Mercury Retrograde is upon us once more!
Mercury went rogue on July 14th and will stay that way until August 8th. Don’t worry about it too much. Make sure you check your natal chart. Mercury was in retrograde when I was born so I’m not bothered by it, the same might be true for you.
What is Mercury Retrograde?
Mercury Retrograde happens three or four times every year. It occurs when Mercury slows its orbit and appears to stop and go backwards in the sky. It does, in fact, continue to go forward; the backwards orbit is just an optical illusion. We on Earth perceive this optical illusion as Mercury going backwards, against the natural order of the universe.
Weird right? It must have looked freaking apocalyptic to ancient astronomers and astrologers.
All the planets retrograde, but Mercury’s proximity to the Earth means that its affects are very apparent.
What Does it All Mean?
In Astrology, Mercury rules communication, travel, technology and the human mind.
In Roman mythology, Mercury was the messenger of the gods.
Mercury rules the signs Gemini and Virgo, attributing to their anal retentive neat-freakery.
Basically, when Mercury goes retrograde, or appears backwards, its traditional attributes are backwards as well. This means that travel, communication and technological devices (ruled by Mercury) go completely haywire. It also means that your mind can play tricks on you, causing confusion and emotional turmoil. This ridiculousness can present its self in a variety of ways:
Examples
The hotel/restaurant/airline looses your reservation.
You’re pissed because you misunderstood the tone of an email/text/letter and think someone is being an asshole.
Your computer blows up.
You drop your phone in a piping hot cup of coffee.
Writer’s block.
You think your partner said, “your fat.” They actually said, “the cat.”
Your mail/luggage/Amazon.com order mysteriously disappears somewhere between the post office and your front door.
The phone/internet/television cease to work.
You constantly mishear sentences in conversations or lines of dialogue on television shows.
It seems like you have to re-read every sentence of a book or blog post.
You hit a traffic jam EVERY SINGLE TIME you leave the house.
You’re constantly late for appointments and events.
Your cat runs off with your earbuds… ahem… Mortimer…
Who Does Mercury Retrograde Affect?
The character of a retrograde is coloured by the sun sign it falls under. The current retrograde is in Cancer-Leo, meaning that Cancer and Leo people may feel particularly affected. It also means that people with Cancer or Leo characteristics will be affected, regardless of their sun sign. It also means that parts of your life that are ruled or associated with Cancer or Leo could be affected.
Cancer rules the emotional and home aspects of life. You could find yourself being overly emotional, regardless of your astrological sign. Also, try to avoid home renovations or signing a lease or mortgage until the sun moves to Leo on July 23rd or until Mercury retrograde ends on August 8th.
Leo is a sign related to courage and strength. You could find that you feel weak, tired or scared once the sun moves into Leo. While the Mercury retrograde is in Leo, avoid situation which require courage… things like asking out your crush, demanding a promotion or job interviews. If that is not possible, simply be aware that your fear is enhanced because of Mercury retrograde and not because you are unworthy of success.
Geminis and Virgos are ruled by Mercury, meaning that they may be more or less affected depending on their birth chart.
Anyone born during one of Mercury’s retrogrades will not be affected as much, if at all.
Anyone who works in travel or technology should be careful.
Writers, teachers, PR executives and other people who’s jobs center on communication, should be cautious.
How to Survive
Leave 15 minutes early.
Avoid making any serious plans (weddings, vacations, book launches.)
Re-read every email and text before you send it.
Repeat after me: no coffee near the computer!
Double check reservations at least one week before the event.
Stop reading into things. Take people’s words at face value.
Expect delays, mix ups and general bullshittery. Do not get mad. That’ll only make it worse.
Write everything down. Your memory is the enemy.
Repeat after me: road rage is bad.
DO NOT sign contracts, purchase houses or make big life decisions about moving to Hawaii
Embrace the RE in Retrograde!
Mercury Retrograde favours all things “re,” as in re-visit, re-pair and re-do.
Re-tile the bathroom.
Re-write your article.
Re-decorate your living room.
Re-read your favourite book.
Further Reading
A post about this month’s retrograde from Mystic Mama.
A very informative post by Gala Darling.
Here’s an easy to understand article from About.com
Another About.com article on the planet Mercury and what it means astrologically.
Bookmark the Is Mercury in Retrograde? site. It’ll give you a simple yes/no and a countdown of days.
How Mercury Retrograde affects each astrological sign.
Don’t stress about Mercury Retrograde, but be aware of its presence. Make peace with it.
Retrograde happens for a third time in November.