Updated Mercury Retrograde Rituals

Commiserating at work, with another valued associate, I was asking about the local availability of candles, the large 7-Day All-Saints type that I prefer. For years, my primary source has been the various “dollar” stores. These days, it’s a buck and quarter, or more like $1.31 with tax, but who’s counting?

There’s one type of candle, mentioned in a few of the recent books I’ve read, and the biggest local chain doesn’t carry that one — at all. However, the lesser known, but nearly as large chain does carry it, but with a name like “La Fiesta,” I would expect them to have a goodly variety of candles.

Here’s the first mercurial miscue — in Austin? Candles at the Fiesta by the rock shop — 38th and a half at 35? Last time I looked, the candles were $1.79, and the Fiesta on South Flores in San Antonio? Same candles were $2.

Still, the appeal is a reversing candle that works, or to whatever deity, saint, or energy that seems to fit best. I like the reversing candles, myself. Cool looking, half black wax, half blood red wax, incantations and hex breaking figures on the candle’s glass container.

Updated Mercury Retrograde Rituals

The second part of the Mercury Retrograde rituals?

Coffee.

To be most honest, what I like is the bulk size of two-pound, or kilo sized, package of beans. I’ve strayed from my original love of just dark roast, towards a blend. This taste might change, but what I’m using during this current Mercury Retrograde period?

A two point two bag of medium-dark roast Ruta Maya coffee from Costco, on sale, mixed with a single pound bag (12 oz., really) of Starbuck Decaf Espresso Roast. To me, the Ruta Maya coffee looks like a medium roast, the light brown beans contrast nicely with those extra-oily Starbuck espresso flavor nuggets.

The Starbucks decaf is what makes this work, as it’s not really totally decaffeinated, and the super-dark, oily espresso roast is extra-flavorful. Mix those two, the regular, and the decaf, maybe a little more regular, but just a sprinkling of those dark beans to add the proper shading to flavor palette?

It’s sacrilege to some coffee purists, myself included, to mix the beans, but this is extenuating circumstances, desperate times call for desperate measures.

Updated Mercury Retrograde Rituals

Combining the two elements, the coffee and the candles, first, I have a safe place to let a candle burn — a fireplace. The mantel is arrayed with a number of sacred objects, I suppose, sort of like an altar, but really, the focal point is the flame itself, and in this case, the candle’s flame.

The best, strongest in my mind, is the red and black reversing candles. While the candle itself won’t reverse Mercury’s errant path, it does give a moment’s pause to recall that usual mercurial miscues, as delineated in my various horoscopes, the usual warnings, threats, and admonishments apply.

In raw numbers, about twenty percent of the population has Mercury Retrograde in their natal charts. For the rest of us? This is tough times only exacerbated by unrealistic expectations. The purpose of the candles, the candle’s flame? That serves as a reminder to not expect my expectations to be met in the way I think they should be met.

The metaphysical glue, for me, is the coffee. Sneak a little decaf into the mix, adds flavor, adds body, and reduces the over-dose caffeinated jitters. As noted before, I tend to drink from a tiny espresso cup, and during these times, that helps, too. Not more, just a little less.

Updated Mercury Retrograde Rituals

The use of the rituals vary, and it all depends, from person to person, what, and how this plays out. Depends on Mercury, depends on host of other factors in a chart, but the meaning, individually and collectively?

If only there was a manual….

the Portable Mercury Retrograde

• Mercury Retrograde Rituals
• Three Steps to stopping Mercury mayhem
• The Portable Mercury Retrograde