5 Powerful Ways To Enhance Your Love Life & Relationships When Mercury Is In Retrograde This Halloween
Mercury retrograde and Halloween — what a spooky and juicy combination!
Almos Bechtold via Unsplash That’s right, the next Mercury retrograde (or Rx for short) kicks in right on Halloween this year and it's the best time to deepen the love and intimacy in your romantic relationships.
You’ve heard the dire predictions for when Mercury is in retrograde: Don’t sign any contracts or make reservations! Count on travel troubles! Watch your language! Back up your computer! Be prepared to feel depressed/confused/pessimistic!
But, how did Mercury in retrograde get such a bad rap in pop culture?
Let’s backtrack a bit for the uninitiated and look at what’s actually happening in the heavens during a Mercury Rx.
In astrology, Mercury is the planetary archetype that governs how we think and how we communicate what we’re thinking, whether it’s through writing, speaking, or teaching.
It also governs transportation (Mercury was the Roman god of travelers and the messenger of the gods) and when it goes retrograde, which it will from October 31 to November 20 of this year, all of those areas can be affected.
Mercury retrograde occurs 3-4 times a year. Picture a planetary cha-cha happening in the heavens. We, Earthlings, are riding along on our planet, circling the Sun, while our neighbors on Mercury are zooming around with us, though a wee bit slower.
Periodically, we pass them in our orbiting race, and like passing a car on the highway, they seem to be moving backward — voilà, the retrograde!
It’s true that sometimes you can just sail through a Mercury Rx period without a blip. My theory is that if Mercury is not triggering (or "transiting" as we say in astrology) something significant in your natal chart, you might not feel its effects at all.
For instance, this upcoming Mercury retrograde is in the zodiac sign of Scorpio, so if your Sun sign is Scorpio or you have any other planets in that sign, you might want to take note.
Obviously, you need to have your birth chart in hand to know that, and you can get that calculated in a number of places (one place to try is Café Astrology). Then, you just need to find someone to interpret the Astro-language in it to see if/when you’ll be affected.
So, what’s so special about Mercury Retrograde starting on Halloween?
If you’re a lover of symbolism like I am, there’s a lot to play with here! You’ve got a general idea of the energy of Mercury retrograde, so now let’s look at the rich universal meanings attached to our modern holiday of Halloween.
Since ancient times, cultures all over the world have marked the seasonal "wheel of the year" with celebrations reflecting the cycles of nature. (For a wonderful review of those multi-cultural celebrations, Donna Henes talks about them in her book, Celestially Auspicious Occasions.)
At this time of year, as the daylight hours continue to diminish ever so slowly in the Northern Hemisphere, it seems that nature herself is dying as well — the leaves decay, the birds head south, the first frosts appear.
The harvest is brought in and the fields have been prepared to lay dormant for the long winter. Animals disappear into hibernation, slowing their heartbeats down to simulate death.
In the weeks that follow and well past the Winter Solstice, it does indeed seem that the Earth is poised in that same "in-between" time. Her flora and fauna appear to have died, but we know that they really only lie sleeping, ready to be reborn in the Spring.
In human communities as well, it was considered to be a magical, liminal time.
All Hallow’s Eve, the Celtic holy-day Samhain, and All Soul’s Day all celebrate that pivotal point on the Wheel of the Year when the veil is thought to be the thinnest between the living and the dead.
Food was left out on banquet tables in the villages to appease spirits who might be wandering around and, in the Middle Ages, "mummers" would dress up as ghosts or demons from the "other side", performing tricks in exchange for food or drink.
Sound familiar?
In Mexico, El Dia de Los Muertos (the Day of the Dead) is still celebrated with sugary skeletons and picnics on the grave sites of loved ones. The Dahomey of West Africa invites the spirits of their ancestors to join them at a harvest festival called Setting the Table.
Asian cultures honor their ancestors at this time as well. In Vietnam, it's called "Wandering Soul's Day". In China, it's the Receiving Ancestors Festival. And, in Japan, it is Obon.
You probably didn’t know that there was such a broad, worldwide backstory to the trick-or-treating, scary-costume-wearing traditions of our modern-day Halloween!
So how can you couple the powerful cosmic energy of Mercury in retrograde with this ancient seasonal symbolism to enhance your relationships?
We all want healthy relationships. And, the fact that this particular Mercury Rx falls in Scorpio really is a perfect pairing with the spirit of Halloween.
In astrology, Scorpio is ruled by the planet Pluto, the Roman god of the underworld, as in where souls go after they die.
Pluto's "underworld" is also a powerful metaphor for our personal subconscious, as it pulls us to examine our innermost feelings, urges, and psychological make-up. And the fact that Scorpio is a water sign only deepens that exploration.
This also explains Scorpio’s urge for transformation, self-mastery, and empowerment, as well as a meaningful and intimate connection with others (which, of course, includes sex).
Another good "trick" for capturing the positive side of Mercury Rx amidst all the scary "don'ts" is to play with your favorite "re" words — reflect, retreat, re-organize, and reconnect, to name a few.
If you keep these in mind along with your Halloween spirit, you and your sweetie can capitalize on this powerful combo so you'll have a healthy relationship that's deeper and more intimate than ever.
So, with that, here are 5 powerful ways to enhance your love life and romantic relationships during Mercury retrograde this Halloween.
1. Snuggle up and take a trip to the Land of the Dead
If you didn’t see the beautiful Disney/Pixar movie "Coco" when it came out, do it now!
Put aside any judgments you have about watching an animated kids’ movie — it’s really is a poignant story of family, culture, and love, with vibrant colors and terrific music.
Then, in honor of passionate Scorpio, you can have a fabulous love-making session!
2. Research your ancestral histories together
Exploring your family tree is all the rage now, and it has an even more meaningful impact in terms of Scorpio’s urge to go deep.
The better you know the person you are in a relationship with and where they come from, the better your understanding of what makes them tick which can only enhance your love life.
3. Create a family photo wall
After all of the research into your ancestry, you may come across photos of past generations in each of your families that can enrich your life today. If you’ve got kids, bring them into the project so they have a sense of their heritage.
Talk about how they might have their grandmother’s sense of humor or their great-grandfather’s eyes.
4. Construct an ancestors altar with special mementos
In the spirit of the Day of the Dead, you can create a joint altar for both of your loved ones who have died — parents, grandparents, and your favorite aunts and uncles.
You can use a simple cloth on the corner of your dresser with their pictures and some of their favorite flowers or maybe a ring or necklace they left you. Add some of their favorite food or drink as an offering — my dad loved peanut brittle so that’s always on my altar.
5. Re-connect with extended family or old friends
Planning a reunion is a powerful way to renew family ties, especially with those you don’t see regularly.
I’m not talking about the usual Thanksgiving/Holiday crew here, but rather, cousins you haven’t seen in a while or even dear friends you’ve lost touch with. Make sure you carve out time for story-telling and memory-sharing.
And given Mercury retrograde’s reputation and the fact that we’re descending into the deepest, darkest weeks of the year right now leading up to the Winter Solstice, it’s tempting to just go hibernate somewhere and wait 'til it’s all over.
But if you approach this "in-between" time with intention and a commitment to embrace the powerful energies flowing around us now, you could be in for some moments of classic Scorpio transformation!
Have a Happy Halloween!
Deborah Roth is a certified Relationship Coach and Interfaith Minister who loves supporting couples in navigating the ebbs and flows of maintaining and nurturing successful, long-term relationships. To learn more about her work, you can visit Spirited Living or email her to schedule an introductory couples coaching session or to get a list of her favorite relationship books.