Woo Woo Mum Podcast

Mercury Retrograde Survival Guide for Mums

• Alexandra Sheppard • Season 1 • Episode 2

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Mercury retrograde doesn’t have to mean chaos — especially for mums. In this episode of Woo Woo Mum, host Alexandra breaks down how to not just survive, but thrive during the upcoming Mercury Retrograde in Scorpio and Sagittarius.

You’ll learn:

  • What Mercury retrograde really is and why it’s not something to fear
  • Practical tips for mums: how to slow communication, prevent tech meltdowns, and protect your peace
  • How to find out which house the retrograde activates in your birth chart — and what that means for your family life, career, or inner world
  • Why people (and children!) born during Mercury retrograde experience this season differently
  • Journaling prompts to turn confusion into clarity and rediscover your emotional truth

If you’re feeling pulled between doing it all and needing deep rest, this episode will help you reframe Mercury retrograde as a cosmic slowdown, a time to reflect, recalibrate, and realign. Perfect for spiritually curious mums who want to bring more mindfulness and magic into motherhood.

Links Mentioned in the Episode:

https://www.astro-seek.com/

https://www.chani.com/app

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Alexandra (00:08.96)
Hello, hello, welcome to Woo Woo Mum podcast, the show for mums who want to connect with their inner magic. I'm Alex, I'm your host, and I am a new mum and obsessed with all things spiritual.

As we're entering Scorpio season, I thought it only appropriate that we talk about one of the biggest astrological events of the year, that is Mercury retrograde. Now, if you have any interest in astrology at all and you live on social media, chances are you've already seen the clickbaity posts telling you to fear this time and to prepare for a catac... Now, if you live on social media, chances are you've seen all the clickbaity posts...

urging you to fear this time and to batten down the hatches and that is not what you need to do with Mercure Retrograde at all. You do not need to fear this time, however, you do need to take some precautions to get the most out of this season and that's what we're going to talk about in this episode.

Alexandra (01:19.662)
So I really started my astrology journey about five years ago and Mercury Retrograde really triggered that journey for me because when I discovered it, I realized how it had affected me. Now you might not know this, but I'm an author. I write children's books and I have suffered a cataclysmic laptop breakdown at the worst possible time. And of course you can guess my work was not backed up. That happened during Mercury Retrograde.

And I think as a Gemini rising, it affects me a bit more and I'm going to go into that more later. So I take it very seriously. Again, you don't need to be afraid of it, but you do need to take it seriously in order to get the most out of this season.

Alexandra (02:09.356)
Mercury retrograde happens three to four times a year, which is why it feels like it's constantly rolling around and it lasts about three weeks at a time. But there is a shadow period and that shadow period lasts about a week or two on either side of the actual date. If you're wondering when the shadow period is, we're in it right now. So the shadow period has started even though Mercury retrograde does not officially start until November 9th. And it happens when Mercury, which is

the planet of communication and logic in astrology appears to go backwards in the sky for a few weeks. The actual planet is not going backwards, it's an optical illusion. But you can imagine the actual planet does not go backwards, it's an optical illusion. But the thing with astrology is that it operates on the principle of as above, so below the planets and what goes on the sky is a mirror of what happens in our world and in our everyday lives.

So when the planet that rules how we think and how we communicate goes haywire, this has consequences for the rest of us down on Earth.

Alexandra (03:23.436)
And I'm sorry to say that some people are affected more than others. And this is really just based on your birth chart. If you don't already have a birth chart to hand, I would absolutely recommend that you pause the podcast and go and look one up. I love AstroSeek.com or you can use the Chaney app, C-H-A-N-I. And when you look up your birth chart, if you can have your time of birth, then that would be really, really useful.

So Gemini and Virgo risings, this is going to affect you the most and I say that with myself included as a Gemini rising. Why? Because Mercury is our ruling planet.

Alexandra (04:07.502)
So if you are a Gemini or Virgo rising, then listen up because the tips that I'm going to come out with later are going to be super important for you. But if you're not, it might also affect you too. As well as ruling communication and logic, Mercury also rules things like short-term travel, media, sales, and basically anything to do with how we receive and process information.

which is huge. It's a big part of our everyday lives. And that's why I think mercury retrograde is so dreaded because it can have this effect where nothing seems to go smoothly and nothing seems to go to plan.

After all, we communicate on a daily basis.

Alexandra (04:59.32)
And this is also why Mercury retrograde can feel extra intense for moms. If you think about all the communication we do on a daily basis and the opportunity there is for breakdowns, things to be misheard, things to be miscommunicated, things can get really fractious really quickly. Think about the communication breakdowns you can have with your kids or your partner, misheard instructions and emotional misunderstandings as well.

And with this Mercury retrograde being in Scorpio as well, like that adds an extra layer of fighting spirit.

Alexandra (05:43.766)
As I said before, Mercury also rules things like technology. So technical chaos when you rely on digital camera.

Mercury also affects our technology. So Mercury retrograde means there's more likelihood for tech chaos. And you think about how tech rules our lives, it certainly rules mine when you rely on digital calendars, baby monitors, online schooling, anything to do with your work if your work takes place on a laptop or computer, like the possibilities for chaos are endless.

Alexandra (06:22.102)
And Mercury retrograde can sometimes bring this tension between feeling like you want to do it all because Mercury rules the mind. So you can feel like you're going mentally haywire and also that pull to retreat between motion and reflection because retrograde encourages reflection. And what we need to do is find the safe space in between the middle of that.

Alexandra (06:51.094)
And Mercury Retrograde can also bring this real tension between feeling like you want to get everything done because your mind is going haywire, but also wanting to reflect and retreat and wanting to turn inwards, which is actually what we're meant to be using this time period for. So trying to find that balance feels really difficult at times.

Alexandra (07:16.556)
I'm here to tell you that mercury retrograde is absolutely not purely negative and you can actually use this time really wisely and set yourself up for the next three months. But I'm here to tell you that mercury retrograde is not purely negative, far from it. So how do we use this time? So how do we use this time wisely? Well, the trick is in the name. So. Well, the trick is in the name.

So anything that starts with RE, RE is what we want to do at this time. We want to review, reflect, reconnect, reorganise, rest and revisit. This is not time for starting new things, for launching new things or making spontaneous plans. This is a time to go over and revisit, like turning over soil in order to ensure that something new and beautiful grows.

Alexandra (08:17.007)
It really helps to view this time, this Mercury retrograde time, as a cosmic slowdown, not a punishment. And if you're a mum who is in perpetual go mode, then this should feel like a real blessing.

Alexandra (08:48.441)
So if during this time you feel like you can't possibly get everything done, it's because this time is not for getting things done. It's for revisiting, replanning, recalibrating. And some practical survival strategies for you include, one, slowing down your communication. This is not a time to rinse.

So we have some practical survival strategies and my number one survival strategy for Mercury Retrograde is to slow down your communication. And this applies whether you're talking to your children, to your partner, to colleagues, to your neighbor, down the road, anything that has important information in, make sure you repeat it. Repeat key information, confirm plans, double check messages. This one catches me out every time.

but I cannot tell you the amount of times when it's been Mercury retrograde and I've missed trains that were right there on the platform. I've misread emails with important dates in. I've forgotten about an appointment until the calendar invite popped up on my phone 10 minutes before I was meant to be there. Even if you don't think you're the sort of person who usually forgets these sorts of things, Mercury retrograde can just do something and the chaos can catch you unaware. So repeat everything, double check.

everything. It'll take you an extra few minutes and it can be really worth saving yourself the headache later on down the line.

Alexandra (10:21.889)
Another practical tip is to have your tech safety nets in order. Back up those important files, write things down, screenshot appointments. If you work online or if you work in any industry where, and if you work in any sort of creative industry, I cannot tell you how important it is to back up those important files. As I said earlier, I'm an author and during Mercury retrograde, I triple back up my writing.

because I know what it's like to lose thousands and thousands of words and set yourself back months in terms of workload. Now might be a good time to look into investing in a Dropbox account or something similar, somewhere where you can safely store your work, your photos, anything digital and meaningful in a way that...

You know, so if your phone breaks or if your laptop breaks, it's still stored somewhere safely in the cloud. Very boring, but very, very, very important. And I can sleep easy at night knowing that everything from my wedding videos to my precious photos of my child's first year of life to all of my book manuscripts are safely backed up in Dropbox. It's the best, like, £95 I spend a year.

Alexandra (11:45.699)
My next tip for surviving mercury retrograde is to buffer your schedule. So add margins for delays. Any delays. My next tip for surviving mercury retrograde is to buffer your schedule. Try to avoid having things booked in back to back to back. Add room for error just in case something goes wrong. And to be honest, when you've got a young child like I have, I've learned this the hard way.

Last month we went on holiday to Italy and I thought I could leave the packing until the day of. And that was one of the biggest mistakes I've ever made. Like we caught our plane by the skin of our teeth and I'm never doing that again. So you think I'd learn being the mother of a young child, but no, but during Mercury retrograde, it's extra important just to make sure that you have that flexibility, if only for your own peace of mind.

Alexandra (12:42.467)
My next tip is not to buy or invest in any new technology during this time period. So double check the Black Friday sales to see if they clash with Mercury retrograde. This is not the time to buy a new phone, a new TV, a new laptop because Mercury rules electric and technological items. Sometimes when you buy things that are new during Mercury retrograde, the

In astrology, it means that that thing is more likely to break or need to be revisited later down the line.

And it's not really my final tip. It's not really the time for spontaneous changes in general. This is not the time to try a radical new beauty treatment, to try a haircut you've never tried before, or to do something to your body that you've never done before. And it's also not really the time to sign new contracts. Now, sometimes we can't help it. Sometimes things have to be signed and life has to go on. But if that has to happen,

Just bear in mind, it's in all likelihood it's going to have to change later on down the line. So try and avoid it if you can.

Alexandra (14:07.705)
So I hope those tips mean that you feel a bit more prepared for the upcoming period, but I want to take it a step further. And this is for those of you who have a birth chart to hand. You know your time of birth and you know what your rising sign is because that is going to show you what part of life this mercury retrograde is going to hit. And how do we do that?

So to do that, we need to think about what this retrograde means for the collective. Mercury retrograde this year starts in Sagittarius and then reverses into Scorpio, meaning we move from big picture thinking back into deep emotional truth. Sagittarius is the sign of the philosopher, it represents that big picture thinking and Scorpio is a sign that represents our psyche, our

deepest, darkest inner wants and desires. And I'm a Scorpio, so I love this time of year. And I love thinking about deep emotional truth. But when we throw in a Mercury retrograde, it can throw up a lot of conflict for the collective because we're not always aware of what we are hiding. And Mercury retrograde really throws that into the light.

Alexandra (15:22.649)
Sagittarius energy is blunt, it's visionary, it's freedom seeking, it wants to explore, speak truth and dream bigger. It's beautiful energy. Scorpio energy on the other hand is really intense, private and transformative. Scorpio wants emotional honesty, wants boundaries and above all it wants depth.

Alexandra (15:45.539)
So this retrograde really starts with us trying to explain or expand something and then ends with us realizing we first need to understand ourselves. What does that look like for moms?

Perhaps you're trying to plan your family's next big step, such as house, school. Perhaps you're trying to flap. Maybe you're trying to plan your family's next big step, but you're being dragged back into that emotional housekeeping first. Maybe you're feeling called to speak your truth, but you can't until you clear any resentment or exhaustion to make sure that you actually heard clearly.

Alexandra (16:26.287)
So to find out where this retrograde plays out personally, you're going to need your birth chart. Look up your natal chart at astro.com or astroseek.com. They're both brilliant. And you'll need your time of birth for this and as accurate the time of birth as you can handle because this determines your rising sign and your rising sign can change by the minute. When you have your time of birth and you put it in, see where Scorpio and Sagittarius fall in your houses.

I'm a Gemini rising. So for me, Scorpio is my sixth house and Sagittarius is my seventh house. What does that mean? I'm going to tell you.

Alexandra (17:08.889)
So I'm going to go through each house individually. So you're going to need to know what house Scorpio and Sagittarius rules. So if either of those rule your first house, that is the house of identity and self-image. So you're going to be rethinking how you show up, reclaiming your confidence and your voice. If it falls in your second house, then this is the house of finances and self-worth.

you're reviewing how you spend energy and money and this is a great time to ask if you are undervaluing yourself.

If it hits your third house, this is the house that rules communication and daily life. So you're relearning how to express needs clearly. This might be a time to think about how you can simplify family logistics and if you are doing too much of the mental load in your household.

If it rules your fourth house, this is the house of home, but also your heritage, your roots and your family, the people you live with. This is a great time to revisit your home setup or family boundaries and to do any decluttering, getting rid of anything physical, but also getting rid of anything emotional through the act of journaling.

The fifth house rules the things we create, such as creative pieces and art and children, and also it rules joy. So this is a good time to think about any old creative passions or hobbies you might want to revisit or to take note of any childhood memories resurfacing. And maybe, you know, the kids in your household are mirroring your mood and that is a good time to reflect on what energy you are putting into your house.

Alexandra (18:53.069)
If it hits your sixth house, and this is the house of routines, health and service, this is about reassessing the invisible work you do, the work you do on a day-to-day basis. Also, your health, any health routines you have that aren't working for you, or any health routines are working for you that you want to double down on. This is a time also to rethink mom guilt and to think about your cycles of rest.

If it hits your seventh house of partnerships and balance, then conversations with your partner might resurface. This is a time that truth telling and rebalancing might come into play. And you also may experience contact with an ex partner.

If it hits your eighth house or shared resources and intimacy, then expect some emotional or financial issues to come up. This is about healing deep trust wounds. And it's also the house rules other people's money, inheritances, debts and loans. So this is a great time to revisit any debts or loans you may have and to make sure that those are being paid off or managed in the most effective way for you.

If it hits your ninth house, then this is the house of beliefs, learning, big vision. This is a beautiful time to revisit your life philosophy or parenting ideals. What do you really believe and is it working for you right now?

If it's hitting your 10th house, this is the house of career and visibility. This is reviewing your public voice. How is motherhood fitting into your purpose or platform? Is your career working for you in the way it should? Is it a time to revisit and think about what it is you actually want to do in order to make your mark on this world?

Alexandra (20:39.831)
If it hits your 11th house, this is a house of community and friendships and social values. Think about your village. Notice which connections here still feel authentic. And you might also hear from a friend from the past.

Finally, if it hits your 12th house, this is the house of rest, spirituality and healing and also the house of endings. It's sometimes known as the house of death, but ending seems more appropriate. This is a time for you to pull inward. You might notice more intense dreams and you might have to do some deep emotional clearing before new clarity emerges. So there you go. That's a summary of how

Mercury retrograde will hit each of the 12 houses this year.

Alexandra (21:39.673)
But for those of you who might not know your time of birth and therefore don't know your house, but for those of you who might not know your time of birth and therefore don't know your rising sign, you can still follow the collective energy. So at the start of this retrograde, Mercury will be in Sagittarius. This is a time to expect truth bombs, blunt conversations and over-promising from other people.

pause before you say yes to everything because it's so easy to overcommit if you don't really know your diary and your energy commitments at this point. And then later on in the retrograde when we hit later on in November and early December, it will be in Scorpio and this is a time for deep emotional processing. Secrets, old hurts or buried feelings might surface for healing and although this is going to feel painful,

This is for your best possible good because once you clear out those buried feelings, it leaves space for healing to actually occur. And one way you can help assist that healing process is with journaling. Now, I love journaling. I plan to do an episode all about how journaling has absolutely transformed my life. But for now, I'm going to leave you with a couple of journaling prompts that should help you with this period of...

buried feelings resurfacing and that being quite painful sometimes. So number one, what truth am I being asked to tell first to myself then to others?

The next one is, where do I need to stop performing that I'm fine and start being real?

Alexandra (23:19.543)
And then my favourite one, what part of my motherhood story am I rewriting right now? Because you always get the chance to rewrite your story and for me that starts with in my journal.

Alexandra (23:39.021)
And going back to the themes of this retrograde, you you think of Sagittarius as that outer expansion, that big picture thinking, that philosophical thinking, and then Scorpio as the inner excavation. And when you pair the two, you get something really powerful because you're clearing that emotional clutter so you can move forward lighter. You cannot move forward until you clear the clutter. If you ignore it, it will only get deeper and deeper and

You cannot move forward until you clear out the clutter.

Alexandra (24:13.933)
And know, Sagittarius wants freedom, but I think I speak for everyone when I say that motherhood can feel like it's a limitation on freedom. So that's a tension that might surface during this retrograde.

Alexandra (24:29.589)
Overall, it's just a really powerful time for mothers to redefine what liberation means in this season of life. And you have the power to do that.

Alexandra (24:45.347)
And then I also want to address what it means if you or your child were born during Mercury retrograde, because one in four of us approximately were born during Mercury retrograde. What does that mean? Well, if you take a look at your birth chart and if you look up the symbol for Mercury and if it has a little R-X symbol next to the sign for Mercury, that means you were born during Mercury retrograde. I know a couple of people close to me born during Mercury

during mercury retrograde, including my son. And let me tell you, that was a very chaotic birth. And it was only when I was able to, about a month after my son was born, that I realized my birth was so mercury retrograde coded. When we went to the hospital, there was a mix up with my notes that meant that the epidural was delayed by a couple of hours because I needed a blood test.

someone just miswrote something on my notes that is so Mercury retrograde coded. One of the machines was broken that meant I couldn't have a water birth because I needed monitoring. So I had to have a normal birth in the ward, which is what I didn't want. Like just everything that could have gone wrong technically did go wrong. Not complaining. I had a beautiful birth I love and I don't regret any of it, but it was a chaotic birth.

So what does it mean if you or your child were born during Mercury retrograde? So being born during Mercury retrograde is not a curse. It just means that Mercury was in backward motion when you or your child took your first breath.

And how does this play out symbolically? Well, it often means someone whose mind, communication and perception work a bit differently to everyone else. They might be more reflective, inward or intuitive in your child. They may start speaking later or communicate in a way that is just a bit different from the norm. If I think about the adults in my life who were born during Mercury retrograde, they are deeply, deeply creative, artistic, talented people.

Alexandra (26:51.437)
And I see now that their instinct for thinking outside of the box, for thinking in a way that's different to everyone else has really impacted their creative talents, which is a really beautiful thing.

Alexandra (27:12.395)
If you as a mum were born during Mercury retrograde, then you might need extra time to process things before speaking or deciding. You might be the sort of person who thinks deeply and communicates meaningfully, but you might also second guess yourself a lot or replay conversations in your head. This is because Mercury in retrograde means that the way we communicate is just going to be a little bit different to how everyone else communicates.

Alexandra (27:40.281)
But the bonus is that Mercury retrogrades in transits that means when you're living through what's happening now, can actually feel less chaotic for you because that energy is actually familiar. So while the rest of us are feeling a bit more chaotic and flustered, this is going to be plain sailing for you because you were born within that energy. In fact, you might even experience a boost of clarity if you slow down enough to listen.

Alexandra (28:16.089)
For children born during mercury retrograde, may speak later or think before they talk. They might have unusual learning styles or nonlinear minds. They might communicate deeply through art, movement or emotion before they start communicating via words. And they might prefer to absorb information before engaging.

Alexandra (28:40.193)
And if you are a parent of a child like that, just like I am, then our job isn't to speed them up, but to protect their unique rhythm of thought.

Alexandra (28:53.899)
And again, they might feel more in sync during this time of mercury retrograde, almost like they're in their element because they were born under this energy. So it might feel more natural to them.

Alexandra (29:24.313)
So there you have it, Mercury Retrograde doesn't have to be this terrifying three week chaos spiral. It can actually be one of the most healing clarifying times if you slow down enough to listen. If today's episode helped you see Mercury Retrograde in a new light, then I'm really, glad and please take a moment to follow or subscribe wherever you're listening. It really helps the show grow.

And if you've got a fellow mom who's blaming every tech glitch and toddler tantrum on the stars right now, then please send this episode her way. You can also leave a review on Apple podcast or Spotify. And I would love it if you continue the conversation after you've finished listening. Tell me what resonated or share your very own Mercury retrograde survival story in the comments. I love hearing from you and I read every single comment and your words might help another mom find her way to this.

podcast

Alexandra (30:25.847)
Until next time, bye.


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Alexandra Sheppard

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