This article is written by Elina Allais, a Reiki and Crystal healing practitioner. She is also the creator of @CrystalPoems and has a new e-book available – The Inspiring Story of 33 Crystals.
Mercury Retrograde is generally associated with communication difficulties, technical issues, delays, and things not going according to plan. However, let us not forget the bigger picture – Mercury Retrograde is just part of the natural cycle of life.
The spiritual purpose of Mercury Retrograde is to dive deeper within ourselves. It is a time to pause, to connect with our true authentic voice, and to go over things we may not have realized the first time.
When a planet enters retrograde, it appears to be moving backward through the zodiac. When the ancients witnesses this, they believed that the planet was entering the underworld to uncover all things hidden and lost.
Just like Mercury is entering the underworld, we too can use this time to reconnect with our own shadow side and allow our fears, wounds, and painful memories to rise to the surface, so we can reflect on them and release them with compassion and self-love.
All of this might feel challenging and uncomfortable, but it can also feel very rewarding when we come out on the other side with a much clearer understanding of ourselves.
As Mercury is the planet of communication, we can think of it as a much needed detox time from all the confusing low-vibrational energies we may have gathered in our system, and discover a deeper mental clarity and a stronger inner voice.
Here are 3 crystals I have intuitively chosen to help us all work positively with the energies of Mercury Retrograde plus a meditation practice you can follow:
Chrysocolla
- Supports: Communication, Self-Expression, Intuition
When the planet of communication goes retrograde, what better crystal to turn to than the crystal of communication – Chrysocolla.
This enchanting blue-green crystal helps us see how we have been expressing our truth and whether it has been beneficial to our well-being or not. Chrysocolla has been associated with all forms of communication since ancient times.
During Mercury Retrogrades, miscommunication of all sorts happen frequently. Therefore, it is best to turn our focus inwards and reflect on those patterns in our life that are not serving our highest good.
Chrysocolla also helps us overcome fear and anxiety of spending long hours alone. It is believed that this crystal actually encourages people to engage in quiet contemplation.
The harmonious vibrations of Chrysocolla enhance our self-expression skills, so when Mercury turns direct again, we will be able to voice our truth with clarity and compassion.
If you find it difficult to express yourself or have a tendency to avoid and push down your own feelings, Chrysocolla is a perfect crystal for you.
Chrysocolla also helps us unlock our intuition and inner guidance. It teaches us to trust our own inner voice, for each time we do that, we are reconnecting with our soul. This allows us to heal on the deepest possible level.
Howlite
- Supports: Self-Reflection, Mental Clarity, Healing
Mercury Retrograde is the perfect time to direct our attention from taking action to self-reflection. It is a time to contemplate on how far we have come and whether or not we are living a life that is aligned with our soul path.
We can find courage and inner strength in knowing that once Mercury turns direct, we can make all the necessary changes and take action towards fulfilling our soul’s deepest yearnings.
Working with a Howlite crystal can enhance this process by bringing us clarity and peace of mind. Howlite is a high-vibrational crystal that helps us relax and unwind after a stressful day. Its calming and centering vibrations soothe frayed nerves and balance mood swings.
Howlite is also a Crown Chakra crystal and therefore, it is a wonderful crystal for channelling messages from higher realms. It acts as an energy filter by clearing away any lingering low- vibrational energies.
Howlite can help us release fears, phobias and overthinking. It is one of the best crystals for deep healing and detoxing from past pain and trauma, that might be preventing us from moving forward in life.
It helps us reconnect with the “lost parts” of our soul, which can happen when we spend years disconnected from our true nature. We may have been deceiving ourselves into believing that we must settle for something that has already served its purpose and is no longer lifting us higher. No wonder so many of us are feeling anxious, fearful and sad.
In order to achieve peace of mind we need to become whole again. Howlite can help us reconnect to those parts of our soul that seem to have gone missing. It helps us see our own worth and accept ourselves just the way we are. This is when true healing begins.
Shungite
- Supports: Effects of Technology, Clearing Energy Blocks, Grounding
Shungite stones are best known for providing protection from electromagnetic fields (EMFs). For the most efficient protection, you can place a Shungite pyramid or stone on your work desk, in your office space near electronic devices or directly on your cell phone. Doing so, can help minimize the mental fog and lack of clarity that can sometimes come from spending too much time on your phone or near screens.
Mercury Retrograde is great for getting in touch with our own dark side. Working with a Shungite stone helps us get through this uncomfortable phase.
It is a great stone for clearing energetic blockages that may be preventing us from living our life to the fullest. It helps us release bottled up emotions, such as anger, guilt and fear.
Fear is often disguised as anger or judgment. It is often our automatic response to get angry about something that we have no control over.
Surrendering to the unknown can be really scary. It is hard to let go of our natural need to feel in control, but sometimes life requires detachment from the outcome.
Shungite can help us bring those deep-rooted emotions into the light of our awareness. It helps us release overly critical thoughts and stop self-sabotaging behavior in its tracks.
Shungite is also a powerful grounding stone, and there is doubt that we all need a bit of extra grounding, especially during Mercury Retrograde.
Mercury Retrograde Crystal Meditation Practice
- Choose two of these three crystals and hold one in each hand.
- Clear your mind of all the clutter by focusing on your breath.
- Feel a state of deep peace and harmony taking you over.
- Close your eyes and visualize yourself surrounded by bright light. Feel how this light purifies, nourishes and rejuvenates each cell of your body. Feel how it dissolves all of your fears, worries, stress and anxiety.
- Open your eyes and repeat the following affirmations as many times as you wish:
• I feel safe and protected
• My body is relaxed and my mind is at ease
• I am calm and centered, free from worries and fears
Despite the fact that Mercury Retrograde has such a poor reputation, let us see it as a blessing in disguise. Let us take this wonderful opportunity to contemplate how we have been embodying our personal power and creating our own reality.
