Mercury retrograde 2022 is here! This astrological phenomenon occurs four times a year. This mercury retrograde lasts from September 9, 2022 to October 1, 2022.

But what is mercury retrograde? And how do we survive and thrive during this period? To answer these questions, we sat down with British Vogue’s resident astrologer, Alice Bell.

You don’t need to do a specific activity or ritual to prepare for Mercury retrograde. However, try to be aware of any recurring thoughts or frustrations about a specific situation or relationship that have been coming up in the lead up to the retrograde. That will tell you what the particular theme of the retrograde will be about for you, and what areas you may need to address and work on. At your job, you may want to brace for delays with projects, and definitely be open to changes needing to be made. Typically whatever you’re focused on at the start of the retrograde won’t look exactly the same by the end of it.

Virgo and Gemini are always the signs affected the most by Mercury retrograde, because Mercury is the ruling planet of these two signs. This particular retrograde starts in Libra and finishes in Virgo though, so Libra is another sign that will be strongly affected. If you have Virgo, Gemini, or Libra as your sun, moon, or rising, you may be facing more confusion than other people about what your next steps need to be, or you could be reflecting a lot on what goals and interests are important to you.

Because Mercury is the planet that has to do with communication, any task involving communication like writing, speaking, or connecting through technology may be thrown into disarray. You will want to double check any important texts or emails, because oftentimes your tone of voice will be misinterpreted more than usual during a retrograde. Also try to have any huge conversations in person if you can, and be careful about how you word what you want to say. In addition, there may be technology issues that arise, like social media glitches or your computer malfunctioning, so make sure to back up your work.

Mercury retrograde is a great time to revisit any past interests, revise work you’ve done up until this point, or reconnect with old friends. However, one thing you won’t want to do is immediately jump back into a relationship with an ex. Oftentimes, the same problems that existed before in the relationship will resurface once the retrograde is over.

You also should not beat yourself up over not having your future perfectly planned out. The retrograde often causes feelings of self doubt to arise, so I wouldn’t freak out if you’re feeling a bit confused or frustrated. Finally, you won’t want to put your life on hold or say no to opportunities just because it’s Mercury retrograde. Any huge events like moving, getting married, or accepting a job offer are fine to do, just expect possible delays to occur.

Mercury retrograde can often cause you to intensely reflect on a situation from the past or feelings you may have been avoiding and repressing for the past couple of months. It urges you to voice anything that might be upsetting you. However, try to do so tactfully, rather than hastily confronting anyone you’re annoyed with.