Understanding Mercury Retrograde in Gemini

If you feel like you're speaking a different language than your bestie or S.O., your emails are getting lost in the abyss, a new client is ghosting you all of a sudden, or your devices have never been glitchier, you're undoubtedly feeling the effects of the second Mercury retrograde of the year. From May 10 to June 3, Mercury will officially move backward, but even in its pre-retrograde shadow or storm phase, it can throw a wrench in your plans. From May 10 to 22, it moves back through the early degrees of mutable air sign Gemini, and from May 22 to June 3, it'll be back in fixed earth sign Taurus.

However, on the plus side, Mercury retrograde — especially in communicative Gemini and security-seeking Taurus — can be a productive time to reconnect with old friends, dive back into beloved books you haven't read in a million years, reassess your financial goals, or revisit a time, place, or experience that brought you comfort and pleasure. In other words, there are plenty of ways you might come away from this transit refreshed and ready to take on whatever's coming down the pike.

Keep reading to find out how this particular Mercury retrograde will affect you based on your sign.

Aries (March 21-April 19)

From May 10 to 22, messenger Mercury will move backward through your third house of communication, which could make this particular phase of the transit like a retrograde on steroids. Not only could all your tech be glitchier than usual, but misunderstandings might abound. You'll want to do your best to work on patience and diplomacy, which, yes, is challenging even when everything isn't going haywire around you.

However, there's a silver lining: The third house also involves short-distance travel, siblings, coworkers, and your local community, so you might find it easier to revisit a beloved road trip destination or reconnect with people you've been missing lately. Once Mercury backs up into your second house of income — where it was in mid-April — you'll be reassessing how you're bringing your skills to the table on the job and whether or not you're being valued as much as you believe you should be. It could be time to switch things up, whether that means raising your rates with your clients or looking for a new opportunity.

Taurus (April 20-May 20)

The planet of communication moves backward through your second house of income from May 10 to 22, which could have you reimagining a particular source of cash flow. You could be going back to the drawing board to perfect a project — or rethinking how you want to tackle your work in a bigger picture sense (like maybe moving from full-time to freelance or vice-versa). With game-changer Uranus in your sign and so closely aligned with the April 30 eclipse in your sign, this is definitely a moment to embrace shaking things up.

While Mercury moves back into your sign and first house of self, where it last spent time in mid-April, you'll be thinking about how much energy you're giving passion projects and personal goals. While forward movement isn't necessarily fueled by this transit, you'll have a unique chance to re-envision, revise, and perfect your game plan. At the same time, you may be inspired to create more balance between tending to your needs and your one-on-one relationships.