What if this retrograde could feel like a gift rather than a glitch?
We just stepped into one of the busiest astrological weekends of the year, and two more pieces of it are landing right alongside our Capricorn Full Moon: Mercury has stationed RetroUPgrade in Cancer, & Mars has moved into Gemini.
Both of these transits live in the landscape of the mind. Mercury rules communication, thought & how we process information. So does Gemini. So while these are two separate events, they are speaking the same language, and together they are asking us to slow down our minds in one breath & speed up our action in the next.
Let’s break down what that actually means for you.
Mercury RetroUPgrade in Cancer: June 29th – July 23rd
Mars Enters Gemini: June 28th, 2026
Does Mercury Retrograde Mean You’re in some kind of Astrological Purgatory?
Absolutley not.
I always call this a RetroUPgrade rather than a Retrograde. Here’s why…
There is a common belief that Mercury Retrograde means you cannot move forward, sign contracts, launch anything or take meaningful action. This is simply not true. Your Inner Authority, whether that is Sacral, Emotional, Splenic, Environmental or whatever your unique Human Design Authority is, should always be the one making the decisions on when & how you move through your life. Ignoring or suppressing your Inner Authority because of an Astrological transit is, in my professional opinion, Not-Self Mind fuckery. Remember that.
Mercury Retrograde is not a glitch in the system. It is an invitation to retrace your steps with more wisdom than you had the first time around.
Every Retrograde is a Trilogy
I always say that every Retrograde cycle is like three books, or three movies, in a trilogy.
Book One is when the Planet first moves through what is called the Shadow Period, crossing the same degrees it will retrace during the actual Retrograde. In Book One, we are blissfully unaware, frolicking along, and somewhere along the way we pass some important information without registering it, overlook an important experience, or drop & misplace something we were carrying on our journey.
Mercury Book One: June 12th – 29th
Book Two is when the Planet Stations Retrograde & turns around to retrace its steps all the way back to when it first entered the Shadow Period. In Book Two, our attention is more focused inward, & we go on an inner alchemical journey, consciously or unconsciously looking for whatever it was that we missed, dropped or overlooked in Book One.
Mercury Book Two: June 29th – July 23rd
Book Three is when the Planet Stations Direct & now, moving forward, walks back over those same steps for the third time, also called the Post Retrograde Shadow Period. In Book Three, we have hopefully found, retrieved or experienced whatever it was that we missed the first time, & can now apply those lessons moving forward in our lives.
Mercury Book Three: July 23rd – August 6th
It’s kind of like we are in a fairytale where we must journey through the dark forest, narrowly escaping the demons & beasts that lurk in the shadows. But then we get to the end of the forest only to find a locked door. On the door, there’s a note that says the key to the door can only be found by answering the riddle of the creature that lives in the swamp back at the beginning of the forest. So we go back, this time facing the demons & beasts, finally making it back to the swamp, where we answer the riddle & finally receive the key.
Then we journey back through the forest for the third time, which is now filled with light & life, making friends with those creatures that haunted us before, until we finally make it back to the door where the key fits perfectly, and we continue on our journey, much stronger, more grounded & more confident than before.
Mercury Retrograde in Cancer: A Gentler Kind of Review
This particular Retrograde is happening in Cancer, & if you have heard people talking about reviewing family dynamics, home life & our relationship to our mothers, that is true. But if I had to choose just one word to describe what this Retrograde is actually asking us to look at, it would be safety.
Mercury is retracing his steps through 16° to 26° of Cancer, & wherever that falls in your own chart is where conversations, new information & a reevaluation of what makes you feel safe are most likely to surface. There may be old information that comes to light. There may be some confusion before there is clarity. This is part of the process, not a sign that something has gone wrong.
Here is the good news: this Retrograde does not arrive with an eclipse portal attached to it, the way the one in March did. This one is gentler. More spacious. More forgiving.
I actually really love this retrograde journey for us because Mercury will retrace his steps directly over the exact degree of the Venus-Jupiter conjunction from June 9th, not once, but three times: June 23rd-26th, July 4th & August 5th.
If the Venus-Jupiter conjunction didn’t feel as abundant, as prosperous or as beautiful as you had hoped it might, you are getting three more invitations to receive it. Pay close attention to those dates. The Universe rarely offers a do-over with this much grace.
The Mercury Cazimi: July 12th
At the very heart of every Retrograde journey, there is a moment of magic.
On July 12th, Mercury will reach what is known as the Cazimi, the moment when a Planet moves into the exact heart of the Sun. Cazimi is an ancient Arabic term that translates as “in the heart of the Sun,” and it is one of the most luminous & purifying moments in any Retrograde cycle.
When Mercury meets the heart of the Sun, he is cleansed, purified & reborn. The confusion, the fog, the circling thoughts that may have characterized the weeks leading up to this day begin to lift. What has felt murky becomes clear. What has been hidden begins to reveal itself. Ideas & insights that arrive on this day carry a particular quality of illumination. Pay close attention to your dreams, your sudden knowings & the conversations that seem to crack something open.
This is the moment in the fairytale when we finally arrive at the swamp, answer the riddle & receive the key. 🔑
In the context of this Retrograde in Cancer, the Cazimi is specifically purifying & reborn the way we think & speak about what makes us feel safe. What new understanding is arriving about the home you want to create, the family patterns you are healing, or the ways you are learning to trust yourself?
And then, just two days later on July 14th, the Cancer New Moon arrives in conjunction with Mercury. The Cazimi brings illumination & renewal. The New Moon is where new life begins to breathe. These two days back to back are one of the most potent opportunities of this entire Retrograde journey for setting new intentions around the themes of safety, nourishment, emotional honesty & the quality of the conversations you are having with yourself & the people you love most.
With Mercury retrograding back over the exact degree of the Venus-Jupiter conjunction & Mars now firing up the realm of ideas & communication, the cosmos is literally asking you to go back, reclaim what you may have left behind & take inspired action on the gifts that have been waiting to be expressed.
This is not a time to play small or stay silent. This is a time to answer the riddle, receive the key & finally let your magic out.
If you are feeling the call, I’d so love for you to join us. 🪄✨
Let Your Magic Out is an 8-week creative incubator for women moving through midlife to unleash their voice, step into their purpose & call in community. We use Instagram as a mirror & an artist’s studio to help you find the golden thread connecting every chapter of your life so you can finally be seen in your wholeness for who you are becoming.
Doors close July 14th.
Mars Enters Gemini: Take Action on What Inspired You
We just came out of the most electric Gemini season in 84 years, the first time Uranus has moved through Gemini in this generation. If you found yourself flooded with new ideas, sudden insights or genius downloads during that season, but they felt erratic or difficult to fully land, that makes sense. The energy was brilliant, but it was also a little bit lightning-fast.
Now Mars moves into Gemini, & he is bringing exactly what those ideas have been waiting for: passion, drive & motivation to actually take inspired action on them.
Whatever sparked during Gemini season, whatever idea has been sitting in your notes app or swirling in your mind without a clear next step, this is the energy that helps you move it forward.
Mars Conjunct Uranus: July 4th
On July 4th, Mars meets Uranus at 4° Gemini. This is one of the most electrically charged days of the entire summer, and I want to give you both the honest caution and the beautiful truth of what this energy is here to offer.
The honest caution first: Uranus is the energy of the unexpected, the sudden, the revolutionary. Mars is passion, but also anger & frustration. It can represent sudden outbursts or anger. Drive defensively. On the world stage, this kind of energy can sometimes express through sudden events, unrest or accidents. If you are celebrating the Fourth of July in the United States with fireworks, please take care. Fireworks are ruled by Mars, Mercury is retrograde & Uranus loves the unexpected. Safety first.
But here is the beautiful truth: Uranus is also the energy of magic & miracles. It’s being in the right place at the right time, the sudden idea that turns out to be exactly the breakthrough you have been circling for months, kismet, synchronicity & the kind of divine alignment that makes you catch your breath because something so perfect & unexpected happened.
Mars conjunct Uranus in Gemini is one of the most electrifying combinations possible for the mind. This is the day when a flash of inspired knowing can arrive like a lightning flash. A sudden idea. A spontaneous decision. A creative solution that comes out of nowhere & feels like it was always supposed to happen.
Uranus reminds us that lightning doesn’t just destroy. It illuminates. It energizes us. It wakes things up.
If something spontaneous inspires you on this day, trust it. Check in with your Inner Authority, the way you always do, & then do the damn thing. Uranus rewards those who are brave enough to say yes to the unexpected.
What does this Mercury Retro(UP)grade + Mars in Gemini mean for you personally? Check the house based on your Risign Sign to see. If you don’t know your Rising Sign, you can go to astro.com and get your chart for free.
ARIES RISING Mercury retraces his steps through your 4th house of home, family & emotional foundation, inviting conversations & a reevaluation of what truly makes you feel safe at the root. Meanwhile Mars moves through your 3rd house of communication & ideas, giving you the drive to finally act on whatever sparked during Gemini season. Say the thing. Send the email. Make the call.
TAURUS RISING Your 3rd house of communication, writing & the sharing of your ideas is where Mercury is revisiting old conversations & reevaluating what makes you feel safe in how you express yourself. Mars, meanwhile, lights up your 2nd house of resources & self-worth, giving you the energy to take action on a financial idea or a way of valuing yourself that emerged during Gemini season.
GEMINI RISING Mercury moves through your 2nd house of self-worth, money & values, reviewing & reevaluating what genuinely makes you feel safe & secure in your resources. And with Mars now moving through your 1st house, you have a fresh burst of energy & motivation to act on something deeply personal that has been building inside you. This one is for you.
CANCER RISING This Retrograde is landing right in your 1st house, & it is unmistakably personal. Conversations, old information & a reevaluation of what makes you feel safe in your own body & identity are surfacing directly for you. Mars, meanwhile, slips quietly into your 12th house, giving you energy to act on inspiration that arrives through dreams, solitude & the unseen.
LEO RISING Mercury retraces his steps through your 12th house of the unconscious & hidden support, bringing old dreams, memories or spiritual insights back to the surface for review. Mars lights up your 11th house of community & future visions, giving you the drive to finally act on an idea connected to your people or your bigger vision for where you are headed.
VIRGO RISING Your 11th house of community, friendships & future visions is where Mercury is revisiting old conversations & reevaluating what makes you feel safe within your community. Mars, meanwhile, moves through your 10th house of career & public presence, giving you the energy to take bold action on something related to your calling that sparked during Gemini season.
LIBRA RISING Mercury moves through your 10th house of career & public presence, reviewing & reevaluating what makes you feel secure in your professional life & your reputation. Mars lights up your 9th house of higher learning & expansion, giving you the drive to act on a belief, a course of study or a bigger vision that began forming during Gemini season.
SCORPIO RISING Your 9th house of beliefs, travel & higher learning is where Mercury is retracing his steps, revisiting old conversations or reevaluating what makes you feel safe in your worldview. Mars, meanwhile, moves through your 8th house of transformation & shared resources, giving you the energy to act on something deeply alchemical that has been building beneath the surface.
SAGITTARIUS RISING Mercury moves through your 8th house of intimacy, transformation & shared resources, reviewing what makes you feel safe in your most vulnerable connections. Mars lights up your 7th house of partnerships, giving you the drive to finally have the conversation or take the action your closest relationships have been asking for.
CAPRICORN RISING Your 7th house of partnerships & significant relationships is where Mercury is revisiting old conversations, reevaluating what makes you feel safe in your closest connections. Mars, meanwhile, moves through your 6th house of daily rhythms & sacred work, giving you the energy to act on an idea for improving your health or your daily routines.
AQUARIUS RISING Mercury moves through your 6th house of daily rhythms, health & sacred work, reviewing what genuinely makes you feel safe in your body & your day-to-day life. Mars lights up your 5th house of creativity & joy, giving you the drive to finally act on a creative idea or a playful spark that emerged during Gemini season. Go make the thing.
PISCES RISING Your 5th house of creativity, romance & self-expression is where Mercury is retracing his steps, bringing old creative ideas or relationships back into view for reevaluation. Mars, meanwhile, moves through your 4th house of home & family, giving you the energy to take action on something that will make your home feel more like a true sanctuary.
My prayer for you for this Mercury Retrograde & Mars in Gemini:
May this be a season of gentle revisiting rather than frustrating delay. May you trust your own Inner Authority over any fear-based story about what this season means. May the conversations that arise help you feel more safe, not less. May the Cazimi on July 12th bring you the flash of clarity you have been circling, & may the Cancer New Moon two days later give it a beautiful new beginning to grow into. May the ideas that sparked in you during Gemini season finally find the ground beneath their feet. And when the lightning strikes, may you be brave enough to say yes.
If you’re curious to learn more about how the Astrological energies influence you personally, I have 1:1 Readings available here.
With endless devotion to your eternal empowerment,
Rakai’el
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