Your weekly horoscopes are here and Mercury is in retrograde so you better listen up

There's no sentence we fear more than "Mercury is about to retrograde," but since it's officially in retrograde from now until April 15, we might as well come to terms with what that means and look at it as a way to grow.

Here's what the starts have in store for you this week, with illustrations by Lucy Turnbull for babe.

Aries

Look back at all of your past relationships. Would you get back together with them? Of course not. You've changed so much, seen more than you would've with them, tried things you wouldn't have with them holding you back. But at the time you two broke up, you didn't know any of that. You felt sad, lost, confused, betrayed. Kind of like during a retrograde. Right now you feel like you're living in a bit of a blur, but that's because you don't have the distance for perspective yet. With a full moon on Saturday, illumination will flood your life so don't do anything rash before then.

Taurus

Retrogrades are a time for us to make mistakes and learn from them. Experience is the best teacher, after all. It helps us to shift our focus and narrow in on what's worth keeping and what's better left behind. And it heightens our sensitivities to these things so we're sure. You may have made a few major mistakes since we entered this retrograde on March 22, but you're going to learn from them and come out of it all wiser than before. No more drunk texting someone who doesn't drunk text you first, you know?

Gemini

While it does come with its fair share of difficulties, the reason most of us are anxious about a Mercury retrograde is because we haven't taken the time to understand what precisely that entails. Without Mercury retrograding, we'd have no perspective! And you're about to get yours. Everything you do this week, whether it goes well, or turns out horribly wrong, is knowledge you'll carry with you. So allow yourself to make some wild, fucked-up mistakes. At least while you can still get away with them ?.

Cancer

Your interactions with people feel more tense during a retrograde, and when you cry you really cry. But don't burry yourself under this mountain of emotions. Instead, think of this time as similar to when you were younger — before you were jaded. When things people said still hurt, and when you still wore your heart on your sleeve ?. The world has hardened you so much. Heightened emotions are difficult, but they're what makes life worth living. Welcome to being a water sign. Embracing it will only make you more interesting.

Leo

A Mercury retrograde in Aries is all about closing doors to the past you'd rather leave shut. But, because of the heightened sense of everything, it's harder than usual. You need to be active in refusing to speak with people you're stronger without ?. You've been so good about it lately, but in times of weakness you find yourself slipping and thinking about them again. But in a few weeks when we're out of this mess you're really going to regret snapping under the pressure of seeing their name on your phone. Close the damn door — you're better than that.

Virgo

Mercury is closely tied to the nervous system, so when it's in retrograde, we begin turning inwards instead of outwards. We're harder on ourselves than usual, and quick to dismiss all of the hard work we've been putting in each day. Such a meticulous sign, you're already a huge perfectionist — hard on yourself about the tiniest of things. Do not let this pressure break your back. Try turning to other people to discuss things instead, and you'll feel so much better. A friend, an SO. Just make sure it's someone you know you can trust. People love to use your weaknesses against you.

Libra

Mercury retrograde isn't negative. It's just that when you learn your truth, you begin to find out who you really are and that can be scary sometimes. You spend so much time repressing these feelings you'd rather not feel only to have them thrust in your face at full-speed. You're a rational sign and that means no time for feelings. But you've been letting things build up, and now it's all boiling over. Enjoy the ride though. How often do you allow yourself to act on impulse? You're too young to be acting so old, and this is the week to cut loose without all the guilt.

Scorpio

Do not open any doors to the past this week! But if you do and you get burned, you'll at least know not to again. It's not your fault you have such a trusting heart. It's their fault for taking advantage of you in the first place. Not everybody you meet knows how fragile you really are. And because your sign has a reputation for being spunky and independent, people probably think they can say anything without hurting you — but you and I both know that isn't true. Because of this, you have to learn to start protecting yourself now, and the best way you can do that is by writing these people off in the first place.

Sagittarius

Sure, it isn't all rainbows and sunshine. Mercury retrogrades come with annoyances but they're for growth, and nobody loves growing more than you, Sag. Plan a trip during this time, because you're going to be ready to use what you've learned to explore a new place once it's over. While everyone else is melting down under the pressure, you're used to dealign with new situations, new people and quickly figuring out how to navigate them. You'll thrive during this time in a way other signs won't, because you understand the universal language of empathy. Use that to your advantage.

Capricorn

Be patient this week. Delays and mishaps are going to happen and they will be unavoidable. There will be errors in your communication with someone you care about, but that's common with mercurial retrogrades, and they will not last forever. If anything, it's actually good these discussions surrounding your differences are happening. It can't be all good all the time — that's not what a real relationship is made of. But someone you can whether the storm with? That's real. Thats what makes love worth fighting for.

Aquarius

Oh good. Return Of the Ex’s is playing this week, and it's in your sign. Are you ever going to rid yourself of this pest? We all have that one person we can't seem to shake no matter how hard we try (or pretend to try) and this is yours. But this retrograde is about closing that door once and for all, so this is your last chance to make that decision and make it finite. If you don't they might beat you to the chase, and you'll be left wishing you'd done it first. Is there anything worse than someone else taking the words out of your mouth? You'll want to stand your ground on this one. Trust me.

Pisces

We might be in the middle of a shit-storm kind of Mercury retrograde,but this Saturday, along with the new moon, Venus will enter Taurus and put you and a special someone in a very sensual mood. Taurus is ruled by the senses and can put us in a better mood faster than just about anything. You'll be feeling all around content and happy with things as long as you can relax yourself for long enough to trust fall into it. As a water sign, you've learned to be careful with your emotions. But sometimes, that ends up scaring people away. Let them know you're happy to be here in this life with them.

@TheTab