Mercury Retrograde
Astrologically, Mercury represents our minds, our thinking process and all aspects of communication. Mercury is not an emotional planet, but rather a highly objective, truth-seeking one. It rules intelligence, education and truth. Mercury rules our lower mind, how we perceive and interpret information that we receive from our environment, and how we relay that information to others. Mercury has rulership over such things as speaking, negotiating, buying and selling, listening, formal contracts, documents, travel, the mail and shipping, and so forth.
In general the effect of Mercury retrograde is annoyance. Little things get snarled up and a low-grade frustration emerges. It tends to breed a certain level of confusion. That is why mercury retrogrades are not the best of times for communication-related activities, communications of all types may go haywire for the entire Mercury retrograde period. When it is in retrograde (turning in an apparent backward motion) some of its power is held back.
Once you start to track Mercury “retro,” you will see the recurring patterns.
Decision-making is challenged during Mercury retrograde. Needless to say, it is not advised to sign contracts, engage in important decision-making, or launch a new business. Delays and challenges are more probable with Mercury retrograde. It's a time when being careless with money, our personal information, or paperwork can be costly. Letters can get lost in the mail, phone calls get missed, conversations are misunderstood, travel can be delayed and things generally fall apart at the seams. You miss appointments, your computer equipment crashes, checks get lost, and you find the car you just purchased during Mercury retrograde is a lemon. All machinery and things with moving parts--such as computers, VCRs, camera equipment, garbage disposals, and so forth, will reveal any weak links now. It is critical that you back up your data system and be more careful and vigilant than ever. If you work in the industries ruled by this planet such as sales, writing, public relations, advertising, publishing, air freight, the post office or express mail, any transportation industry, from the airlines to Amtrak, you'll also be especially vulnerable to this planet's weird motions. For example, Salesman, it is a positive time to backtrack over previous contacts rather than call on new ones. Just try not to start new things. Phone companies and computer help desks across the country receive more repair calls during Mercury retrograde than at any other time of the year.
If you have to start a job during a Mercury retrograde period know that the nature of the job is likely to change dramatically over time. Perhaps the person you report to will leave or your responsibilities will be very different from what you thought they would be,or your company won't be ready to take you on, and you won't have much to do until things are reorganized. If this was a position that you tried for in the past, then you've got the vibes working for you rather than against you. Don’t sign that contract without reading it carefully. Then read it again before signing. Review plans. Revisit completed jobs. Reconsider decisions made. Reorganize your desk or files. Reevaluate your life. You don’t necessarily have to do anything different, just pay attention to how your mind is working and take care of those loose ends that need attention at this time. There will be countless delays, cancellations and postponements--but know these will benefit you in the long run. Don't fight them, although your frustration level and feeling of restlessness will be hard to cope with at times. Projects will demand more time and money than anticipated. All of these areas of life are affected by Mercury functioning in a sluggish state
In matters of the heart, if your boyfriend or girlfriend breaks up with you or says something hurtful, take a wait-and-see attitude. Since Mercury rules speech, they may not mean what you think they are saying now. Let them have some space, and wait to see if they mean in August what they said in June or July. Now is also a good time to dress old wounds, clean up relationships or to simply bury the hatchet. Some people have great breakthroughs in psychotherapy during a Mercury retrograde period.
Why would the Universe give us Mercury retrograde? It is sometimes necessary to backtrack and reconfigure our paths in life in order to move forward in life. It is important to reconsider, repair, reflect, and reconnect. Mercury forces us to slow down and fix what's broken, and in so doing, rethink things. It also gives us time to get to projects we have put on the back-burner.
There is a positive side to Mercury Retrograde. This period is best used for re-organizing and reflecting. We look at the world a little differently--through different filters--and can come up with some very important inner revelations. It may be difficult to communicate them under this influence, but not everything needs to be rationalized. It is a perfect time to schedule work on projects that you haven't had time to do and you've let pile up. Bring your resume or portfolio up to date, and clean out your closets. Take time to paint the house. Clear your decks. Some activities are lucky or actually improve when Mercury retrogrades. You are likely to bump into old friends that you haven't seen in years. Adopted children tend to find their birth parents during Mercury retrograde periods, or people locate their long lost siblings. Prosecutors often find clues to crimes that had previously remained unsolved for years. (Although sometimes the reverse is true--there is a greater danger, or example, that police can bungle evidence during a Mercury retrograde period, for clear thinking doesn't come easy for any of us then.) Mail that went astray weeks or even years ago shows up during Mercury retrograde. Some things that were lost reappear.
The Mercury retrograde is also a time to reflect on what you’ve accomplished and where you want to redirect your energies. We all need time to review and decide if we’re taking the right road. These days give us the opportunity to do so. Catch up on all of the tasks you set aside, and also have a game-plan in place for when Mercury goes direct.
We can’t stop our lives every time a retrograde hits. So what can you do when you don’t have a choice? If you know when Mercury retrograde hits -- which is about every three months -- you can work with, rather than against, its energy.
If you think I have repeated my self too many times in this article. Good, you have recognized an important component with the retrograde condition. The concept of (Re) - Repeat, Redo, reorganize, reevaluate, reflect, reconnect, revisit, review, rethink, etc. These weeks are good for re-doing just about anything.
DON’T
§ Start anything new
§ Make important decisions
§ Buy computers, appliances, TVs, radios, etc.
§ Travel without back-up plans
§ Sign contracts
§ Buy a car
§ Negotiate a contract
§ File a lawsuit
§ Start a new job
§ Begin a new class
§ Go on a “first” date
§ Expect things to move quickly
§ Don’t Take anything for granted
WHAT TO EXPECT
§ New projects to fail
§ Angrier people
§ Crazy drivers
§ More accidents
§ Miscommunication
§ Quarrels
§ Computer problems and breakdowns
§ Computers crash
§ Software develops unexpected glitches
§ Delays
§ More mistakes
§ Slow mail
§ Letters get lost on the mail
§ Games of phone tag
§ Wrong directions
§ Missed appointments
§ Dead cell phone batteries
§ Telephone service snarls up
§ Machinery breaks down
There are, fortunately, more optimistic views of what Mercury retrograde means. Rather than hunkering down in your bunker, this is a positive time to tie up loose ends, reconnect with people from the past, make mechanical repairs and get systems in order.
DO
Re-apply for a job
Re-do hair color
Re-write your resume
Review your bank account
Renew a loan
Repair your car
Re-contact past clients
Research
Read and re-read contracts. Have someone else look them over, too
When traveling, leave early and allow for extra travel time
Count your belongings, things get lost when Mercury messes us up
Check your travel plans several times
If you need to, ask questions over and over during negotiations
Mail packages and letters early. Check the zip codes
Mail important items so you can track them - registered, certified, return receipt
If you are making purchases, keep your sales receipt and know the store’s return policy
Keep your cell phone battery charged
Watch your driving
Any Questions?