Mercury retrograde has a reputation for confusion and forced returns to the past, but an astrologer named Aspen says the planet's backward stretch, which runs until November 13, carries lessons along with its disruptions. Aspen, quoted in a YourTango report published October 31, 2026, offered guidance for getting through the period, and much of it centers on boundaries, honesty and self-examination rather than blame.
One of Aspen's main recommendations is staying out of other people's business. She advised against getting involved in drama or emotional entanglements that do not personally relate to the person, noting that Mercury is bringing a tough-love energy that is needed. That does not mean shutting loved ones out, according to the astrologer. She said people need to figure out their boundaries and stick with them, adding that a higher capacity for emotional discomfort does not obligate anyone to shoulder other people's burdens, which is exhausting during an already tiring retrograde.
With Mercury in Scorpio, Aspen said honesty is the best policy, though she acknowledged it is easier said than done. She suggested that being honest might mean admitting a choice that reflects poorly on one's character or weakens one's position in some way. Rather than starting with friends or coworkers, she recommended reflecting internally first, asking how one contributed to one's own pain in a situation and how one has allowed a behavior to continue.
Aspen encouraged an honest audit of daily choices through November 13, describing the retrograde as a valuable time to examine how people might be digging themselves deeper into something that is not benefiting them. She said the more one reflects, the more one may realize one is the product of one's own making, and raised questions about self-talk, bad habits, doomscrolling and toxic company. The answers may be hard to accept and may bring self-consciousness or shame, but she said the inner work is necessary to get through the retrograde and grow.
Aspen also advised paying more attention to what people do than to what they say. She asked whether people are actively changing the way they move about the world and whether they are reinforcing their promises with behavioral shifts. If not, she said, this may be a time when someone recognizes they are being deceived again. According to the astrologer, Mercury retrograde is very revealing, especially in Scorpio, and keeping one's eyes open will teach a lot.
