“Here we go again, Mercury is Retrograde…”
You’ve probably heard this a lot. You’ve probably even blamed the sheer fact of a planet, millions of miles away, affecting what happens in your life.
Hmm…seems pretty far-fetched.
Well, you’re not wrong. This phenomenon is one of the few that effects everyone in a fairly uniform way. It seems to reason that readers seem to pay the most attention to this planetary aspect.
So let’s get into the nooks and cranny of it, shall we?
Happening three times a year, the planet Mercury appears to travel backwards in the sky.
But does Mercury really move backward?
Nope! It’s just an optical illusion created when Earth and another planet move at different speeds, like when you’re on the train and another zooms past—the other train can look like it’s moving backward.
Retrograde is the term for the seeming backward motion.
Astrologers believe that these times are characterised by doubt, uncertainty, and frustration.
Think of unfinished love letters, sloppy emails, and frantic travel plans! Ugh!
The truth is that the stars don’t force anything into existence; astrologers merely use them as a tool for self-examination. People love to blame their troubles on Mercury retrograde, but in reality, the stars don’t compel anything into existence.
Now how do we survive and thrive during this period?
Okay so there’s no set ritual, like sacrificing a sheep or something to prepare for it.
However, in the run-up to the retrograde, try to be mindful of any recurrent ideas or grievances that have been surfacing regarding a certain circumstance or relationship. You can then determine what your personal theme for the retrograde will be and what areas you would need to focus on.
You might want to prepare for project delays at work, and you should definitely be flexible if modifications are required.
Generally speaking, whatever you are focused on at the beginning of the retrograde won’t appear the same by the end of it.
Just take a moment to reflect. Step back and reanalyse who you are and what you are doing.
Do what you have to do when you must—things will work out the way they will, Mercury be damned!
