarity around what it is but may feel unclear as to where we should start. The goal when working under the influences of Mercury’s retrograde and Mars being in Pisces is to follow the flow of your inner world, listening to your body when it needs to rest but acting when you feel inspired to do or create.

Mars in Pisces often influences us to act more emotionally or to base our actions on what we imagine the outcome to be, which may not be the most effective approach when aiming to accomplish goals or facilitate productive conversation. Ensure that you are allowing yourself enough time to process strong emotions before initiating conversation at this time, as we are more prone to having intense emotions arise due to miscommunications or misunderstandings, and they may try to lead you into battle with others before you even understand what you’re fighting for. This is a lovely time for dreaming, gathering inspiration, and jotting down your ideas so you may act on them when you feel ready to. We are encouraged to envision the goal without allowing the logistics to deter us from any details. As we have been purging our own limiting mindsets as well as the internalized opinions of others during this eclipse season, we’re preparing to shut the door on our old ideas completely. Eclipses are the facilitators of a death and rebirth process, which is why they often feel uncomfortable and confrontational. Our old identities are dying away so that we can be reborn into a new self-concept, one that is written on our own terms rather than forged from the opinions of our peers, societal pressures, and the expectations we’ve held ourselves to in an attempt to please or impress others.

This retrograde and Mars’s stay in Pisces may cause us to more easily slip into distractions, so we’re encouraged to continue seeking out sources of inspiration to remind us of our goals and so we may stay vigilant in shifting our mindsets and beliefs to support our achieving them. And because of Aries’s fiery, explosive, and quick nature, be sure to allow yourself enough time when traveling short distances, whether you’re walking or driving. Car accidents caused by reckless, distracted, sleepy, or aggressive driving or by driving under the influence of alcohol or other substances are more likely to occur under these influences, so be especially diligent about putting your phone down and paying attention to the road and those around you when getting to where you need to be. This is not shared to scare you, but only to make you aware. Pisces governs dreams, illusions, substances, drugs, alcohol, sleep, and distraction, and with the ruler of Aries passing through this sign, these things may have more of an influence over the themes of this Mercury retrograde. However, this also means that we can use our dreams to help us rewire our subconscious minds while we’re sleeping by asking for dreams that will help us accomplish such goals.

Mars being in Pisces means that the harder we try to get things done, the less likely we are to accomplish them, as this energy is like trying to capture and control the ocean itself. We accomplish more when we are trying less, when we are following butterflies, daydreaming, and listening to our feelings. If you can chase what inspires and excites you under this energy, you may reap great rewards, as this retrograde urges us to turn inward and ask ourselves, “What am I passionate about? What lights me up? How can I create more of that in my life?” While there may be some misunderstandings between us and our loved ones, or we may be tested to have patience when dealing with written things or technology, this retrograde has a lot of good to offer us if we can slow down enough to listen. This is such a lovely time for deep self-exploration—to revisit our inner worlds to assess if we’re still on a path that envigorates us and makes us feel alive. There may be many new beginnings, ventures, projects, and paths budding under this bright energy, and all we must do is allow it to grow. We may think that we are doing ourselves greater service by over-involving ourselves with these new things, but becoming too aggressively obsessive may smother them. Think of the discoveries that you uncover during this time as precious little embers finding a place to land. Give them space and consistent and gentle breaths of life, and you may effortlessly create a glorious flame.

Read the horoscopes below to learn how this may more specifically impact you. Check your rising sign for primary guidance and your sun and moon signs for additional insights.