What In The Retrograde?! Mercury's At It Again
Crashed computers, missed flights, tensions in your workplace—a person who subscribes to astrology would tell you to expect all this chaos and more when Mercury starts retrograding. In 2019, that means March 5-28, July 7-August 2, and October 31-November 20. But this common celestial phenomenon is no reason to stay cooped up at home for weeks at a time. This transit has such a bad reputation, but truly it is just a normal pattern and cycle of our life. In fact, Mercury retrograde is very necessary for helping us shift our focus and learning the role of Mercury is key.
The term retrograde comes from the Latin word retrogradus, which literally means “backward step.” When the planet nearest to the Sun is retrograde, it appears to move "backwards" (east to west rather than west to east) across the sky. As the name suggests, retrograde is when a planet appears to go backward in its orbit, as viewed from Earth. Astronomers refer to this as “apparent retrograde motion,” because it is an optical illusion. The opposite of retrograde is direct or prograde motion. Prograde motion is the term astronomers prefer, while astrologers are more prone to use the term “direct” motion.
Because of the Earth’s daily rotation, the objects in the night sky appear to move from east to west through the night sky. While the location of the stars relative to the Earth is fixed, at least from our vantage point, the other planets in our Solar System all orbit the Sun at varying speeds. The outer planets — Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune — all take longer to orbit the Sun than the Earth does, because their orbits are larger. Because of this, the Earth often laps these planets in its journey around the Sun. When the Earth overtakes an outer planet, that planet appears to travel backward, as compared to the stars, for a time. (Picture two cars on the highway going in the same direction in different lanes. If one car is driving faster than the other, the slower car will appear to go backward from the perspective of a person in the faster car, even though the slower car is still going pretty fast in the same direction.)
Fun Fact:
A year on Mercury is shorter than a year on Earth (88 Earth days compared to 365), which means Mercury experiences four years in the time it takes us to finish one solar loop.
THE HISTORY OF "MERCURY IN RETROGRADE"
Mercury retrograde—as it's technically called—was being written about in astrology circles as far back as the mid-18th century. The event was noted in British agricultural almanacs of the time, which farmers would read to sync their planting schedules to the patterns of the stars. During the spiritualism craze of the Victorian era, interest in astrology boomed, with many believing that the stars affected the Earth in a variety of (often inconvenient) ways. Late 19th-century publications like The Astrologer’s Magazine and The Science of the Stars connected Mercury retrograde with heavy rainfall. Characterizations of the happening as an "ill omen" also appeared in a handful of articles during that period, but its association with outright disaster wasn’t as prevalent then as it is today.
While other spiritualist hobbies like séances and crystal gazing gradually faded, astrology grew even more popular. By the 1970s, horoscopes were a newspaper mainstay and Mercury retrograde was a recurring player. Because the Roman god Mercury was said to govern travel, commerce, financial wealth, and communication, in astrological circles, Mercury the planet became linked to those matters as well.
So what does all of that have to do with people wanting to hide in their rooms for weeks at a time?
Mercury Retrograde at the Personal Level
Astrologers believe that the Moon, stars, planets, and Sun affect happenings here on Earth, and that each planet in our Solar System rules a different aspect of life. Like the Greek messenger god it was named for, Mercury is said to govern transportation and communication.
Those who dread Mercury’s retrograde motion say that, when the planet travels backward, its power to positively influence these domains is stifled, leading to chaos. Believers in the malevolent power of Mercury retrograde blame the phenomenon for everything from arguments to lost mail or luggage to automobile accidents, and warn people to hold back on conducting important business during this time.
Of course, few of us can afford to hide under our beds for three weeks, so for most people, life goes on as usual during Mercury retrograde. And if you choose to be more cautious during this time, well, a little extra caution never hurt anyone.
Celestial perspective…
An Astrological vantage point
One way of looking at Mercury Retrograde is that it reveals the shadow or disowned component in our awareness, communication, and interaction with others and with the world around us.
What You Should – and Should Not – Do During a Mercury Retrograde Phase
Mercury rules communication, travel, and technology and according to many sources regarding the retrograde phase there are plenty of things we should be abstaining from during this time. For instance, don’t make any important moves when Mercury is retrograde. Nothing will be settled successfully for the future during these periods anyway – you will find it nearly impossible to nail down a plan.
These phases are also considered poor times to launch any new endeavors, even if they are not related to the communications industries.
During a retrograde period, it can hard to get decisions from others. Even if a decision is made, it can be subject to change, either just after Mercury turns to direct motion or much later.
Mercury retrograde periods would not be good times to do anything involving communications, such as launch a magazine, website, or an advertising or publicity campaign.
Similarly, a retrograde period is considered not a good time to sign any contracts or even to shake hands on any new agreements. (Yes, verbal agreements are considered the same as written ones). Since mercury rule communications, the environment will be quite fluid and changeable, no matter what you are told or what you think. It’s not that the people you are dealing with are necessarily duplicitous. It’s just that nobody can fully predict what conditions will be like later. If you start a new job, chances are it won’t necessarily be the position, you thought it was when you accepted it. If you are a manager, you will have difficulty choosing the right candidate for the job, so, if you can, hold off hiring anyone. If you buy a house, problems could crop up later that were completely unanticipated.
Backup your computer in advance of any Mercury retrograde period. If you had planned to install new software on your personal computer (or, if you work in IT, on your network), wait until the retrograde period is over to do so. Weird things happen during these periods. For example, you may suddenly discover that you were sold a defective hard drive, even though it may never have given you problems in the past, at least not until you created that vital document and your whole system went down.
Mercury also rules trade and commerce, so don’t buy or sell anything expensive during its retrograde phases. Often you will find that the item you want is out of stock. If you do buy something expensive, such as a car, computer, or jewelry, for example, you may regret your purchase later. If you are buying or selling a house, expect problems, errors, delays, and setbacks to arise. The only times you can buy something expensive during a retrograde period are if you are returning something you already bought.
Are There Any Exceptions to the Rule:
“Don’t Plan Big Actions During a Retrograde”? Yes!
There are situations where you can move forward, gingerly, during Mercury retrograde. The main time you can is if you are going back to the past, either to correct something or do more with a person you know and admire.
Is Mercury retrograde all bad?
Photo by Christina Emilie
Not at all… Although these Mercury retrograde periods can be frustrating, they are often useful too, for they allow us to reassess, revisit, readdress, redo, and redesign our plans. Sometimes we rush along in life without fully considering our basic assumptions or actions. Mercury retrograde allows us to stop, look, listen, and redirect our energies more productively. Mercury also helps us find closure to certain situations.
Reconnecting with old pals and relatives is very common during retrograde periods, and that can be one of the most positive and fun sides of this planet’s retrograde orbit. If you hear from an old friend or colleague during Mercury retrograde, I feel there is a potent reason for it. It seems to me that there is something that the two of you are meant to do or plan together.
When Mercury is retrograde, remain flexible, allow extra time for travel, and avoid signing contracts. Double check your email responses, check in with reservations before you take that trip. Review projects and plans at these times, but wait until Mercury is direct again to make any final decisions. You can’t stop your life, but plan ahead, have back-up plans, and be prepared. We can all benefit from taking a closer look at situations with greater depth, which happens when Mercury retrogrades. Mercury retrograde periods are like walking through glue, so they do tend to make us slow down, which at times can be a blessing.
Here are some examples of how to leverage the energy of Mercury retrograde to help you!
Perhaps you have been working on a project that seems to have gone down the wrong path. When Mercury retrogrades, it could become evident that the project needs to be altered slightly or redirected. Even if you did not get your way originally, if you argue your case persuasively, things might go your way now.
You stall on accepting a job offer, and lo and behold, a better one comes your way in the meantime.
You refrain from buying a certain big-ticket item, and within a few weeks, the coveted item goes on sale and you will be glad you waited.
If a meeting is postponed or cancelled, you have more time to gather additional information that probably will come in quite handy.
If you are in sales, go back to old customers and clients. You may do better by asking for more business from people who have always trusted you than by trying to extend your reach into new sales territory. Former customers like being contacted, and under Mercury retrograde, you will have the time to do so.
Missing objects are likely to be found. That beautiful bracelet wasn’t lost after all – it was on your bookshelf, behind your favorite book!
Mercury retrograde can be a great time to cleanse, reassess things and realign ourselves.
When Mercury is direct it helps us to speak our truth and communicate it to the world. When Mercury goes retrograde however, this planet gives us the opportunity to assess our truth and how we have been communicating it to the world. This dual process has to exist and happen for us to really understand who we are and how we choose to express or communicate this information. This dual process has to exist and happen for us to really understand who we are and how we choose to express or communicate this information.
So Mercury retrograde is not the end of the world. Hardly. Rather, it can give us an opportunity to go within and work out how we are truly feeling and how we want to express our idea to the world. It’s also a chance to revisit things in the past that may need resolution… tying up loose ends, so to speak. This gives us the opportunity to assess our truth and how we have been communicating it to the world.
Just like anything else, there is good and bad to it. It just depends upon what you do, and how you choose to move during this time. The key is to air on the side of caution, be intentional, thorough and listen to your intuition more closely during this time. It can actually be a great time to reassess and make needed changes in our lives. So find what works for you and happy retrograde!
A retrograde meditation/focus to support your thru this phase.
Practice daily during the 3 week retrograde period to ground, realign and center yourself for whatever the days bring.
"THE INFORMATION SHOWN DURING THIS RETROGRADE WILL SHOW ME THE WAY TO BREAK FREE FROM COMFORT ZONES AND ROUTINES. THIS CHANGE OF PACE OFFERS ME A NEW OPPORTUNITY TO CHANGE MY LIFE DIRECTION APPROPRIATELY. I AM BEING SHOWN WAYS TO BROADEN MY PERSPECTIVE BY USING MY INTUITION."
Allow insights from your meditations to lead you into deeper relaxation, use candles, herbs, stones, and oils to create your own rituals for self-reflection, peace of mind and mental clarity. Take no less than 15-30 minutes, preferably at the same time each day to sit with yourself over the course of this retrograde.
FOR THE NEXT THREE WEEKS: BREATHE DEEP, TAKE THINGS SLOW, AND TRUST THAT INNER VOICE!
Sources Wikipedia, The Farmer’s Almanac, Mental Floss, Astrology Zone, Almanac, The Hoodwtich