If you’re reading this then chances are you’ve already heard of Mercury retrograde.
Mercury is the planet of communications, aka the messenger of the Gods, and up to four times a year appears to go backwards from our vantage point here on earth. It’s an optical illusion but it’s filled with symbolism.
After centuries of testing out this theory, astrologers all agree; Mercury retrograde brings confusion! It also beings second chances and times to rethink, revise, revisit and redo anything an everything.
And it’s retrograde right now!
So I though I’d create this post to help clarify and simplify the concept of Mercury retrograde for better understanding.
What is Mercury Retrograde?
In simple terms, because the planets all move around the Sun at different speeds, every now and then, they appear to be going backwards in the sky. Astronomically what you see is the planet moving backwards through the degrees of the zodiac. Astrologically, what you get is extra room for misunderstandings, do-overs and repetition.
What Mercury retrograde ISN’T is it’s not bad luck or a time of misfortune or anything to fear. Mercury is – among other things – the planet of communications, travel and transport – for example, so anything to do with those subjects can go haywire under this cycle. One study reported in the New York Times found that more plane luggage did indeed go missing during Mercury retrograde but this cycle is more likely to cause confusion and errors than anything inherently bad. (I actually co-wrote a book about it – click here!)
The Astrological Jargon Unpacked
One thing which does trip people up about Mercury retrograde is the jargon. For example, there’s the retrograde itself but before that we get the pre-shadow phase and after it we get the post-shadow phase. In a nutshell, this concerns itself with the degrees when the retrograde starts and ends, how far back Mercury retrogrades in a cycle and at what degree of the zodiac it needs to be for the whole cycle to be over.
This is not really that complicated or technical once you have your head around the idea of Mercury retrograde but it’s not something that you need to worry about when you’re starting out. (Again, if you’re curious, see my book!) – Key Terms Explained: Define terms often associated with Mercury retrograde (e.g., pre-shadow, post-shadow, stationing).
Another bit of jargon you might hear is about Mercury “stationing” or “going direct”. The first refers to when the Mercury retrograde cycle is about the start or finish and the second is basically the opposite of Mercury retrograde; when Mercury goes direct, the retrograde is over.
So Why Do People Struggle During Mercury Retrograde?
For a start, some people flourish under this cycle. If you were born when Mercury was retrograde, chances are this cycle suits you! For another, Mercury retrograde has a bad name and sometimes it becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy – anything bad which happens, people blame on Mercury retrograde!
However it’s true to say that there can also be issues when Mercury is retrograde not least because there can be misunderstandings which lead to upsets. And there can be breakdowns of things like phones and cars which lead to frustrations. But it can also be used to your advantage. Anything you want to UNDO is easier to backtrack on, when Mercury is retrograde, for example.
The last thing to say is that every Mercury retrograde has a slightly different flavour and will affect you in different ways. For example it might be Mercury retrograde in your Money Zone which could bring confusion re cash or could mean that money you’re owed finally turns up, for example. Or it might be in your Love Zone and your ex suddenly reappears.
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I would also suggest that if you’re curious about Mercury retrograde, take my free Mercury Retrograde quiz to see how well you’re likely to cope with it! To do that, click here.
