Mercury retrograde. Again! This well-known and often annoying planetary phenomenon happens 3 times a year for approximately 3 weeks each. As Mercury is the planet of communications, messages, writing, technology, transportation, learning, and planning, expect some disruption in these areas as well as in your computer, paperwork and maybe your…baking.
When a planet is retrograde means that the planet moves backwards on the sky. Symbolically, that means that we, humans, may need to stop or slow down, take a breath and reflect on our lives. But can you still bake with Mercury retrograde? Can astrology affect your dessert making for 3 weeks? It may well do. You can’t bake without the oven or the stove to name the basic. You may also use the air-fryer, the ice cream maker, the fridge or the freezer for certain desserts. As they all use electricity and they can easily break down due to overuse or aging, your baking plans may significantly be affected by the retrograde movement.
📖Mercury retrograde: Can you still bake?
So what can you do to be ready for the days of Mercury in slow motion? Here are some suggestions:
⏲️ Be prepared in the kitchen
Before Mercury turns retrograde, make sure that you are prepared in the kitchen. Check your devices including the standing mixer, the blender and the food processor. Are they all in a good order? Do they need some sort of maintenance? Do they work? Test as much as you need. The same applies for the oven, the stove and the air-fryer if you use it. Are all clean, operational and ready to be used without a problem? You may also want to check if you have enough baking pans, sheets, molds, round pans etc. Imagine getting ready for muffins only to realize that you can’t find the muffin pan!
📚 Organize your cookbooks and recipes
We all have more than enough cookbooks and recipes in different forms, shapes and formats. They are new and old books, handwritten recipes in notebooks, well-kept recipes from family, recipes in our computers, tablets and maybe phones. And don’t forget the million recipes floating in the cyberspace, some of which sit in your bookmarks.
Organize them well, put them in order and in a place that is easy to find. How many times have you lost your favorite recipe notebook and couldn’t locate it anywhere in the house? Separate all baking and desserts books and place them on the same shelf in the same bookcase. Organize your recipe folders in your computer thematically so you know where each dessert category recipes are.
Once you are done, you can even check old cookbooks and see if they are in good shape. To avoid the famous Rachel Green scene in Friends when she was making an English Truffle, only to make a hybrid at the end: half an English Truffle and half a Shepherd’s Pie because the pages of the cookbook were stuck together!
🧠Review, revisit, repurpose
Maybe it’s not the time to try new recipes during these three weeks. Maybe it’s better to remake some of the old ones. If you are a food blogger, check your blog and pick a recipe that you like. Why you don’t redo it with a different type of flour or cream? Or maybe try it to make it dairy free? You then have repurposed a popular recipe on your blog that can easily fit under a new category. Revisit all articles and add new content so they can be up-to-dated including newer ideas. Or you can review old recipes that may need a makeover because some ingredients are out of fashion or because there is a new food trend.
If you bake for your family and children, instead of trying new things, do the same with a twist. Try a traditional cake with no eggs or use a plant-based butter. Experiment with new flours and give a new take to an old favorite. French toast with almond bread? Lemon pound cake with coconut sugar? You name it.
🚧Finish old projects
Mercury is the planet of communications, messages and writing. Instead of rushing into new baking projects and recipe writing that just won’t move forward, you could take this time to catch up on old projects and cross off some of your old to-do list. Did you want to clean your pantry and get rid of expired foods? This is the perfect time. Have you started but never finished indexing your gluten free recipes? Do this instead. By finishing off old forgotten projects, you will be satisfied and you will empty the space for the new ones that will show up once Mercury turns direct.
Be ready to change your plans
Mercury in retrograde is notorious for making us change our initial plans. We have to cancel meetings or travel, reschedule appointments or face some bills for fixing broken devices. So, in the area of baking, be ready to change your baking plans. Maybe you will have to fix the out-of-order blender. Or the 🎂 birthday cake that your daughter wanted will be replaced by something else. The good news is that you will have more free time to enjoy life without feeling guilty.
Remember, it’s only temporary. Mercury turns direct soon enough and life will be at full speed ahead.
☿️ Mercury retrograde days for 2023 are:
| December 29 (2022)– January 18 in Capricorn |
| April 21 – May 14 in Taurus |
| August 23 – September 15 in Virgo |
| December 13, 2023 – January 1, 2024 in Sagittarius |