Our first Mercury Retrograde of 2021 will reach us on January 3o and run all the way until February 20. If you're familiar with astrology and horoscopes, you'll know that Mercury Retrograde is a celestial event said to cause confusion in transits, sending communication and travel plans into a state of disarray.

According to astrologer Jules Ferrari Mercury Retrograde is "an illusion created when two objects, Earth and Mercury, are orbiting the same object, the Sun, and one of the objects laps the other one in its orbit."

"The illusion that is created by Mercury overtaking us is that from the Earth’s perspective, Mercury appears to move backwards or retrograde for a period of approximately three weeks. Astrologically speaking, the apparent reversing of a planet like Mercury moving back through the sign or signs that it had just made ground in, can bring with it an influence of re-visiting the past, re-analysing or reviewing what has just been, amongst other things."

For this retrograde, Mercury will be moving backwards through the tech-savvy, communicative sign of Aquarius. With this in mind, there are a few things to be aware of during this astrologically-frought period. Below, we round up the key things you need to know ahead of the first Mercury Retrograde of 2021.

Remember that you are in control

Astrology is all about energy. So it's important to remember that the impact of an astrological event will be proportionate to how much power you give it. If you are so ready to blame all troubles and inconveniences on Mercury Retrograde, it's likely that you will experience more of them.

"It’s quite bizarre to observe just how much power individuals freely give away during this period, which isn’t to say that these periods do not have a meaning or purpose, they do. I just believe in the importance of self-agency and self-determination," says Ferrari.

Remember that you are the master of your own destiny. Try not to open yourself up to the wrong energy.

Watch your words

In astrology, Mercury is the planet that rules communication, reason and logic. And Aquarius, as an Air Sign, is also one known for communication. It's also a forward thinking sign, one that loves innovation. As such, Mercury the planet of communication moving backward through a sign of communication means that we might be a little sluggish and troubled in this area.

Now is not the time to be gossiping, writing risky emails or being flippant with your communication. Be straight up, straight forward and don't write or say anything that you wouldn't want to be repeated. Do not open yourself up to the possibility of miscommunications.

Try having difficult conversations in person

With our communications affected, it's best to try and have challenging conversations in person. Text messages and emails can be read without tone or context - and can be misinterpreted at the best of times. Self-determination during this period means taking charge and not allowing yourself to accept bad energy or fall into traps. As such, try and arrange difficult conversations or detailed conversations in person - or even over a video Zoom. Take notes if you need to.

Be patient

Do not be quick to blame any minor inconvenience on Mercury Retrograde - and try to remember to have patience. If things are a little more muddled than usual, it will not help to get frustrated and angry. Just understand that things don't always go to plan and know that you will need to have more empathy and resilience during this period.

Allow for extra time

Going on a holiday? Working on a big project? Sending through an assignment? It would be a good idea to allow yourself a little extra time to send or complete tasks. Give yourself more driving time if you're going away for the weekend. Don't start your assignment the night before it's due.

Being prepared and allowing yourself a buffer will give you freedom during Mercury Retrograde and help you minimise any unforseen problems.

Image: NASA