Mercury In Retrograde Is Coming To an End

Summary

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Podcast Summary: Kennedy Saves the World

Episode: “Mercury In Retrograde Is Coming To an End”

Host: Kennedy
Guest: Rebecca Gordon, Astrologer at Harper’s Bazaar
Date: March 19, 2026

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Episode Overview

This episode brings humor and deep curiosity to the topic of astrology—specifically, Mercury in retrograde. Kennedy is joined by professional astrologer and astrology teacher Rebecca Gordon to break down what Mercury retrograde really means, how it affects daily life, why this cycle was particularly tumultuous, and how astrology can serve as a guide but not a rulebook. The discussion is rich in practical advice, personal anecdotes, and witty banter, offering useful insights for skeptics and believers alike.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. What Is Mercury in Retrograde?

• Mercury retrograde occurs three times per year, lasting three weeks each (01:36).
  • Rebecca emphasizes it’s not always a bad thing; it’s “honestly a good thing” if you follow its lesson to pause and slow down, rather than continually running at high speed.
    • “Mercury goes retrograde to tell all of us humans…we’re not supposed to be going full speed all the time.” (01:57 | Rebecca)
• Kennedy and Rebecca agree modern life doesn’t allow for these pauses, which is why people get caught up in “technological snafus and transportation problems.” (02:24)

2. The Kind of Chaos This Cycle Brought

• Kennedy calls this Mercury retrograde “an anti-dumpling—the opposite of something wonderful.” (01:13)
• This particular retrograde was harsh because Mercury was in its “detriment” in Pisces—“the hardest place for Mercury to be in.” (03:42 | Rebecca)
  • “Mercury’s in the clouds, plus it’s in retrograde.” (03:42)

3. Living with Mercury in Retrograde: Practical Tips

• Build breathing room into schedules, expect mishaps, and resist tightly-planned agendas. (03:10)
  • “Leave tons of breathing room into every act…assume things are going to go wrong, because nothing will go as planned.” (03:10 | Rebecca)
• Kennedy asks about sleeping/eating/workouts—Rebecca’s advice is more about mental and scheduling space than specific behaviors. (02:15)
• Unexpected benefits: Retrogrades can reveal missed opportunities, lost items, or clarify relationships. (05:08 | Rebecca)
• Both agree retrograde is hardest for Virgos and Geminis, as Mercury is their ruling planet. (05:53)

4. Astrology and Relationships

• Kennedy asks about astrological compatibility.
  • Rebecca: Jung’s research suggests most common successful match is when one partner’s Moon is conjunct the other’s Sun; overall charts matter more than just Sun signs. (06:16)
• On dating and astrology—Rebecca says asking for full birth info on the first date is “like asking somebody to take off all their clothes on the first date. It’s just TMI.” (07:04)
  • Recommends waiting for a few months into a relationship.

5. Astrology’s Role in Modern Life

• Both warn against people letting astrology or AI run their lives.
  • “People are relying way too much on AI for their own brain and their heart, and they’re relying way too much on astrology for every single decision. I think people forgot how to be human.” (08:04 | Rebecca)
• Kennedy encourages tactile, real-world experiences—engaging with nature, “feel your feelings”, and urges listeners not to search for meaning solely outside themselves. (08:23)

6. Contracts & Decisions During Mercury Retrograde

• “I honestly would never sign a contract during a retrograde. That’s one thing.” (10:14 | Rebecca)
• Workarounds: If necessary, sign but plan to renew later, or include an addendum noting provisional agreement until Mercury goes direct. (10:25)

7. Rebecca Gordon’s Origin Story

• Rebecca became interested in astronomy as a child and discovered astrology around 14.
• Mentored by her neighbor’s mother after discovering astrology books while babysitting—later, her father married this woman: “Burying the lead!…That’s amazing.” (15:57)
• Now runs an astrology school, leads retreats, and is active on social media and major publications.
  • Social: Rebecca Gordon Astrology (16:45)

8. Kennedy’s Astrological Chart

• Rebecca reads Kennedy’s chart live (16:54):
  • Kennedy is “a super Virgo”—Sun, Mercury, Mars, Moon, and Rising all in Virgo.
  • Venus in Leo gives “fire, brightness, flare.”
  • Kennedy’s Mercury (planet of communication) is “perched right on your Ascendant”—the “strongest planet in your whole chart,” explaining her sensitivity to Mercury retrograde and communication abilities. (18:55)
  • Kennedy’s partner is a Cancer. Rebecca says Virgo and Cancer are an especially sweet, nurturing match. (18:05)

9. Looking Ahead: Mercury Goes Direct

• Rebecca predicts much more clarity and relief in about a week as Mercury turns direct (19:19), but advises waiting at least five days before big decisions or contracts post-retrograde.
  • “Wait like at least five days after…It’s like when you get an aggressive facial…The redness has to come down a little bit, then you’re glowing.” (19:46 | Rebecca/Kennedy)

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Kennedy:

  • “This Mercury in retrograde has been a doozy. It’s been the opposite of a dumpling. …It has left many people feeling shaken.” (01:13)
  • “Maybe the President, Marco Rubio and Pete Hegseth should look at the astrological calendar and go, maybe it’s not a good time for a mini war with Iran.” (02:50)

• Rebecca Gordon:

  • “Mercury goes retrograde to tell all of us humans...we're not supposed to be going full speed all the time.” (01:57)
  • “People forgot how to be human these days. We have to turn the volume up on our humanness.” (08:04)
  • “I honestly would never sign a contract during a retrograde. That’s one thing.” (10:14)
  • On finding astrology: “If this is true, I’m going to devote my whole life to it.” (15:14)

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• [01:13] - Why this Mercury retrograde felt so bad; “anti-dumpling” moment
• [03:40] - Why this cycle was especially difficult
• [05:08] - Unexpected benefits of retrograde
• [05:53] - How retrograde affects Virgo and Gemini especially
• [06:16] - Astrological compatibility and Jung’s marriage study
• [07:04] - Is it too weird to ask birth info on a first date?
• [08:04] - Too much reliance on astrology and AI
• [10:14] - Advice on contracts during retrograde
• [13:18] - Rebecca’s origin; path to astrology
• [16:54] - Kennedy’s chart reading: “super Virgo!”
• [18:05] - Virgo and Cancer relationship compatibility
• [19:19] - What happens when Mercury goes direct?
• [19:46] - How soon to act (“like an aggressive facial” analogy)

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Conclusion

With quick wit and a healthy mix of skepticism and enthusiasm, Kennedy and Rebecca Gordon offer a guide to surviving and understanding Mercury in retrograde. Their nuanced discussion advocates for using astrology as a helpful tool—not gospel—while emphasizing the importance of embracing human experience in the real world.

For more wisdom and astrology, connect with Rebecca Gordon at Rebecca Gordon Astrology.

Next step: Wait a few days, then seize your post-retrograde clarity!

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Transcript

[A]

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[B]

Hello and welcome to this episode of Kennedy Saves the World. If your life feels scattered and upended and miscommunicated that you have been the victim of Mercury in retrograde and you deserve compensation, dial 1-800-Kennedy right now and we'll get our lawyers on the phone to get you some of that astrological cash back in your karmic bank. Joining me now is the official astrologer at Harper's Bazaar, Rebecca Gordon. She's also the founder of the Rebecca Gordon Astrology School. Rebecca, welcome to Kennedy Saves the World.

[C]

Thank you so much.

[B]

This Mercury in retrograde has been a doozy. It's been the opposite of a dumpling. It has been an anti dumpling. Like a dumpling is something wonderful and luscious that you look forward to. This Mercury in retrograde has left many people feeling shaken. But we're out of it tomorrow. Tell me what has happened this cycle, Rebecca Gordon.

[C]

Absolutely. Well, thank goodness we are going out of it tomorrow. And Mercury retrograde happens three times a year and it's honestly a good thing. I know it doesn't sound like it, but. But if you follow suit, it can be a good thing. So let me tell you about that first of all. Oh yeah, following suit.

[B]

What are the rules?

[C]

What do you mean?

[B]

I need rules. I need a system.

[C]

So here's the thing. Mercury goes retrograde to tell all of us humans on planet Earth that we're not supposed to be going full speed all the time. It is basically saying, hey humans, you're supposed to pause, take a proper pause three times a year for three solid weeks. How does that sound?

[B]

That sounds great. What is, what is a pause entail? Like should we be sleeping more? Should we be eating less, should we not be working out as hard?

[C]

So the only reason we all get into all of these technological snafus and transportation problems and everything.

[B]

Contract glitches.

[C]

Exactly. And people pull out of things at the last minute and nothing goes as it's planned is because we're really not supposed to be doing all of these things. But we live in a world that doesn't stop. You know, our government's not using Mercury retrograde.

[B]

That's true.

[C]

So, I mean, maybe they should. I agree.

[B]

Maybe the President, Marco Rubio and Pete Hegseth should look at the astrological calendar and go, maybe it's not a good time for a mini war with Iran. Maybe we wait until after March 20th.

[C]

Yeah. Or maybe not at all.

[B]

Also a solid option.

[C]

So, yeah, Mercury retrograde. Ultimately, we find it to be the most annoying when we plan the most. So my suggestion is, first of all, to leave tons of breathing room into every act between every activity, assuming that things are going to go wrong because they things, nothing will go as planned. And we have to expect that. And if you expect that, then things are always surprising when they work out. So, I mean, I can speak to this. Mercury retrograde.

[B]

Why was it so harsh?

[C]

This one especially because Mercury was in what's called its detriment in the sign of Pisces, which is literally the hardest place for Mercury to be in, aside from being retrograde. So it's like Mercury's confused. Mercury's not seeing a clear roadmap. Mercury's in the clouds, plus it's in retrograde. But also, I want to clear something up about Mercury retrograde. Like, planets don't just, like, make a U turn and are like, oh, it's

[B]

how it looks in the sky.

[C]

You know that, right? It's the apparent motion. It's not that the planets can actually go back. Yes.

[B]

Stop and go back. It is what we see. But there was absolutely, like, I love science, I love data. But I also think that there is something to be said for astrology. Should you live and die by it?

[C]

No.

[B]

But it can be a very helpful guide.

[C]

Absolutely. I mean, I look at the chart every day, just like I look at the weather. It's similar to looking at the weather. So I can prepare. Do I want to wear a raincoat? What kind of weather is it? And then I'm best prepared. I'm not. I'm saying, okay, Mercury's retrograde today. So I'm not going to be so upset when things don't go as planned. I'm expecting that. And if you do, here's the funny thing about Mercury retrograde. Like, if you actually follow suit, right. And slow down and have a lot of space in between things, you're going to recognize things that you missed in the last six months or so.

[B]

Okay.

[C]

It will show you secrets. It will say, oh, you took the Wrong direction, but you're actually going to meet the person you needed to meet in that wrong direction. And sometimes people meet their loves. Sometimes people find all of those lines inside the contract they never saw before. They find emails they missed. They find lost jewelry, lost items. So retrogrades are great for that kind of weird, windy path and, you know, the unexpected.

[B]

Yes. And for people who tend to be more controlling and rigid, it's very difficult to let go of stuff like that. But as you say, like, it's a really great lesson to learn. So you and I are both Virgos. Virgos are ruled by Mercury. You and I both have a lot of Virgo risings. Are we especially affected by Mercury in retrograde?

[C]

Absolutely. Mercury is our ruling planet. You and I both have so much Virgo in our charts. So when Mercury goes retrograde, it especially affects us and also the Geminis, because it is our ruler.

[B]

Oh, is it the Gemini ruler as well? Who are Virgos best suited with?

[C]

I mean, romantically or for business?

[B]

Romantically and then business priorities.

[C]

Okay, so, okay, just have to preface it with saying I look at the whole chart. When I do compatibility. The opposite sign is, you know what? Carl Jung once did a study on marriage compatibility and I can tell you what he found. Okay. It's one of the only studies ever done on romantic compatibility and marriage. It was like, if your moon is in Virgo and my son is in Virgo, that is the most common match. Moon, conjunct, sun. So it's not necessarily about signs, but it's about moon and sun combinations. I thought that was interesting.

[B]

Do you think it's weird on a first date if you ask someone for their birth date and where exactly they were born in the exact time?

[C]

So many times.

[B]

When do you broach that subject?

[C]

Look, I'm an astrologer and I do not do that. I just feel like it's asking somebody to take off all their clothes on the first date. It's just tmi. Because when.

[B]

Maybe that would be helpful too. No buyer's remorse that way.

[C]

That's right. But it's literally like seeing somebody naked. And I just think that's too much information when you just meet them. So like I'm not looking at their chart until about like a couple months into dating.

[B]

So when you get past like the gooey eyed phase where someone is perfect and you really start thinking about making a more serious connection with them.

[C]

Absolutely. Like, I really don't think people should let astrology run their lives in the way they do. And this has been my profession for 20 plus years. Yeah. I think people are leaning too much into it and like deciding on their every action of the day. I think life is meant to be lived. So people need to get out there and meet people and date, get in the wild, get in the real world.

[B]

And I am so happy. That's so refreshing to hear you say that.

[C]

Yeah. I mean right now, especially with AI, people are relying way too much on AI for their own brain and their heart and they're relying way too much on astrology for every single decision. I think people forgot how to be human these days. So we have to like turn the volume up on our humanness. I feel in the wake of AI

[B]

and all this, I agree with you. I mean, I tend to, you know, I tend to encourage my daughters and people I know to engage in nature and tactile experiences and things you actually feel and to feel your feelings and to challenge your brain and try and remember things when your recall isn't working and to just pause. And then I talked to a memory expert in the hallway the other day. He was going on Brian Kilmeade show. But I said, what is the secret to remembering things? And he said, you have to make pictures in your brain. And I think the same can be said for all of these external aspects that we rely on as though something outside of us is going to save us. But it is really what is inside the picture that you make with your life that is the most productive and satisfying one.

[C]

Absolutely. So well said. And we are also the receiver as well as the programming. Yeah, we want to remember that. So like, I think that what we're receiving in is the most important thing what you, what we allow ourselves to receive in. And it's like the biggest choice we make. So like, in terms of astrology, I think there's a lot of fear driven things out there too. And even the astrology you receive and the tone of the astrologer is really important. Like, I always encourage our listeners and subscribers to live courageously and to trust themselves. And astrology is here. Like looking at the weather. Yes. But should it become your guiding for every act in life? Absolutely not. So like when Mercury's in retrograde, I'm not going to tell people to just hide under the covers and don't do anything. But you know, like, it does sound

[B]

attractive every once in a while.

[C]

But I will say, you know, it's raining, wear a raincoat and watch out, take things slow. You want to modify all of your.

[B]

And it doesn't mean you can't sign any contract.

[C]

Well, here's the thing. I honestly would never sign a contract during a retrograde. That's one thing.

[B]

I would take that back. It means don't ever sign a contract during Mercury in retrograde.

[C]

But there's been times when you have to like, I mean, there's been times in my life when I have no choice. And in those times, I sign it. And then like, I'll say, okay, I'm going to sign it again. We're going to renew the contract at some later point. So like, I don't ever want that to be the final contract. But sometimes you have to do like a temporary thing.

[B]

You're like, you know, write an addendum. Exactly saying I agree to this on this one page, but I will fully execute it when Mercury is out of retrograde.

[C]

That's exactly what I do, actually. So I love that.

[A]

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[B]

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[B]

Are you psychic as well as being an astrologer?

[C]

You know, people will tell me that all the time, but I honestly feel like I'm just looking at the chart and reading the chart.

[B]

Okay, but when did you get into astrology? You said it's been 20 years.

[C]

Well, actually I got into it when I was about 14 years old. And I was into astronomy way before that.

[B]

I love astronomy. Same.

[C]

I grew up in the city here and I had all my birthday parties at the Hayden Planetarium as a kid.

[B]

I just interviewed Neil Degrasse Tyson.

[C]

Oh my God.

[B]

And he went to the Hayden Planetarium for the first time as a child who grew up in New York City. And that's when he fell in love with astronomy.

[C]

Wow. I gotta talk about that with him. That's amazing. So, yeah, I mean that I thought I wanted to be an astronomer when I was a kid. And the Hayden Planetarium was everything. So I had all my birthdays there, all that. Basically I discovered astrology kind of randomly. You know, when you're like 14 and you're like, why are we here? This world is so meaningless. And trying to figure it all out.

[B]

Like you have this existential crisis bubbling inside of you from such a young age because normally people don't have those feelings until like 10 years later.

[C]

Well, I don't know. I feel like 14 and the 90s was like getting into all that witchy stuff. There was Anya, there was tarot, There was I Ching. There was like a whole lot that was like on the table. I love that Anya's in there. Yeah. Yes, it was.

[B]

And what were they?

[C]

Run still runes. That was the whole milieu. Right, Exactly. That was it. So it's kind of swimming in that. Yeah. And at the same time, really loving astrology. Starting to read Carl Jung and I Ching books. And. And then at that time was like Babysitting at a neighbor's house. That neighbor had tons of astrology books. I was like, what the hell is this astrology? I've never seen this word. And I know about tarot, and I know astronomy. I know Carl Jung. And all these things open the books, was like, what on earth is this? They're saying that astronomy, the planets that I know, that I've been into since I was a kid, have something to do with my career choices, like my health, my life, my psychology. And I thought in that moment, if this is true, if it's true, I'm going to devote my whole life to it. I felt that in that moment.

[B]

Wow.

[C]

But I said, if this is true, because I couldn't even believe that that could be real. So that woman, she came home that night who was like, the parents of the kids I was babysitting, and she saw me with, like, all of her books opened up on the table like a mad scientist. And she was like, oh, you found my astrology books? I was like, yeah, we gotta talk.

[B]

You were like, no, they found me.

[C]

Exactly.

[B]

And she's Yoda.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

And you're Luke Skywalker.

[C]

Totally. She became my mentor.

[B]

Oh, that's amazing.

[C]

Yeah. And then she married my father.

[D]

What?

[C]

Yes. The astrologer moved in. Stop it.

[B]

So the children you were babysitting are now your step siblings?

[C]

That's right. That's right.

[B]

Burying the lead. Rebecca Gordon. That's amazing.

[C]

Yeah, I mean, it was. I think it was really divine, like, the way everything lined up.

[B]

Yes.

[C]

And it was like, no mistakes there. Like, it was exactly the way it needed to be. And then I met other mentors after her that she kind of, like, introduced me to a little bit slightly. She would just, like, mention their names. She would be like, oh, you should meet my friend Susan Miller. And I met her randomly at a conference. Oh, wow. I was like, oh, my stepmother mentioned I should meet you. And this was so long ago. Maybe that was like over 20 years ago. And since then, I've been running a school for astrology, running corporate events based on astrology, team building events, all kinds of brand collaborations, and I host, you know, retreats all over the world.

[B]

Where can people find you on social media?

[C]

It's Rebecca Gordon, Astrology. Quite simple.

[B]

See? And now you can go find her and she can do your chart now. You did my chart? What do you see in there? Like, what are the.

[C]

What are the hits? Okay, let's pull that up. So first of all, Kennedy, you are definitely a super Virgo. I don't Know if I've ever seen so much Virgo in one chart, other than myself, you are the first person I've seen with more Virgo than me.

[B]

Wow.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

What's it in?

[C]

Okay, so you are a Virgo sun, you are a Virgo Mercury, a Virgo Mars, and a Virgo Moon as well as a Virgo rising. Wow, look at all of that. So, I mean, detail maniac. You do not miss a beat. What we can see is like, this is your chart is like a very well oiled machine, highly functional. You can pretty much do anything you set your mind to doing. You do have a Venus in Leo, which is sort of like that fire, brightness, flare, festivity. Like you look very Venus and Leo. Actually, you don't look like a Virgo, but women often look like their Venus sign.

[B]

Interesting.

[C]

Yeah. So you do have that as well.

[B]

I love Leos.

[C]

That makes sense. Yeah. I mean, Venus is your planet of love, so it would signify that you love. You love the Leo. Now, may I ask you, if you're in a relationship, what sign is your partner?

[B]

He is a Cancer.

[C]

Love that connection of Virgo and Cancer. That is one of the sweetest combinations, especially because Cancer is a water sign and Virgo's an Earth. And Earth and water signs tend to just vibe really well together because, you know, Earth soaks up the water, water nourishes the Earth. That is such a sweet connection. And also what's really interesting, which is what I usually see in the charts of speakers and writers, is what you have, which is Mercury, the planet of communication, perched right on your ascendant. So you were born at the moment that Mercury was rising on the East River. Exactly. And that is your main planet, Mercury and Virgo. Mercury is the strongest planet in your whole chart, which is of course the

[B]

planet of communication and also makes me sensitive to retrograde.

[C]

Yes, super sensitive to retrogrades, especially. Everything's in Pisces right now, your opposite sign. So it's especially hard on us right now with everything on the opposite side of the sky and Mercury retrograde.

[B]

What will we feel tomorrow when Mercury goes straight or whatever the term is for it?

[C]

You and I are going. And the whole world will get so much clarity on everywhere where There has been massive confusion the last month in all of the matters where you might have just thrown your arms up and say, I don't know where this is going. Finally things will start to come into a sharper focus. And I would say give it about a week after tomorrow to really be on your way in clarity. And I don't like to sign the day after a retrograde. I'll wait like at least five days after to solid.

[B]

It's like when you get an aggressive facial.

[C]

Exactly.

[B]

Like the redness has to come down a little bit and then you're glowing.

[C]

Totally.

[B]

All right. Well, Rebecca, I love this. I feel much better about Mercury in retrograde. I think next week is gonna be amazing. I think we should reconvene and party. And I love all that you do and that you have shared today. So thank you.

[C]

Thanks for having me.

[B]

I have to worry about your stepmom. That's the best.

[C]

Thanks so much for having me.

[B]

Rebecca Gordon. RebeccaGordanAstrology.com Go there and she will feed your soul. This has been Kennedy Saves the World. Mercury is almost no longer in retrograde along with Rebecca Gordon and Kennedy. Listen ad free With a Fox News podcast plus subscription on Apple Podcasts and Amazon prime, members can listen to this show ad free on the Amazon music app. Oh, go ahead and leave me a review while you're there. I'd love to hear what you have to say. You've been listening to Kennedy Saves the World on the Fox News Podcast Network.

[E]

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