Mercury returns direct this week, and while this didn’t seem to be the worst-ever retrograde period, we can all breathe a sigh of relief and get on with life.

Mercury went retrograde on September 7 at 6 degrees Libra, and he slipped back into Virgo, which is where he’ll return direct on Tuesday. As usual, it will take him a few days to get back up to speed, and that means we could experience a lot of delays this week, especially in transportation and anything that has to do with computers.

At the same time, we’re approaching the 90-day mark from the July eclipses, with Mars solidly in eclipse territory. I wrote a special post on this effect on Saturday, intended to be a heads up that this week could be powerful for many of us, especially those who didn’t experience any significant events in July. If you did, then you may get a “booster” this week, or Sunday’s Full Moon could pass without notice.

Mercury remains in a close sextile with Mars this week, with exact contact on Thursday and Sunday. We’ll likely be very busy, and we may have more family obligations than usual. Or we may have a lot of work around the house or home improvement projects. Mercury in Virgo can be hypercritical, so if you’re around family, resist the temptation to nitpick. A little effort will make your visit much more pleasant. Another possibility is that you will resent doing favors for people you think should do it themselves. Remember that your loved ones are special and worth a little aggravation from time to time.

Both Mercury and Mars make aspects to Uranus on Sunday, and this could bring an element of surprise to your plans and projects. It also could speed up events considerably. If you’ve been lamenting a lack of movement, you’ll be pleased with the increase in activity. Otherwise, you may have to concentrate on slowing down.

Speaking of slowing down, the nights are getting longer and colder here in the Northern Hemisphere, and we’re well into the fall harvest season. Sunday’s Full Moon promises to be bold and beautiful. This is the time of year when I switch from cold salads to hot soup — which really is just a cooked salad, right? I also like to bake, since it’s no longer too hot to have the oven on.

Neith will have more about the Full Moon later this week, so check back. Meanwhile, I hope everyone is settling into the shift that is taking place. Some of you have told me that the changes in light and sound vibrations are somewhat disturbing. Hopefully, with the Sun in Libra, the rebalancing will be without a lot of drama and fanfare.

Love and blessings to all,
Pat

Image: Lengthening shadows of fall. I took this photo in my backyard this morning.