your anxiety is coming early and staying late

While Mercury, the wily planet of communication, doesn’t station retrograde until November 9th, we’re locked and loaded to experience a lovely little preview of its hijinks. We’re talking shadows, folks, as we will feel effects of the slowdown for up to two weeks before and after, a charming/jarring little prologue/epilogue known as the pre- and post-retrograde shadow period.

Or, if you’re the whimsical type, Mercury “retroshade.”