Astrologer issues warning over Mercury and Venus Retrograde’s ‘shadow period’

The cosmic chaos of the double retrograde is finally easing up after weeks of transport delays, technological issues, fallouts, and miscommunications - but we’re not quite out of the woods yet.

Astrologers have warned of a lingering ‘shadow period’ that needs to pass before we truly begin to feel back to normal.

For those who have somehow avoided the havoc that comes with it, Mercury has been in retrograde since 24 October, while Venus has been in retrograde since 3 October, with both due to end on Friday (13 November).

Retrogrades are optical illusions where a planet appears to move backward in the night sky from our perspective.

Astrologers believe this impacts us here down on Earth, causing inconveniences like misunderstandings, delayed messages, lost parcels, and old romances, past arguments, or unresolved feelings resurfacing, so it's understandable that many are counting down the days until it's all over.

However, astrologer Maisy Bristol told Tyla that thanks to the little-known ‘shadow period,’ we may not feel back to normal again until the end of November.

Mercury and Venus Retrograde are finally coming to an end (Getty Stock Image)

She warned: “There is typically a pre- and post-shadow period before and after any retrograde season where the energy lingers.

“So, once the double-retrograde period ends, you may find that you won't experience any quintessential retrograde happenings (eg., exes texting you, missed flights, etc.). However, you may not feel your absolute best until the end of November.”

The expert elaborated: “For example, there may be no drama in your love life, but you're just not inspired to go out there and date.

“Or perhaps you finally got paid, but you're not sure what to do with the money.

“So, there's just a sense of slowness and possible cloudiness attached to a post-shadow period. However, we won't expect drastic or dire impacts.”

But Bristol added that, thankfully, we most likely should still ‘feel a certain kind of levity right away’.

Although it's nearly done we still have to get through the 'shadow period' (Getty Stock Image)

Antonella, professional astrologer at Psychic World, also told Tyla that even though Mercury and Venus are technically moving direct again, she ‘wouldn't expect everything to suddenly fall into place on November 14th’.

She outlined: “Mercury's influence can take a little time to settle, so you might still experience some delayed messages or confusion in the days immediately afterwards.

“Similarly, Venus retrograde has been asking us to reconsider what we want from love and relationships, and those realisations don't disappear the moment it ends.

“Over the following days and weeks, you should start to notice more clarity, particularly around decisions you've been struggling to make.”

She added: “My advice is not to rush anything. Give yourself time to process what this retrograde period has taught you before jumping into something new.”

The astrologer also has an important warning for this unsettled, in-between time period that you might want to pay attention to.

Everything won't immediately fall into place, and the energy may linger (Getty Stock Image)

Antonella urged: “My biggest warning would be not to mistake the end of a retrograde for an invitation to rush straight back into everything. Just because communication starts improving doesn't mean every unresolved issue has magically disappeared.

“Be particularly careful about reconnecting with ex-partners or people who have previously hurt you. Venus Retrograde can bring people from your past back into your life, but that doesn't necessarily mean they're meant to stay.

“Before reopening that door, ask yourself whether anything has genuinely changed or whether you're simply missing the familiarity.”

She added that it’s also worth being ‘mindful of big financial decisions and romantic commitments’.

Venus rules money as well as love, so it’s important to take your time before making huge, expensive purchases or agreeing to something that doesn't feel right.

She concluded: “Ultimately, this is a period of moving forward, but you shouldn't feel pressured to return to the person you were before the retrogrades began.

“Take the lessons with you, trust your intuition, and remember that sometimes letting go is the most positive thing you can do.”