Astrology King tells us that September 22, 2016, Mercury stations direct at 14°49′ Virgo.
This second shadow period lasts until Mercury leaves the retrograde zone on October 6. Areas of life that were a major focus during the Mercury retrograde phase can now be worked on.
Fixed star Mizar at 15°55′ Virgo is important in Hindu astronomy. Along with the neighboring star Alcor it symbolizes marriage. In some Hindu weddings, the priest points these stars as a symbol of the closeness marriage brings to a couple. Relationship commitment is certainly a live option considering the good luck in love associated when Mercury went retrograde 30 August 2016.
Moon square Mercury suggests some moodiness causing squabbles in close relationships. Such communication problems stem from an internal battle between your heart and your head. Your emotional biases are influencing your thoughts and your intellectual reasoning can influence how your feel about a person or subject. You can take a critical look at both sides as you perfect your ideas.
Mercury trine Pluto gives the power of penetration at the mental level. This could be applied to any planning, business matters or education started during Mercury retrograde. Mercury trine Pluto has a profound influence on relationships, often marking the beginning of a karmic friendship or successful partnership. It also takes your thinking to a deeper level to compensate for the emotional influence of Moon square Mercury.
October 6, 2016, Mercury leaves the shadow zone at 29°04′ Virgo to complete the third cycle of Mercury retrograde 2016.
Normally Mercury is physically too close to the Sun to be seen. But when Mercury nears its direct station (at the end of the retrograde phase), for a few weeks it can be seen briefly in the morning just before sunrise.
Make your final decisions after Mercury goes direct. There's almost always more information that surfaces later in the retrograde cycle (sometimes even in the post-retrograde Shadow) which can change the whole picture of any decisions you were tempted to make during the retrograde period.
That's why it is traditionally recommended not to sign contracts or begin new ventures under Mercury retrograde. Better to wait until it goes direct when all the facts are in, if possible, and ideally a good 2-3 weeks afterwards (when Mercury is out of the Shadow).
When direct, Mercury's archetypal energy (or essence) tends to work most comfortably in the "Left Brain" mode of the mind logical, sequential, straightforward and analytical. The retrograde phase, on the other hand, tends to encourage us to use our "Right Brain" more creative, intuitive, lateral and non-rational (which is not necessarily the same as irrational).
Post-Retrograde Shadow - This phase lasts about 2 weeks. This is the time when you get to apply and assimilate the information, research and insight you've been gathering in the previous two phases. This doesn't necessarily happen quickly though!
When Mercury turns direct, it's like he's waking up out of a deep sleep and it takes a bit of time before he gets up to speed again. So it can feel like Mercury is still retrograde in the first week or so after turning direct.
Many people find that new information is still emerging during this phase, so it is a good idea to still tread cautiously about making irrevocable and final decisions. It is often recommended that, if possible, you wait until Mercury is completely out of the Shadow before you put important new plans into action, lest you discover that waiting would have given you a better advantage or outcome. By that time pretty much all the data is in, and your usual ability to consider it objectively and clearly has returned.
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