Cazimi Moment

Today, Thursday, July 31, Mercury is cazimi—smack in the heart of its retrograde cycle. It's deep in its underworld journey, soon to rise and be reborn as morning star.

Now that we’ve crossed the halfway point, it feels like the perfect moment to share what I wrote about this retrograde—words I meant to offer before we entered the tunnel, but perhaps they were always meant to surface from within it.

Mercury’s rhythm is mythic: from evening star to retrograde, disappearing beneath the Sun’s beams, imagined by ancients as descending into the underworld. Then—rebirth. Empowerment. A new cycle begins as it emerges weeks later, visible once more in the early morning sky.

Right now, we’re in that invisible in-between. It’s not loud. It’s not obvious. But the seeds planted in this moment may turn out to be quietly pivotal if you track them forward.

The cazimi is often the pulse point of transformation—the peak of alchemization.

Adam Elenbaas gives us 5 things to watch for during today's cazimi moment in the video linked below, but here's the cheat sheet.

Mercury goes retrograde in Leo from July 18 to August 11, 2025, with the pre-retrograde shadow starting June 30 and the post-retrograde shadow wrapping up by August 25.

Here’s the breakdown:

👥Pre- Retrograde Shadow: June 30- July 17. Mercury begins traveling through terrain that it will be retrograding back through during the RX period

During this time we start to get previews of the themes the upcoming RX has in store for us. (watch for early warning signs of miscommunication or creative tension)

July 18: Stations Retrograde at 15 degrees Leo

⏪️Retrograde Motion: July 18 – August 11. The Main Event

Over the next 3-4 weeks Mercury slides backward 11 degrees, from 15° Leo to 4° Leo

August 11: Stations Direct at 4 degrees Leo

👥Post-retrograde shadow: August 11 – August 25. Mercury resumes forward motion again, slowly at first, and for a third time goes back through 4-15 degrees Leo

This time is best used to integrate lessons, clean up any lingering messes, and prepare to move forward with new plans or reassessed plans in place.

❓️What's Mercury RX all about?

Mercury appears to move backward in the sky three or four times a year.

It’s associated with delays, miscommunications, tech hiccups, and the resurfacing of old thoughts and conversations.

All retrograde periods are for doing RE-stuff. REorganize. REalign. REassess. REread. REthink. REarrange. REdo. REtreat. REmember. REstate. RE

Think of it as a cosmic review session—not punishment, but recalibration.

🔥 Mercury RX in Leo Vibes

Mercury goes retrograde in all the signs at some point and this one is center stage in loud and proud, party animal, king of the jungle, diva, all eyes on me Leo.

Leo brings the heart, the confidence, and the theatrics.

Leo brings boldness, creativity, self-expression, and drama

During this retrograde, we revisit how we speak our truth, perform for others, and show up authentically.

Expect flare-ups around ego, leadership, public presence, and pride.

✨ How to Work With It

Reflect on your creative voice—are you loud, clear, and unapologetically you?

Revisit old creative projects or ideas you abandoned. Some deserve resurrection.

Revamp your communication style—especially on social media or public platforms.

Resist the urge to overspeak or dominate conversations. Leo loves the spotlight but Mercury demands clarity.

❗ What to Avoid (or Risk Missing the Magic)

If you ignore inner creative nudges, you miss out on authentic breakthroughs

If you rush to perform instead of rehearse, you’ll fumble the lines

If you skip reflection, the lessons will circle back louder later

🔗 Leo Rx Roundtable

🪞 Round Table Reflections

Chris Brennan just dropped episode 498 of The Astrology Podcast, where he takes us behind the scenes of Back to the Future—a film that was practically a member of my family growing up (along with Die Hard and The Fifth Element). Turns out, Back to the Future was filmed during a Mercury Retrograde in 1984. The parallels are uncanny… im sure it's just

If you want a more detailed breakdown of how this retrograde is likely to effect you personally, Meredith of Soul Navigation’s got you covered. Don't sleep on this one- she's great at explaining how it effects everyone differently depending on your own chart and the house(s) Mercury is moving backwards through.