Leo’s Mirror: Mercury Retrograde and the Art of Self-Expression.

On July 17th and July 18th 2025, Mercury stations in retrogradation in the sing of Leo. A season of reflection begins beneath the warm gaze of Leo. Mercury, planet of words, thought, and exchange, has begun its retrograde, a slowing down, a turning inward. And when this happens in Leo, we’re not just revisiting ideas. We’re being invited to revisit ourselves. The parts we share, the parts we hide, and the stories that shape how we’re seen.

Leo as a Mirror:

Leo is often seen as the performer, the artist, the lion-hearted one. But at its core, Leo is the tender courage it takes to be fully ourselves in a world that asks us to shrink or shine on command. It’s the fire that warms, not burns. It’s the childlike joy of creating from the heart, and the quiet vulnerability that comes with being witnessed.

In silent majesty, the Lion reigns. Crowned in thought, a King in reflection, timeless and wise.

What Mercury Retrograde Brings:

Mercury retrograde is often misunderstood as a period of chaos or misfortune. But symbolically, it’s more like a rehearsal. A time when we go back over our lines, revisit old scenes, and consider what needs to be reworked. Communication may falter. Plans may shift. But within the pause, there is space to listen more closely, not just to others, but to what’s been waiting within you.

When Mercury Retrogrades in Leo:

This particular retrograde invites reflection around your voice, your creative expression, and your relationship to visibility. You may find yourself returning to ideas you once shelved. Or reconnecting with past versions of yourself, the bold one, the playful one, the one who wanted to be seen in a certain light.

There may be moments of drama. Misunderstandings can feel louder. But underneath that noise is a deeper question: Who are you when you’re not performing? What does your heart truly want to say?

Themes that May Arise:

• Revisiting creative projects, especially ones that felt too risky or bold before.

• Conversations around identity, confidence, and recognition.

• Past relationships resurfacing. Not to relive, but to reflect.

• A chance to soften the ego and reconnect with authentic self-expression.

• Slowing down to notice where pride may be protecting pain.

Around July 31st, when Mercury and the Sun meet in a Cazimi, there may be a brief window of clarity, like the spotlight catching your face just as you're ready to speak again. If something wants to be said, or made, or felt, this might be the moment.

A Closing Thought:

This isn’t a time to fear. It’s a time to tend. If you find yourself tangled in old stories or caught in the echo of your own voice, pause. Breathe. Remember that retrogrades don’t take us backward, they bring us deeper in.

You are not broken. You are becoming more honest.

Let your roar be real. Let it come from the heart.

Much love to all, Valentina.