Mercury retrograde is coming… and we are not panicking.
In this episode of the Emberwing Collective Podcast, Kimberly and Vicki explore Mercury retrograde from two very different but complementary perspectives. Kimberly sees it as a powerful window for completion, closure, and clearing stuck energy. Vicki approaches it through mindfulness, neutrality, and the practice of witnessing disruption without overreacting.
Together, they unpack:
What Mercury retrograde actually is
Why communication and technology tend to go sideways
The difference between superstition and energy awareness
How unfinished business resurfaces for closure
Why old relationships reappear
When to sign contracts and when to double-check everything
How mindfulness stabilizes reactive seasons
What NOT to do during retrograde
The 2026 retrograde dates and what the water signs may amplify
This is not a fear-based episode. It is a grounded, psychologically informed conversation about cycles, awareness, boundaries, and completion.
Because awareness is useful. Fear is optional.
Listen in and navigate this retrograde season with clarity instead of chaos.
Transcripts
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My two business partners there are, they're not the woo woowee kind of people like I am. I sometimes am almost just too much for them. Like they're a little bit like, oh my word. But what's funny is now after years and years of being around me, when things start getting weird in their lives, like they, they look around and they're like aware that things are bizarre.
ou with that. I, let me grab [:
And it's interesting because Vicki and I approach Mercury retrograde in a little bit of a different way. It has a different meaning for me than it does for her. And I think that it probably represents between the two of us, probably 85% of the population between one way or the other. But before we dive into that conversation.
Let's talk a little bit about what Mercury retrograde is, because sometimes people get confused about this. So Mercury retrograde is when Mercury goes backwards. So Mercury is the planet of movement, and when it goes backwards astrologically and energetically, and if we think of it, energetically, as all of these things in the universe pull on us and pull in different directions, they're all magnetic
it is all [:
It is really a time when conversations and communication and the technology that supports those things can just simply go haywire, for lack of a better term. And so when Mercury retrograde comes up, you may find yourself revisiting old conversations. You may find yourself revisiting old relationships.
cury retrograde. It is oddly [:
I'm the weirdo that loves it because I get so many things checked off my list during Mercury retrograde. It's like the universe is okay this is the time for you to finish everything that you started. So here it is. Here it is. Here it is. Wow. And it gives it to me in a way I can complete it.
But if you have unfinished decisions, half expressed truths, lingering resentments or avoidances, those are gonna get rubbed on during this particular period. These disruptions are really pointing to where the energy is stuck because it's going backwards now when Mercury goes back to being direct or moving in the direction that it's supposed to, that energy unfreezes.
up for us to notice. I frame [:
During this time of year I've heard that. Or this time I've, yeah. It's a dangerous time to sign contracts. It, here's how I sort of float through that. 'cause I've signed a lot of contracts during Mercury retrograde. If it is a contract that has come. Around before. In other words, previously it has wandered into my life.
to a person I'd been renting [:
a month of moving in, and that was actually like two years before we actually got it done. It took forever and we went all the way through these weird cycles and different attorneys and it was like, it was problematic, let's put it that way. And then it came back around with a closing date during Mercury retrograde, and I stopped for a moment because I realized it, because of course I look at the calendar.
Sure. And I'm like this means that this is actually gonna go through. And it did. It completed that cycle. It closed the loop. It's been a very positive thing. So when you're approached with a contract and you know it's a closure, this is a good time for you to do it. However, regardless of that, you need to cross all the T's and dot all the i's.
wanna take your eye off the [:
because you're done with that energy. Which is the old boyfriend energy of Mercury retrograde. Sure. Right? Right. It's that here the universe says here look at this guy again. Do you think that he'd be good for you? Do you, have you learned? I always think of it as like some guide of mine is probably giggling in the background going, do you think she's learned her lesson here
. Travel plans sometimes get [:
I don't know if there's an actual study that does that, but I know in my personal experience, if I'm gonna get a delayed flight, it's generally during Mercury retrograde. All of these things can cause people to be more reactive and because of all of these things that keep coming back and getting thrown in their face, it is really a time when people's like nerve endings are on fire.
And if you listen to our last episode. We are combining that with the combustible material of entering into the fire horse season, getting ready to go into spring and then all of the volatility everywhere across our planet. And the Mercury retrograde can be scary, but we don't need to panic.
erybody. Some people feel it [:
One of the things about mindfulness is when you're actively practicing it, there, there comes this ability to create a witness aspect to our lives and that creates neutrality, right? We can see events unfolding, but we don't get emotionally charged or reactive. And so that's how, I guess I approach some of these seasons of time where there's things going on that might be outside of my control for sure.
behavior and how I approach [:
So anyway it's a very different approach. Again. Yeah. Mercury retrograde can be a really good scapegoat too. Yeah, sure. Just blame it on Mercury retrograde and move on. And you know what? There is nothing wrong with that. Even if you do not believe in Mercury retrograde, believe me, Mercury retrograde does not care.
If you make it the scapegoat it really could care less. The whole planet is not concerned with us at all. And if that lets you release some stuff, by all means, go ahead and do it. Sure. Yep.
e. So for me, I reframe this [:
When Mercury retrograde shows up, like bring it on. Bring it on. I am ready. There are some cycles that I am ready to kiss goodbye forever. For me, it's when I stalled projects can become finishable if I'm open to them being finishable. So part of that is me being aware of where I'm holding stuck energy in my body, where I'm holding stuck energy in my subconscious, where my conscious mind is trying to talk me outta things.
finished business completion [:
given me the power to do for myself and also to help other people walk through that process is one of the most powerful things you can do because every time one of those loops is left open it's a place that drains energy from you. Absolutely. It's a place that drains your excitement. It's a place that is also open for other things to take advantage of.
Closing the loop is a really good practice for the Survival guide, and if Mercury Retrograde has brought it back up for you, now is the time to talk to your therapist or talk to a gestaltist or work with a hypnotherapist or do some journaling about it so that you can close the loop. Whatever works for you, friend, do it.
s it's going through, it's a [:
And it's not sometimes an immediate feel better. It's like getting over a cold sometimes it takes a few days in that kinda liminal limbo space before you get back to normal or better than normal. And just another survival guide here with starting new things. If you are starting new things during Mercury retrograde and they're brand spanking new
it may be a little bit more difficult than things that are coming back around that you wanna pick back up. So an example of this is if you've been toying with writing a novel and all of a sudden you're super inspired starting on February the 26th to start writing your novel, that is a loop, my friend, that is closing.
ade is the time when I clear [:
Of noticing and adjusting and seeing what what is my pattern? And I guess the space might open up the opportunity to amplify what my pattern is so that I get some clarity or additional clarity. And by paying attention, I'm going to notice things when they loop around again, or at least I hope that I notice.
staying present and aware to [:
Yeah, that's a big part of it. It asks us to do that. Closing loops asks you to be present. Absolutely. It really does. It does. It does. So let's talk about what we're not going to do during Mercury retrograde.
So this is always part of every Good Survival guide is don't do this. You're not gonna blame Mercury for poor boundaries. You can make it your scapegoat for a lot of other things, but don't make it a scapegoat for your poor boundaries. Don't avoid responsibility. That's actually a really good way to get that cycle to repeat again.
on't amplify your chaos with [:
Like we don't need anticipatory Mercury retrograde craziness. That's not a place any of us wanna live. So don't like over anticipate. Be aware, but no over anticipation. And don't just assume discomfort means danger or lack of progress. Sometimes really good progress comes through something not being really super comfortable.
any closing thoughts. So the:
dates for whatever year you wanna know a Mercury retrograde. If you wanna do the boyfriend math from years ago, you can go back. There's a record book been [00:17:00] kept. But for this year, it's February 26th through March 20th. That is in Pisces, which means there's probably gonna be a lot of emotions..
d. And then the final one for:
And if you want a little added boost of what happens during that period of time, that is election, that is midterms. Go see what I just said about not anticipatory craziness. Yeah. Here's my takeaway. Awareness is useful. Fear is optional. There you go. I love that. That needs to be on somebody's T-shirt, right?
b on me the other day when I [:
just as a little a side note, because it really didn't make a lot of sense in what I was talking about. But that's funny. Don't get extra credit for suffering. All right, you guys, thank you for hanging out with us today. Please go check out our website EmberwingCollective.com. We'd love to see you in our community when it gets open, we're still in a beta version, so drop us an email and say, Hey, when you're ready to really roll out, or, Hey, I'm willing to be a Guinea pig, and we will either let you in or keep you on the DL as to what we're up.
