When Mercury went retrograde March 12, it began moving backward through Aries and on March 23 slipped back into Pisces. Before the retrograde ends April 4, we have a few more days to make the most of this energy by "thinking spiritually."

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When Mercury went retrograde March 12, it began moving backward through Aries and on March 23 slipped back into Pisces. When the retrograde ends April 4, Mercury will begin to move forward in Pisces and then re-enter Aries on April 16.

Anne Nordhaus-Bike
During this time, you may have felt Mercury's trickster energy via misplaced belongings, technology glitches, missed phone calls, travel delays, or itinerary changes. Although these experiences can cause difficulties or bring frustration, they also can benefit us by forcing us to slow down and take in information we otherwise miss or ignore.

What appears to be a problem, such as a computer crash, often turns out to be a blessing by pushing us to make changes, such as implementing regular data backups or updating software. Even "mistakes," such as sending a message to the wrong person, can prove to be blessings: delaying communication with the correct person could allow better information to become available or create a new opportunity to connect with the person who received the message in error. Whatever its manifestation, Mercury's retrograde encourages us to become comfortable with all things "re" (review, revise, redo, revisit, reflect) so we're in a stronger position when Mercury moves forward.

Spring Robin Resting on Wall by Anne Nordhaus-Bike
On a deeper level, Mercury retrograde encourages us to turn inward to reflect and meditate so we can connect with our inner selves. By quieting our everyday, rational mind, we have opportunities to hear from our higher, spiritual mind via intuition or inspiration. Such spiritual messages, long associated with birds because these airy creatures fly upward toward celestial realms, bring us insights we otherwise would miss.

With Mercury in Pisces, we have an even greater opportunity to "think spiritually" because of Pisces's association with spirituality and unity. Mercury's retrograde motion makes this a good time to revisit the past to evaluate our spiritual lives; at the same time, Mars's retrograde in the opposite sign of Virgo (health, work, service) gives us an opportunity to evaluate our work lives before it moves forward in mid-April.

Spring Robin Walks Forward by Anne Nordhaus-Bike
In these final days of Mercury's retrograde, consider how well your work is aligned with your spiritual ideals. Do your efforts serve the higher good? Do you feel called to the work you do? Has your health ever suffered from overwork or from escapist or addictive behavior? What changes can you make this season to bring your inner and outer lives into better balance?

If you seek your answers within, your higher self will send you personalized messages on the wings of a gentle bird in the form of intuition. Or you may receive  other spiritual guidance, such as coming across people who can provide just the right nugget of wisdom you need or discovering new information that becomes the key to solving a problem you have been working on.

Then, when Mercury and Mars move forward in coming days and weeks, the guidance you received will help you move forward, too.

Authors Website: https://artistanne.com/

Authors Bio:

Award-winning artist Anne Nordhaus-Bike paints colorful, calming watercolors inspired by nature.

Anne's art has appeared in numerous solo and group shows as well as many arts programs, presentations, and performances. Her work has been published in periodicals and books; covered in numerous print publications; and featured in broadcast media, both on television and feature films.

She received a degree in art history, with honors, from the University of Chicago and went on to launch a fine arts column that ran for two decades in the Gazette Chicago newspaper, where she has served in various capacities since the newspaper's founding in 1983. She joined Gazette Chicago's board of directors in 2004. She founded her multimedia arts firm, ANB Communications, in 1993.

A member of the prestigious Woman Made Gallery in Chicago since 1998, she launched her book, Follow The Sun, with a book signing at Woman Made in 2012; the book includes more than a dozen of her original watercolors. Among her many awards and honors, she was named to the National Women's Hall of Fame's Wall of Fame.

Anne lives with her husband Bill and cat Sterling in Chicago, where she makes art and enjoys cooking, tai chi, and time in nature.