Episode Transcript
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(01:17):
Welcome to Empowered Within aSoul Clenching transformational
podcast that will set your soulon fire through candid and
inspiring conversations.
Leading experts, celebrities,healers, and I share our
journeys of how we've overcomechallenges to living an
empowered life from within.
I'm your host, Jennifer Pilates.
Welcome to another episode ofEmpowered Within.
(01:44):
Hi there, and welcome to thisnew episode of Empowered Within.
I have a question for you.
Are texts arriving out of order?
Is your tech and your computersbeing moody and glitchy?
I have news for you that isn'tyour imagination.
Mercury, the cosmic messenger isslowing for its shadow phase,
(02:05):
and with it comes yourinvitation to reset, repair, and
realign today we're diving intothe Mercury retrograde, why it
gets such a bad rap and what todo and what not to do, plus the
exact energies to expect as wemove from Sagittarius
exploration into Scorpio Truth.
(02:25):
Let's get you ready, reset, andaligned.
Welcome to Empowered Within.
I'm your host, Jennifer Pilates,your loving lighthouse in
seasons of shift If you're new,welcome.
If you're a returning listener,welcome home.
Take a deep breath with me.
Inhale, clarity, exhale,heaviness.
(02:48):
Let's dive into today's newepisode.
Before we deep dive into theMercury retrograde shadow, first
it's really important to knowwhat the Mercury retrograde
really is all about.
Mercury doesn't really movebackwards.
(03:09):
It appears to from Earth becauseof orbital speed perception
shifts, and so does ourexperience of time, messages and
movement.
Symbolically, mercury rules,messaging, movement, and timing.
When it reverses the universe,spotlights, unfinished
conversations, unrepairedsystems, and un realign choices
(03:33):
so that you can complete,correct recalibrate, review,
revise, and reset.
So why does Mercury retrogradealways get a bad rap?
Let's talk about why Mercury andretrograde tends to get a bad
wrap.
Here's some reasons.
We're trying to sprint.
We're trying to move forward.
(03:55):
We're trying to open new doors.
We're trying to launch newprojects during a cosmic cool
down Delays feel likepunishment.
Instead of the protection thatthey actually are, we treat
glitches as chaos rather thancourse corrections.
Retrogrades don't sabotage.
They bring to surface the weaklinks so that you can strengthen
(04:18):
them so that you're aware ofwhat was loosey goosey going on
in the system.
Well, and the truth is cultureloves drama, but Mercury
retrograde is less doom and moremaintenance mode for your life.
For my life and for thecollective, it really is about
(04:38):
reviewing, revising, and takingsome time to relax.
So the shadow phase of Mercuryretrograde that began on October
21st, this is a buildup, subtlemisfires, deja VUS resurfacing
themes.
It's your checklist window toback up, tidy up, and most
(04:59):
importantly, clear up.
Mercury retrograde stationsNovember 9th through November
29th.
Then we have a post shadow, justlike we had a pres shadow, and
this is the norm.
This always happens.
The post shadow will run throughDecember 16th.
That's a period of integration.
(05:19):
Steady forward momentum andclosures landing.
When we look at Mercury andretrograde, they happen
throughout the year.
This is nothing new, but eachone, it has a flavor of its own.
So let's look at phase one,mercury retrograde.
(05:41):
In Sagittarius, which isNovember 9th through November
18th, that focus.
That's a time to focus onbeliefs, long distance
communication, travel,education, publishing, and big
ideas.
When we look at medicine, I knowthat sounds kind of interesting,
we don't ever really bring upthat word here, but when we look
(06:03):
at medicine, this is humilityand refinement.
Where did enthusiasm outrun thedetails?
Where did I know override thecurious listening and the
leaning in to your intuition andwhat can you expect during this
phase one.
Itinerary edits, syllabustweaks, contract clarifications.
(06:28):
Wait, what do we actuallybelieve here?
It's really that time where webegin the review stage.
Now when we get into phase two.
Mercury retrograde will then bein Scorpio, which is November
18th through the 29th.
The focus here is emotionaltruth, motives, money,
(06:51):
entanglements, intimacy, andhidden data.
What's the medicine to all ofthis courageous honesty.
Say the thing cleanly.
No daggers.
Ask What's real beneath thisreaction.
What's really going on aroundthis triggering moment, this
(07:12):
triggering situation, and whatcan you expect?
Deep talks, old feelings,resurfacing for healing.
Intense dreams, sharperintuition, heavier words that
want to be used wisely.
I know that's a lot, right?
What signs will be mostsensitized during the pres
(07:36):
shadow?
We have Gemini and Virgo, bothMercury ruled.
We're talking communication andworkflows.
Upgrade systems.
Simplify your schedules andleave plenty of buffer time for
getting from point A to point Band whatever you need to be
getting done with Sagittarius,you're gonna wanna revisit your
(07:58):
long range plans, and you'rereally gonna wanna truth test
your big vision.
Is it really what you're hopingfor?
Is it really what you'redesiring?
Review, revise, rethink, andScorpio.
You can expect emotionalalchemy, boundaries, and
transparency, strengthening yourbonds during the shadow period.
(08:27):
When we have a mercury goinginto retrograde, there's always
things that we should do andcertain things that we should
maybe not do, perhaps postpone.
So let's look at those.
What do we do?
So they all begin with the Rhere.
Ready?
We wanna review our plans,permissions, policies, and any
passwords we wanna repair.
(08:50):
Devices, cars, websites, updatesoftware, tidy your digital
life, reconcile money matters,align agreements in writing.
Reach out to clear upmisunderstandings, assuming good
intent, verify facts, reflectand record journal dreams,
(09:12):
numbers.
When we're seeing 1122.
11, 11, 21, 21.
Three.
Three three synchronicities,their signal posts from the
universe.
They are your little breadcrumbsto what's to come.
And rehearse.
Rehearse important conversationsbefore sending or pressing
(09:35):
rehearse, review, reviseimportant conversations before
you press send, before you postthat post, make sure your intent
is clear and aligned with whereyou are in that moment in time.
Okay, so those are all thethings we wanna do.
(09:55):
So what do we wanna avoid?
What do we wanna go slow withduring this time?
Any contracts, any big launchesyou haven't pressure tested.
If you must sign, double checkevery clause, date, and
deliverable that goes with thatcontract.
Travel without buffers.
So you wanna build layover,time.
(10:18):
Carry printed confirmations.
Expect detours, delays, butdon't expect disasters.
Text fighting, pick up thephone, or meet via video.
Clarity lives in tone, not inthreads.
So much is always misunderstoodwith a text.
(10:40):
Pick up the phone and call.
Over scheduling.
We want to avoid overscheduling.
We wanna leave buffer space.
Leave 15 to 20 minute cushionsbetween commitments, build in
your workouts, build in yourreiki meditations, build in your
me time.
And lastly, we want to avoidescaping our feelings.
(11:02):
Scorpio phase will find youanyways, so my friend, meet it
early, gently.
And most importantly, bravelyThe collective energy.
Forecast the vibe.
Time feels elastic.
(11:23):
Fate, rewinds to replay.
A missed line.
A missed message.
Messages return with newcontext.
Old chapters open for closureand renewal.
Likely themes that you'll feel,see or be in that will be
playing out.
Travel and timing delays,detours, divine rerouting
(11:44):
protection in disguise is whatwe like to call all of this tech
glitches.
Emails in limbo, devicemoodiness.
Simple fixes can go a long way.
Communication.
Misreads meltdowns unless weslow down.
Repeat back what you heard.
(12:06):
Intuition spikes.
We've got vivid dreams comingthrough.
Emotional truth, surfacing,goosebump confirmations giving
you that.
Hell yes.
In those moments of, I don'tknow.
The past people in patternsreappear for second chances or
for clean endings once and forall numbers, and well winks from
(12:30):
the universe.
You'll see the 11.
11.
You'll see the three, three.
Three ask.
What is this confirming?
And how can we reframe thecollective energy and work with
this?
Every pause is a precision tool.
Delays buy you time to get itright.
(12:51):
Everything that's resurfacing isa sacred audit.
Keep it, repair it, or releaseit with grace, ease and love.
Every glitch is a diagnostic.
So fix the system, not just thesymptom.
Get to the root cause once andfor all.
(13:15):
So what do we do during thisphase?
What can we do?
Let's look at a step-by-stepretrograde protocol from me to
you to help you through theshadow phase.
Remember, we're only talkingabout the shadow phase.
We have not even gotten into theactual retrograde, ooh, honey
child.
So here we go.
an ideal place to start isworking with breath, resetting
(13:38):
the nervous system, trying boxbreathing with four counts.
It's four counts as you inhalefor 4, 3, 2, 1.
Hold your breath for 4, 3, 2, 1.
Then release your breath for 4,3, 2.
(14:00):
One, and then hold your breathagain for 4, 3, 2, 1.
You wanna try this for threefull rounds, hand over your
heart, hand over your navel, andclosing with I choose clarity,
calm, and clear communication.
(14:23):
I am safe.
number two is a repair ofpracticalness.
So this is where we wanna makesure that we're backing up our
drives on the computer and ourphones, updating our systems,
renaming messy files, goingthrough photographs and IDs and
itineraries.
And there's a two touch rule ifit takes under two minutes.
(14:47):
Reply, re reply, label file.
Do it now.
That's what you wanna getthrough first.
I know some people say startwith the hardest thing first.
That one doesn't always work forme and not always during a
retrograde.
So start with that two touchrule.
If it takes under two minutes,reply, label it.
File it, get it done.
(15:07):
Now, number three, realigningrationally.
So how do we do that?
Perhaps you've had aconversation that went awry.
You can script it with somethinglike, I might have
misunderstood.
Here's what I heard.
Is that accurate?
It's actually one of my favoritestatements to use anytime.
(15:29):
So write that one down.
Here it is.
I might have misunderstood.
Here's what I heard.
Is that accurate?
Then we have our boundaries.
I'll respond once I've had timeto think.
How about tomorrow by noon?
And then there's always theclosure prompt what needs saying
(15:51):
so I can travel lighter into2026.
Some of this does not need toinvolve external people, places,
and things.
These can be things that you'reworking on within yourself for
yourself.
Talking to yourself, workingthrough the mirror, journaling
to yourself, tearing it up andbeing done with it.
(16:14):
We don't have to overcomplicateany of this, some fun journal
prompts to work with.
Where did excitement skip thefine print?
What truth have I felt but notspoken, which delay secretly
protected me?
What am I ready to finish?
Forgive.
Or finally release a lot ofpeople don't talk about what
(16:42):
happens after the actual Mercuryretrograde, November 29th,
mercury will station direct.
Now don't floor all of yourplans forward just yet.
All of the systems are stilltechnically rebooting.
The energies still need tointegrate, and this will happen
(17:03):
through December 16th, which isknown as the post shadow
integration.
This is a time of insightsaction.
Maybe some apologies, amends.
Then plans get the green lightsby mid-December.
The why behind every detour willclick into place for you.
(17:24):
You'll feel clear, steadier, andfar more.
You as 2026 comes into view, Ifthis episode is leaving you
feeling grounded, share what thefriend who's riding the
retrograde rollercoaster withyou.
And if you are looking for moredetails, more insights, join my
(17:48):
email list for my lunar andretrograde insights, surprise
specials, and heartfeltgiveaways and insights
throughout the month, you'll beone of the first to know every
event and any new practice tokeep your energy clean and
clear, and most importantlyaligned.
Head over to jenniferpilates.com and pop your name on
(18:10):
my email list.
I will meet you in your inboxwith lots of love.
Until next time.
Remember, delays aren't denial.
They're divine design.
Come home to your light,realign, release, receive, and
as always, may you live andempowered life from within.
(18:38):
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(18:59):
Until next time, may you live anempowered life from within.