I am sure you have heard people talk about Mercury Retrograde. “Communication is going to go bad” people say. “Don’t travel during Mercury retrograde! What if something happens?” “Everything is just going to go wrong!” Well, first negative breeds negative so just stop all of that. Now, let’s take a look at what Mercury Retrograde is really.
What Is Mercury Retrograde?
What Happens in the Sky: When you go out and look at the night sky, occasionally there are planets we can see with the naked eye. Of course, generally, they look like bright stars. In literal terms. Mercury retrograde happens when the Earth takes over Mercury’s orbit and creates an illusion making it look like Mercury, is moving backward for a short time.
Mercury is not the only planet that this happens to, but seems to be the one people talk about the most. Actually at certain times as the Earth revolves around the sun along with the other planets, all at different speeds and distances, they all going into retrograde at some point.
Astrologically Speaking: No, the fact that it looks like it’s moving backward isn’t why it’s the retrograde that people talk about. When a planet goes into retrograde, it effects attributes of that planet in turn affecting how that planet affects what is happening here on Earth. The fact that Mercury is the fastest moving of all of the planets and that it is the one that governs communication and thought/the mind.
In more detail, Mercury is the planet that governs all forms of communication including journalism, writing, information gathering but also things like the phone, internet, media, really anything that is moving information from one place/person to another, and all aspects of the movement. It’s also associated with personality, curiosity, the ability to adapt to situations or change, and, would you believe – the sense of humor.
Mercury makes its way through retrograde three to four times per month, going into retrograde about every 116 days, every four months, for about 22 days. As it moves through its cycle around the sun, just before it goes into retrograde, it will appear in the western sky at dusk as an evening star, the time when it is furthest from the sun. It will then appear to move closer to the horizon each night until it disappears from sight.
During the time of its disappearance, electronics seem to not work, appointments and schedules seem to be a mess, communication is jumbled, and misunderstandings seem to run rampant.
About halfway as it passes behind the sun away from the earth, Mercury goes through its own “new moon”, being cleansed and ready to continue cleansed and renewed. It’s now ready for its next 116-day cycles and when it moves back into sight, appears to be moving forward again as it comes closer and closer, eventually catching up with us again as it moves around the sun, with us at a slower pace.
And It Affects Us How?
This year Mercury goes into retrograde from April 1 – April 25 (yes, I know, this has already passed), August 4th – August 28th, and again November 25th – December 15th. We started this year with the last day of retrograde ending on January 1, 2024, so it appears to only happen three times this year.
So shall we start with the good or the bad? Let’s get the bad news out first so we can end on a high note.
During the retrograde, things seem to not happen as planned. Meetings are rescheduled for seemingly no reason, credit cards are lost and keys are misplaced. Airlines lose your tickets or every flight is overbooked and communications seem to get lost in the vastness that is the Cloud or Cyberspace.
No matter how hard you try, you seem to be spinning your wheels, going nowhere. This, however, may not be so bad as often plans made during Mercury Retrograde seem to all unravel after it’s over anyway. What does that mean? Don’t make long-term plans during Mercury Retrograde.
And on the positive side of things. Mercury Retrograde is famous for reuniting lost love through unplanned reunions. You could unexpectedly reunite with past friends or lovers because that meeting that didn’t happen allowed you to be someplace where you wouldn’t have normally been.
Unplanned changes are not always a bad thing. What if that change in your schedule made it possible for you to meet that person who was going to make it possible for you to attain the career you have been working towards and seem to be unable to reach? Remember, even during Mercury retrograde, things happen for a reason.
Conclusion
In conclusion, you have a little over two months before Mercury goes into retrograde next. Time to plan. We will end with some dos and don’ts of living through Mercury Retrograde.
| Dos | Don’t |
| Redo it, Rethink it, Review it | Don’t finalize negotiations, do that after it’s over |
| Recheck all travel plans and then recheck them again | Don’t start a new job or project |
| revisit previously made plans | Don’t purchase electronics or high-ticket items |
| Back up your electronic: email, work, computers, phones, etc. | Don’t ship – if you need to, purchase insurance. |
| tie up loose ends – don’t carry unfinished plans out of the retrograde. | No last-minute travel |
| Repair old things | No highly detailed complicated tasks. |
About the Author
A late bloomer in the writing industry, Christle Hart has just joined the world of writing as a published Author, poet, and content writer. As a teacher for 20 years, she has made a somewhat smooth transition from teaching writing to publishing her own work and is excited to be doing so. You can even check out her first novel which has finally been released.
Check back here for more of her articles focused on gardening, cooking, horoscopes, movies and TV, gaming and so many other passions. You can find her on her website where her blog, The Nook, is also located. You can also find her on Facebook.
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