Once again, “the fun time of expecting the unexpected” is upon us. Mercury will be retrograde from August 4 to August 27 and then again from November 25 to December 15.
So, what is a Mercury retrograde, and what can we expect?
As the name suggests, when any planet goes retrograde, it appears to be moving backward across the sky. This backward movement, or retrogradation, is merely an illusion created by our viewpoint here on Earth. It happens when Earth overtakes a slower-moving planet in its orbit around the Sun, or a faster-moving planet overtakes it. Like runners on a track, when a faster runner catches up to and gradually overtakes a slower one, the slower one’s motion relative to the faster one is backward, even though both are still moving forward.
Okay, that’s all about the technicalities. (For all astronomy nerds, plenty of online articles explain the phenomenon in more detail.)
Astrologically, Mercury retrograde tends to cause temporary havoc related to all things mercurial. Since Mercury rules all types of communication, especially written and online, this period often brings miscommunications, misunderstandings, and all sorts of technical breakdowns. Losing passwords and online data, emailing the wrong person, or sending a text message to the wrong recipient are typical Mercury retrograde scenarios. Last-minute changes to travel plans and travel delays are also very common. Thus, planning lightly and being flexible and open to change can help move through this time more easily. Mercury also rules our thinking, intellect, and thought processes, and none tends to work optimally during the retrograde season. Thus, as a general rule of thumb, it is an excellent time to redo things instead of starting anything new. Spending time RE-writing, RE-thinking, and RE-organizing things and working on ongoing projects are excellent choices for this period. However, signing new contracts or starting anything significant isn’t advisable, and for the best outcome, it’s worth postponing until Mercury moves direct again, whenever possible. Mercury retrograde often leads to overthinking, but it also brings new ideas and perspectives, making this time excellent for retrospection. (Another RE-word.)
Lastly, one more thing that is very common during this period is that friends, lovers, exes, and people in general often reappear in our lives. However, these reconnections tend to be short-lived. It is extremely common to see couples reunite at the beginning of a Mercury retrograde season only to break up soon after Mercury starts moving forward. (Again, we tend to see things from a different perspective, and coupled with confusion, it is no wonder why this happens so often. Something that looked like a great idea during retrograde turns out not to be so good after all once Mercury is direct and our mind is back “online.”)
To sum up, Mercury retrograde isn’t something we need to fear. It isn’t rare either since it happens twice to three (on rare occasions, four) times yearly. If we know about it, we can plan for it and use it to our benefit. Even if we happen to start something new, like a new job, traveling overseas, or signing a significant contract, etc. (sometimes we don’t have a choice), it is helpful to be aware of the retrograde period, so if something goes haywire (which most likely will), we can understand that it is just part of the current astrological energies and not much we can do about it. Again, being flexible with plans and outcomes can go a long way.
Ultimately, Mercury’s retrograde can be seen as a gentle nudge from the Universe that tells us to take a step back, slow down, look at our lives from a different angle, make the necessary corrections, and tie up all loose ends before moving forward.
