Things to Avoid to Do Under Mercury Retrograde: Survival Guide

The cosmos is a magnificent, intricate clockwork, and every so often, one of its gears seems to spin in reverse, creating a ripple effect right here on Earth. This refers to the infamous celestial event that sends a collective shiver down the spines of those attuned to planetary cycles: Mercury Retrograde. Three to four times a year, the planet that governs communication, travel, contracts, and technology appears to move backward in the sky. This is merely an illusion—a cosmic optical effect—but the energetic shift is profoundly real. It’s a transit that demands we slow down, review, and reassess, often by creating frustrating delays and misunderstandings. Therefore, it is essential to understand the things to avoid to do under Mercury retrograde if you wish to maintain peace and flow in your life.

This period is not a curse, but a cosmic comma—a moment to pause your rapid-fire forward momentum. However, to sail through these weeks with minimal friction, we must be acutely aware of the things to avoid to do under Mercury retrograde. Understanding these celestial cautions is an essential toolkit for not just surviving, but truly thriving during this reflective period. Embrace this time as an opportunity for deep internal work, rather than fighting the strong currents of universal energy.

🚫 Communication Calamities: What Not to Sign, Say, or Send

Mercury rules the mind, the tongue, and the handshake—the entirety of how we transmit and receive information. When it is in its apparent backward motion, the wires get crossed, and the universe essentially puts static on the line. Therefore, a major pillar of the things to avoid to do under Mercury retrograde revolves around our interactions and commitments.

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  Avoid Initiating Major New Contracts and Agreements

  This is the golden rule of retrograde. Think of a contract as a foundational document for a new beginning. When Mercury is retrograde, the foundation is shaky. Critical details may be overlooked, key information might be hidden, or the terms of the agreement could be misunderstood and require a complete rewrite once Mercury goes direct. This applies to business partnerships, new leases, verbal commitments for a major project, and especially the purchase of big-ticket items. Verbal agreements are just as prone to being fluid and changeable as written ones.

  • What to Do Instead: Use this time for reviewing, revising, and researching. Go over existing contracts, renegotiate old terms, or draft potential new documents—but wait to apply the final signature until after the shadow period ends. If a deadline forces your hand, read every line three times and obtain a discerning second opinion.
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  Avoid Jumping to Conclusions or Having Crucial Conversations

  The mind is prone to misfires during a retrograde. Emotional communication is especially prone to error, as words can be twisted, tones misinterpreted, and intentions completely missed. Before sending that heated email or scheduling a confrontational meeting, pause. The information being based on a reaction might be incomplete or wrong. People are more likely to speak without thinking, resulting in unintended offense.

  • Spiritual Tip: Engage in active listening and practice the “four corners” rule (Is it true? Is it kind? Is it necessary? Is it the right time?). If it can wait, let it wait. If it can’t, use crystal-clear, compassionate language and always confirm that the other person understood the intended message. Over-communication is necessary during this time to avoid misunderstandings.

🗺️ Planetary Pauses: Things to Avoid to Do Under Mercury Retrograde for Travel and Technology

The second major domain Mercury governs is movement and mechanics. As the celestial messenger, it manages our day-to-day commute, large-scale travel, and all the devices that facilitate communication and movement—phones, cars, computers. During the retrograde, expect cosmic slowdowns and glitches in these areas.

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  Avoid Purchasing Brand New High-Ticket Technology

  The energy of the retrograde seems to carry an inherent quality of fault. When purchasing a new laptop, phone, or car, there is a risk of it being a “lemon.” A technical flaw, a compatibility issue, or the release of a better model the moment Mercury stations direct are common mishaps. This also applies to launching new websites or major advertising campaigns—they are prone to glitches and will likely need an overhaul later.

  • What to Do Instead: If a replacement is desperately needed, consider buying refurbished or used items—they are already re-viewed and re-cycled, aligning perfectly with the retrograde’s energy of the ‘re-‘ prefix. If buying new is unavoidable, be sure to meticulously review the warranty and back up all data beforehand. Technology often fails during this time, so be prepared for a forced digital detox.
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  Avoid Impulsive, Non-Essential Travel

  While essential business trips or family holidays planned long ago are unavoidable, try to avoid booking a spontaneous, complicated, non-essential trip during the retrograde. Expect significant delays, confusing itinerary changes, lost luggage, or reservations that mysteriously disappear.

  • Practical Advice: Double-check and triple-check all travel documents and reservations. Leave plenty of extra time for your commute. Pack patience—the universe is simply asking you to slow down and enjoy the journey, even the unexpected detours. Delays are often a form of divine redirection, forcing a miss of an event or connection that wasn’t ultimately meant for the highest good.

🔙 Internal Reversals: Avoiding Impulsive Life-Altering Moves

Mercury Retrograde is a time where the past comes back for review. We are invited to re-think old decisions, re-connect with old friends (or enemies), and re-work personal projects. The things to avoid to do under Mercury retrograde in this domain are those actions that lack introspection or are driven by pure, unexamined impulse.

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  Avoid Starting Brand New Projects or Relationships

  Just as one avoids signing contracts, avoid launching any new endeavors—whether it’s a business, a course, a major career change, or even a brand-new romantic relationship. Anything initiated now is likely to be imprinted with the retrograde’s chaotic, slow-moving energy, and you may find yourself overhauling the entire thing once Mercury is direct. The details guiding decisions are incomplete.

  • What to Do Instead: This is the perfect time to pick up a project that was previously set down—a manuscript, an old hobby, a painting, or a cleaning and organization project. The retrograde favors the ‘re-‘ words: re-flect, re-store, re-charge, re-vise, re-organize, re-connect. Revisit old projects and tie up loose ends that have been hanging over your head.
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  Avoid Responding to Karmic Connections with Unexamined Action

  It’s a hallmark of Mercury Retrograde for people from the past—ex-lovers, old friends, or estranged colleagues—to resurface. This “boomerang” effect is a celestial gift, a chance to gain closure and re-examine the lessons from those connections. However, a crucial point to avoid is acting on these resurfaced connections with unexamined emotional impulse.

  • Spiritual Tip: Do not text a toxic ex back expecting a different outcome without deep internal work. Instead, talk relationship thoughts out with a trusted confidante or journal about why this old energy is being addressed now. Reflect on the karmic pattern, learn the lesson, and only then decide if a healthy reconnection is truly aligned with the path forward.
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  Avoid Drastic, Superficial Changes to Your Appearance

  Since human judgment is clouded, this is a particularly poor time for any major elective surgery. Similarly, it is advised against impulsive, drastic changes to your appearance—like getting bangs, a radical new hair dye, or a large, spontaneous tattoo. The risk of misunderstanding the stylist’s intent or regretting the decision once your logical mind is clearer is extremely high.

  • What to Do Instead: Revisit a classic hairstyle that was once loved. Focus on re-visiting and re-fining existing wardrobe and beauty routines, rather than introducing something brand new that may require a costly, messy fix later.

💖 The Retrograde’s Silver Lining: A Cosmic Invitation

It’s easy to view the things to avoid to do under Mercury retrograde as a list of restrictions, but try to see them as a cosmic invitation. The universe is telling you to slow down, giving permission to pause the frantic forward march of modern life. It breaks things that are not aligned with your highest good, forcing you to build something on a stronger foundation.

Instead of fighting the delays and the glitches, treat this time as an astrological retreat. Be gentle with yourself and with others, assume nothing, and confirm everything. By honoring this period of celestial review, you will not just survive the retrograde; you will emerge from it with clarity, a cleansed life, and a powerful, revised plan ready for execution when Mercury finally stations direct.

The current retrograde ends on November 29, 2025. Be prepared to apply these lessons and move forward with clear intention in December!

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