Mercury Goes Into Pre-Shadow Retrograde On December 12th, 2022

Mercury will go into Pre-Shadow Retrograde in Capricorn, causing us to look at many situations with our friendships and how we take responsibility.

Mercury in CapricornPhoto byImage by author

After two months, we’re now back for another edition of Mercury Retrograde, 2022.

And also 2023!!

Mercury will go retrograde at the end of this month, causing it to be an end-of-the-year event while also opening up a brand-new period.

This year, we had Mercury Retros in Earth and Air Signs. Therefore, it Retrograded out of the one sign and then backed into the late degrees of the other, creating one regressive cycle in two different elements.

So, over the last 12 months, we had lessons about relationships, communication, and learning to work on our mindset in the Air Sign portions. Then a period of reevaluation of stability, resources, and practicality through the Earth placement section of the inverse cycles.

Now that we’re finally at the last part of this cycle, we’re fully getting a reassessment time in Earth. And because Mercury is in Capricorn, it will allow us to get honest about our priorities.

How Does The Pre and Post Shadow Retrograde Work?!

A pre-shadow period for Mercury begins when this planet starts to reduce speed for 2 weeks before it goes retrograde.

As the celestial body is in its transitionary point, it decelerates to see what needs to be reevaluated before it goes into the backward motion of the inverse cycle.

Therefore, the preliminary period is a time to observe the things you were moving too fast to notice while the celestial body was in its regular forward motion. This will allows us to examine what needs to be resolved and reorient to what will improve our lives.

Retrogrades cause us to retrace our steps; this is why it’s good to pay attention during the pre-shadow section. We get our topic for the regressive period staring us in the face, so if you could give yourself more leverage, why not make a note of these matters so you can be more prepared?!

Writing down as many vital points as possible during these portions is essential. An excellent way to see your personal Retrograde pattern is by observing repeating scenarios that continue to occur over the next few weeks.

So, if you’re being aspected by the regressive cycle, you’ll see the same problem become repetitious. Generally, the issue will show up 3 times before you become clear about how to resolve it.

For example, because Mercury governs our mind and grasp on left brain subjects, this could be a period when you’re working on how you comprehend data. As a result, there might be 3 scenarios where you must recalibrate how you learn information, reconfigure your thoughts, so they flow better, and reorient your internal dialog.

Because Mercury deals with what we do every day and the plans we make, this could be a period when our routine is thrown off, or plans keep getting rescheduled. Also, this planet deals with details, so during this pre-shadow, you might have to review important information a few times to ensure you have your facts straight.

Or, during this preliminary time, your scenario could be about paying attention to vital details. Therefore, you might have to go back to documents, work projects, and services to ensure you’re reading everything and sending it out correctly.

Mercury also governs communication, so this might be a time to return to a conversation that needs to be resolved somehow. Sometimes this can be about patching things up with someone if there was a misunderstanding.

Say it’s an argument that keeps reemerging between you and one of your parents about priorities and maturity over the pre-shadow; this will come up a few times during the retrograde until it is settled. Or, if it’s work-related, it could be about having to revisit something misconstrued during a meeting or over email.

Once the full retrograde takes place, all the earlier issues will actively play out so we can clear them up.

After the planet goes Direct, we move to the post-shadow phase, where the topics that hit us the most continue to happen; however, we can deal with them more clearly and feel like we are in the driver’s seat. Because we’ve now dealt with the issues multiple times, this section is more accessible because we’re clearer-minded and know how to pivot.

We’ve hit our stride and can now begin to move forward from our retrograde saga because it takes Mercury 2 weeks to leave this portion of the inverse phase.

Early Themes For The Mercury Retrograde In Capricorn Series

Mercury Transiting Into Pre-Retrograde Shadow ChartPhoto bySirius Software

Mercury RX in Capricorn will be about commitment issues, integrity, critical thinking, and coldness toward others. Since this regressive period will be fully in Capricorn, we won’t get a break like last year when it was only in the last few degrees of this Sign.

Because Capricorn is about climbing the ladder in our career, this could be about looking at how you can advance or if it’s time to move forward from a job because there’s no upward mobility.

We could feel more focused on getting our priorities straight to ensure a successful life overall.

Capricorn deals with outward security, so this could make us aware of problems with folks who try to control your funds. In other words, energy like this makes us aware of resources someone is dangling over our heads.

On top of that, we have a Mars Retrograde co-occurring at this event.

Mercury is the depositor for Mars, meaning this planet governs Gemini and, for this reason, could create more off-kilter situations. Both Mercury and Mars have aspected one another and will continue to make transits throughout this regressive cycle which could cause this inverse phase to feel more enunciated.

Also, this Retrograde will go over the spots that Venus Retrograde did last year so it could bring up themes from that period.

Our relationships and finances were critical topics during Venus Retrograde in Capricorn. So, if there were any issues regarding that area of life, you might see this regressive period bring up love life and money issues from November 5th to January 29th last year.

The Shadow Periods are a time to reflect and take notes about what could occur. That way, you'll feel more prepared when you go through the retrograde.

I'm not saying it'll be easy breezy, but it will help you identify the themes and tackle them more confidently.

So yeah, this will be quite an interesting Mercury RX Phase.

Of course, I will talk more about it as we approach this Retrograde but start paying attention to Capricorn situations in your life because they will pop back up over the next month.

Mercury will retrograde on December 29th, then Station Direct on January 12th, 2023.

The Cardinal Signs between 6 to 29 degrees of Aries, Cancer, Libra, and Capricorn will experience this inverse cycle more than other Zodiac placements.

So yep, we’re not leaving 2022 quietly on top of simultaneously opening up 2023 with a bang, but let’s work this to our advantage.

Mercury In Capricorn RX dates to remember:

• Transited Into Capricorn on December 6th
• Goes Retro at 24 Capricorn at Shadow 8°
• Pre-Retrograde Shadow 12/12 2022
• Retrograde 12/29/2022
• Direct 1/18/23
• Leaves Post Shadow 2/7/23
• Moves Out Of Capricorn Feb 11th, 2023