Weather 
Bite your tongues and raise your arrows, folks. Mercury is moving into the mutable fire of Sagittarius this week.
Messenger planet Mercury enters the bow and quiver of Sagittarius on October 29.
Our planet of the mind and the mouth will be retrograding through Sagittarius and Scorpio through the end of the year, meaning we’ll spend an unusually long period of time under the shadow of the centaur.
Mercury, named for the emissary of the gods and patron saint of thieves and roads, rules communication of all kinds — from sonnets to sexting, trolling to extolling.
Under the influence of expansive, heady, and at times insufferably self-righteous Sagittarius, our discourse takes on the fire of philosophy and the search for the forest through the proverbial trees.
“Mercury’s tumultuous and extended journey through Sagittarius promises plenty of transformation and individual alchemy, as the normally swift-moving planet slows down and stations retrograde at 6 degrees of Sagittarius on November 9, slides backward into Scorpio on November 18, and finally re-enters Sagittarius on December 11, where it stays for the rest of 2025,” astrologer Rachel Ruth Tate, certified of Casinos Analyzer told The Post.
Tate says buckle up, babies, and prepare to have your beliefs questioned and your core rocked.
“Get ready for discoveries to be made and new levels of experience to be unlocked as we collectively enter Mercury’s end-of-the-year trial by fire. The only way out is through,” Tate said.
How to manage the mayhem?
“Stay humble and curious! The resilience of all faith – faith in oneself, one’s purpose, or one’s creator – is inevitably born in doubt, soul-searching, and final redemption.”
Tate shared that Mercury is in its detriment in Sagittarius, meaning the planet struggles to express its full potential. In Sag, Mercury can be impulsive and imprudent, more about breadth than depth, quick to respond, and prone to overpromise and underdeliver.
“Mercury in this part of the zodiac craves adventure and is prone to flights of fancy and interest, as opposed to mundane reading, writing, or measurement. In Sagittarius, the mind wants to soar with the eagles, and prefers poetry and philosophy to data entry and correspondence.”
She advises all signs to let their minds roam and lean into conversations that challenge perceptions, patterns, and long-held beliefs. Welcome the weird in any shape.
Who feels it the most?
“Though we will all be filtering our thoughts through a Sagittarian lens during Q4, some of us will be feeling it more than others. Read below for Sun, Moon, or Rising signs, and note that these effects will intensify if you have planets or points in the first 6 degrees of Sagittarius,” shared Tate.
Gemini is ruled by Mercury; thus, the people of the twin are particularly sensitive to the planet’s motions.
“Whenever Mercury stations retrograde, you become more introspective than you are used to, and this cycle is asking you some fundamental questions about the quantity and quality of your primary relationships,” said Tate.
She notes that all that self-inquiry can feel heavy, not your favorite space to operate in or from. However, this transit offers you the chance to wade in the deep end so you can eventually lighten your burden.
“Are there major edits or interruptions to your regularly scheduled daily programming that call into question how you’re spending your time, and with whom? Identify where you can get more margin in your life and take care to notice what (and who) you really want.”
Another Mercury-ruled sign, Virgo, will be directly and profoundly impacted by the planet’s extended stay in Sagittarius.
“Sagittarius represents one of the deepest and most private parts of your chart, containing your home life, family, and lineage. This transit will bring up both old stories and new conversations about what these themes mean in the present context, as well as what it means to belong to the family that you are a part of.”
If, like many of us, your family dynamic is rife with rift, Tate encourages you to use this Mercury cycle to investigate the how and why.
“It’s worth considering how and why communication has broken down, and potentially how those avenues of exchange may be built back better, if not with the family you came from, at least with the family you choose.”
This Mercury cycle, complete with retrograde, is going down in your sign and your first house of identity, Sagittarius!
“This makes the rest of this year the ideal time for a life review of sorts. Jupiter, your ruling planet, is exalted in Cancer and stations retrograde a few days after Mercury does, on November 11 with your ruling planet retrograde and Mercury moving backward in the part of your chart that represents your self and body, all cosmic signs point to renewed focus on an essential self-editing process which you’ve been undergoing for a while now,” shared Tate.
She notes that identifying issues is not the same as addressing them.
“Consider which partners or friends could help you refresh your daily routine and improve emotional hygiene. You have until 2026 to think things over with the encouragement of this Mercury transit, so take your time and all the help you can get!”
Astrologer Reda Wigle researches and irreverently reports on planetary configurations and their effect on each zodiac sign. Her horoscopes integrate history, poetry, pop culture, and personal experience. To book a reading, visit her website.
