The astrological moment we’ve all been dreading — horoscope-obsessed or not — is here yet again: Mercury Retrograde. With it comes a plethora of miscommunications, technological mishaps, travel delays, and general frustrations — oh joy. “Mercury Retrograde can bring curveballs and crunchiness,” Sarah Faith Gottesdiener, author of The Moon Book and host of Moonbeaming Podcast, tells Refinery29. At least, that’s one way to look at it. This astrological phenomenon allows us to put things into perspective. While Mercury Retrograde gets a bad rap, it can also be a time to slow down and take stock of current projects and goals and even use the time to reflect and readjust priorities. It’s also a time to expect the unexpected, and it never hurts to be prepared — whether that’s with a spiritual-filled candle, a detailed planner, or a portable charger. While the retrograde ends on September 15, there’s a post-retrograde shadow period that lasts until September 30. So there’s plenty of time to add any of the following products to cart — and we’d recommend you do, you never know what Mercury Retrograde could have in store for you.