Mercury Retrograde Horoscopes – August 23, 2023

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If you’re already feeling tired and disoriented—like you’re just not yourself—there’s a good chance you can blame it on Mercury retrograde. When the planet of communication and cognitive function is spinning backwards from our perspective here on Earth, it has a way of making your brain work twice as hard in order to function. Although everyone will feel its classic symptoms, you need to look into how Mercury retrograde will affect each zodiac sign from August to September 2023, because it will always paint a deeper picture of what this experience means for you.

Although Mercury retrograde is basically universally despised, it’s important to remember this experience truly isn’t the end of the world. After all, it only takes place around 3 to 4 times per year, which means Mercury retrograde is not only a familiar experience to you, but an integral part of your annual solar journey!

Lasting around three weeks, this so-called “communication crisis” has a way of dredging up unresolved drama from your past, especially if a conversation has been left on “read” for far too long. As Mercury begins its backward tailspin across the zodiac, it brings attention to situations that remain unsettled, providing you a platform to gain closure and leave the past behind you.

However, let’s also remember that Mercury is considered the trickster planet, and while retrograde, Mercury finds joy in making our lives inconvenient to the max. You can expect an increase in delays, frustrations, miscommunications and even technological mishaps. And when Mercury is retrograde, plans are rarely ever set in stone, so it’s not the most ideal time to sign contracts or make life-altering decisions. By that same token, this doesn’t mean you need to live in fear, as sometimes, you really have no choice but to say “screw you, Mercury retrograde” and do things your own way.

On August 23 at 3:59 p.m. ET, Mercury will station retrograde at 21 degrees Virgo. Because this retrograde begins in Virgo, the mutable earth sign associated with logic, hard work, health, analysis, competence, and intelligence, it could cause several of your plans to grind to a screeching halt. Although Mercury technically rules over Virgo—which lessens some of the negative impact—you can expect this experience to force you to go back to the basics and rebuild your Universe. It’s time to make things a little more organized and efficient, because Virgo craves big doses of information that can be processed in a meaningful way. However, because this retrograde begins at the 21st degree—a.k.a. the Sagittarius degree—we can expect it to impact travel, education, and the way you indulge in experiences. The 21st degree induces hunger for knowledge and well-earned epiphanies, prompting you to get lost during this retrograde and find your way back to yourself. By taking a new, untrodden path, you’re discovering so many new things about yourself on the way.

Because Mercury stations direct at 8 degrees Virgo, there will be a burst of passion, intensity, and even closure waiting for you at the finish line when Mercury retrograde finally ends on September 15 at 4:21 p.m. ET. The 8th degree—which is the Scorpio degree—you may find yourself face to face with a life-altering secret. As long-repressed information rises to the surface, false knowledge evaporates and is replaced with motivating—and often gut-wrenching—clarity. Don’t ignore what you don’t want to see, as the truth will always set you free.