Mercury Retrograde in Leo: The Power of the Spoken Word

Salutations, friends. We are entering a powerful portal. Mercury is retrograding through Leo from July 18 to August 11, and already we’re in the pre-shadow phase. So much is rising around our communication, our perception, and the words we speak to ourselves and each other. In this month’s video, I revisit two stories that feel especially alive right now: The Hymn of the Pearl and Amergin’s Song, the oldest story in the Gaelic tradition of how humans came to Ireland. Both of these myths remind us of something ancient and essential. Words are not just for speaking. They shape reality, they hypnotise, they heal, and they create.

In The Hymn of the Pearl, a young boy is sent on a mission to retrieve a pearl from a sea dragon. But he forgets, swept up in the noise and colours of Egypt, until a bird arrives with a message from home. That’s when he remembers who he is. And when he finally faces the dragon, he has no weapon, only his voice. He sings. And that song becomes a spell. Similarly, in Amergin’s Song, when the Milesians try to land in Ireland, it’s not a warrior who leads them through the storm but a bard, Amergin. With the storm raging, he stands still and becomes the sea, the hawk, the sunlight, the herb. Through his invocation, through his poetry, the storm settles. These stories feel like medicine right now, don’t they.

With Mercury retrograde in Leo, and the Cazimi on August 1 when Mercury aligns exactly with the heart of the Sun, we’re offered a golden moment to reflect and reset. Leo teaches us to speak from the heart, to be regal in the way we communicate. This isn’t just about tech glitches or missed flights. It’s about coming back to the truth of what we’re saying and how we’re saying it. Our thoughts matter. Our words have weight. This is a potent time to reweave your story, to speak your reality into being.

Join me online on August 1, 2025, for a live workshop called "Awakening the Bardic Rose" (see more details here) as we work with the Cazimi energy, chant together, and align our voices with the cosmos.

With heart,

Vanessa