Seriously, When Does Mercury Retrograde End? Because This Is Too Much

Let me guess: You were in a good groove for the summer solstice, and then all of a sudden, your world seemed to tilt off its axis, like the entire planet was conspiring against you. If everything seemed to go haywire for you around July 7, it's probably because Mercury went into retrograde. Mercury retrograde means the planet appears to be moving in reverse, when it's actually just speeding by Earth in orbit. But since you can't exactly put yourself in bubble wrap until it's all over, you might be like me, wondering when mercury retrograde 2019 will end.

This time around, Mercury will be in retrograde from July 7 until July 31, according to Astrology Zone. That means you have almost three whole weeks of chaos to avoid. Here's why.

Mercury is the planet with astrological influence over travel, communication, and technology, per Astrostyle, which can wreak havoc on your interpersonal relationships. (Basically everything that keeps your life running?!) So if your phone dies inexplicably, traffic keeps making you late for work, or nobody seems to get what you're trying to say, you know what to blame. Don't plan for any major conversations in July, either. Decisions dealing with these areas should also be handled with care while Mercury is in retrograde.

It totally sucks that slaycation season is officially underway and the planetary forces are warning you to stay put. I'm tabling all my mommy day trip adventures for me and my three kiddos until I can be sure that Mercury won't leave us stranded on the interstate. Staycation mode is in effect during Mercury retrograde, girls. If you have travel plans that you can't change, move with caution and try to roll with whatever comes your way.

Astrologer Kyle Thomas told Bustle that even small agreements should be avoided, because "Mercury rules negotiations, written and verbal, and will not be happy if you sign that dotted line."

So how can you keep your life moving forward while Mercury seems to be orbiting backward? Take the opportunity to reflect on and possibly reconnect with people in your past who have been good to you. "It's a great time to look for lost items, it's a great time to reconnect with old friends, it's a great time to review contracts or edit data," astrologer The Rad Diviner told ABC. Essentially, use Mercury retrograde to slow down and take stock of where you are.

Opportunities or not, I'll be super glad when it's all over. Don't heave that sigh of relief too soon after July 31, either. Mercury goes retrograde three times in 2019; we already went through one back in March. You have a few months until the next Mercury retrograde comes from October 31 to November 20. Now that you know when the next one is, you can plan to completely put your phone — and your life — in rice until it passes over. I'm buying my weight in bubble wrap and duct tape on Prime Day and hoping for the best for the rest of July.