A: Over the years, you may have heard people exclaim: “Oh, no! Mercury is retrograde!”
Even if you’re not into astrology, that sounds ominous. So let’s talk about what the phrase means, and how Mercury retrograde can affect your daily life.
Mercury in retrograde has two meanings — literal and societal. If that sounds confusing, read on.
Here’s a literal definition from The Astrology Dictionary:
“Mercury retrograde is a phrase used in astrology to refer to a phenomenon that occurs periodically when the planet Mercury temporarily appears to reverse its normal course and move backward through the zodiac. This phenomenon occurs three times each year, and it lasts for approximately three weeks each time.”
So how does Mercury retrograde affect our daily lives? “Mercury is typically associated with communication, media, travel, and technology. Thus this period has come to be associated with things like miscommunication, travel delays, or technological snafus. Mercury retrograde periods are notorious for coinciding with disturbances in the regular flow of communication, resulting in misstatements, miscalculations, do-overs, delays, problems with technology, schedules, traffic, etc.”
While those issues are negative, there are also some positive aspects. Since Mercury is also associated with the intellect, sometimes the retrograde period is considered a time of reflection and introspection. During this period, you might find yourself reminiscing about the past and connecting with old friends.
The next Mercury retrograde will start on March 5, 2019. Each Mercury retrograde effect takes on some of the aspects of the astrological sign it takes place in. For instance, in March, Mercury retrograde is occurring in the sign of Pisces. This should be interesting, as Mercury is all about logic, and Pisces is spiritual and dreamy. These opposite aspects may make for a more tumultuous time.
For more information on what the upcoming retrograde might mean to you, check out this fun post from Elite Daily. In the meantime…
How Do You Best Handle Mercury in Retrograde?
As a believer in astrology, I pay attention to times when Mercury is in retrograde. I don’t stop doing things like travel or sending emails during this time, but I do double- and triple-check everything. I suggest you do this, too. And if technology fails you, as it often does me during this time, at least you can blame Mercury!
I often re-connect with people from my past during retrogrades (it just seems to happen naturally), and spend time thinking about the big picture. This is the part of retrograde that I enjoy.
Ultimately, how you handle Mercury in retrograde is up to you. You can ignore it. You can freak out about it. Or you can accept it, and deal with the good and bad parts of it, as you can do with everything in life!
Have you experienced any effects of Mercury in retrograde?
