Mercury retrograde is a celestial phenomenon that usually brings panic to astrological enthusiasts. Here are some practical tips on how you can prepare for the second Mercury retrograde of the year – a time that is believed to bring disruptions to communications and navigation – and why you shouldn’t fear it.

Mercury, the planet ruling over communications, commerce, networks, transactions and conversations, turns retrograde — or appears to turn backwards, as an optical illusion from our perspective on earth — three times a year. This week brings us 2020’s second Mercury retrograde: a period lasting from 18 June 2020 (12:58pm HKT) through 12 July 2020 (4:27pm HKT).

Coupled with the extraordinary amount of planetary movements of late –January saw alignments that last took place in decades past; several major eclipses have occurred in the last 18 months, and we are currently seeing retrograde of Venus, the planet of love, desire and pleasure (through 25 June) – it’s no wonder the upcoming Mercury retrograde is inspiring plenty of sensationalist headlines.

In this retrograde, Mercury is traversing in the zodiac of Cancer — which means the planet adopts the quality of the zodiac sign, explains Kimberly Peta Dewhirst, a Hong Kong-based professional astrologer and founder of Star Sign Style.

That means this time round, the retrograde concerns matters related to family, food and nurturing, as well as nostalgia and memories – and focusing on the logistics surrounding them is a good way to prepare for the retrograde, says Dewhirst.

“It may be that somebody has made a dinner reservation for family occasions and they have to triple-check it,” she says. Or, working on arrangements surrounding refunds for a family wedding that has been postponed or cancelled due to the ongoing restrictions surrounding the Covid-19 pandemic. Another example? You decide to visit the family home and take away an old photo album to have it duplicated, but lose some of them or cause a water spill. “Astrology can occasionally be quite literal in a funny way,” adds Dewhirst.

This is also a good time to check in with old connections, and “remembering people who mean something to you.” That includes things like messaging a former boss who had a tremendous influence on your career, or even arranging for a coffee with a previous love interest. Basically, “going back to the things we used to enjoy and what used to comfort us.”

Because Mercury is the ruling planet of Virgo and Gemini, folks with those zodiac signs are particularly sensitive to this retrograde. They’ll feel it differently, too: “Geminis will experience this in their financial realm … it’s very much about tangible possessions.” They should be “extra careful,” Dewhirst says, when handling money and their income, as well as material goods.

Virgos, on the other hand, will feel the effects of the retrograde manifesting in friendships and their community. They’re the ones who should pay attention to bookings surrounding social engagements, she adds.

But while it’s a time when things “tend to go awry,” Dewhirst says that absolutely doesn’t mean we should fear it. It’s “more of a broad brushstroke collective pullback in the stars,” she says, and provides us ample opportunity for reflection and self-reviews.

Mercury retrograde in Hong Kong

For Hongkongers, the June retrograde will be particularly nostalgic, with 1 July – the day that marks the city’s establishment as a Special Administrative Region and considered its birthday from a horoscope perspective – occurring at this time.

It’s a good time to “really appreciate, honour and celebrate, mentally, how much we love Hong Kong — the safe harbour it provides for us, even though times are volatile.” And collectively for Hong Kong, as an epicentre of trade and commerce, we would do well to be more cognisant of the effects of Mercury retrograde, says Dewhirst — the same goes for other major trading hubs in Asia.

As a matter of fact, this Mercury retrograde is a better time for introspection and reflection than making new memories. “Rather than try to come up with something fresh, revisit something already established.” And carrying out activities in preparation should “never come from a place of fear.”

“Horoscopes are simply an energetic ‘weather forecast’ — they are neither good nor bad. A good thing can happen to someone under the exact same weather as a bad thing.”

Kimberly Peta Dewhirst

Ultimately, says Dewhirst, seeking guidance from the stars should be all about mindfulness.

“Listening to a horoscope should be an opportunity to take a moment, to centre oneself and say, ‘How am I doing? Am I feeling completely frazzled? Do I need an extra hour in bed? Or am I feeling bright as a button and ready to take on the world?’”

Listen to Kimberly Peta Dewhirst’s Spotify horoscopes podcast, available on her website, and follow her on Instagram @starsignstyle.

See also: Zelos Wong Hoi-yat on love, life and the LGBTQ community in Hong Kong