Mercury retrograde ends on July 23, 2026, and it feels like a date to celebrate for astrology followers. Mercury Retrograde is considered a period linked with missed messages, delayed plans and moments of self-reflection. But according to a US spiritual expert, the end of Mercury retrograde is not the end of the journey.
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Latha Jay, a US-based spiritual expert, shares with Hindustan Times that there is another phase that often receives less attention. Known as the post-retrograde shadow period, it is believed to continue until around August 6. During this time, the pace of life may begin to pick up, but there is still room to absorb the lessons that surfaced during the retrograde.
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She describes the end of Mercury retrograde as a “collective exhale,” but says the energy does not change instantly. Instead, the shadow period offers time to process recent experiences before fully stepping into the next chapter.
For those who use astrology as a tool for self-reflection, this phase is seen as a bridge between looking inward and moving ahead.
Rather than focusing only on delays and disruptions, Latha Jay encourages people to think about what the retrograde period revealed.
Mercury retrograde is over. What should you do next?
Latha Jay explains that many people expect everything to fall back into place the moment Mercury turns direct. In her view, the transition is more gradual.
She says Mercury retrograde can bring unfinished conversations, old beliefs, relationship patterns and personal habits into focus. Instead of resisting those moments, she believes they can provide valuable insight.
As Mercury moves direct, the question changes. Instead of wondering why certain situations happened, she encourages people to think about how they will use those experiences to make different choices in the future.
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She recommends writing in a journal about the biggest lessons from the past few weeks, completing projects that were left unfinished and having conversations that have been postponed. She also advises making important decisions from a calm frame of mind instead of reacting in the heat of the moment.
She says many people feel communication becoming smoother, their thoughts becoming clearer and daily routines settling down as the shadow period unfolds.
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Latha Jay believes personal growth does not always happen during life’s busiest moments. Sometimes, she says, the most meaningful changes begin when people take time to pause and understand what their experiences have been trying to teach them.
As Mercury continues its direct motion, she encourages people to carry those lessons into everyday life instead of leaving them behind with the retrograde. Whether someone follows astrology closely or simply enjoys moments of reflection, she says this period offers a chance to move ahead with greater clarity, self-awareness and purpose.
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According to Latha Jay, the shadow period is a good time to slow down just enough to turn reflection into action.
