What Mercury Retrograde Really Means

Whether you believe in Astrology or not, there’s a life lesson in the phenomenon known as Mercury Retrograde.

You’ve most likely heard SOMEONE reference it. Maybe in your Facebook feed. Something like, “UGH! My computer just crashed and I lost all of my work #mercuryretrogradesucks.” Maybe you believe in astrology a little, and a few times a year, when traffic is really bad and people are driving like idiots, you check this website, just to find out if there is a correlation, however coincidental: 

www.ismercuryinretrograde.com

For those reading this who have no idea what I’m talking about, a brief definition from the Farmer’s Almanac:

“Sometimes the planets appear to be traveling backward through the zodiac; this is an illusion. We call this illusion retrograde motion.

“Mercury’s retrograde periods can cause our plans to go awry. However, this is an excellent time to reflect on the past. Intuition is high during these periods, and coincidences can be extraordinary.

“When Mercury is retrograde, remain flexible, allow time for extra travel, and avoid signing contracts. Review projects and plans at these times, but wait until Mercury is direct again to make any final decisions.”

Short version: Communication and transportation are challenged during Mercury Retrograde, to say the least.

Here’s the thing. Mercury goes Retrograde 3 times per year, for about 3 weeks at a time.

So that’s 9 weeks of the year that you can expect, if you believe in this stuff, for the communication, connection, and travel aspects of life to suck eggs.

Add to that the fact/belief that the 2-and-1/2 weeks leading up to the Retrograde, and the 2-and-1/2 weeks after that it takes for the planet to traverse forward again to the point where it first reversed direction, known as the “shadow periods” also contain these challenging influences, we are now talking 24 weeks per year.

About 1/2 of the year is going to suck.

Or at least be… challenging.

So what are the takeaways here?

1. For those who take astrology more seriously: These retrograde and shadow periods may be considered a rough time for certain actions, however they are considered a good time to take actions with “re-” at the front: review, reconsider, reflect, revise. They are auspicious periods for introspection, going back over old ideas, picking up previously abandoned projects, finishing out, fulfilling, or signing contracts or agreements that began before the retrograde started.

And because planning is “conflicted” as they say in the lingo, retrograde periods may favor spontaneity, intuition, and coincidence, rather than logic or control.

In my personal experience, I have terrible writer’s block during retrogrades. I can revise, no problem, but for a few days each cycle, I find it physically impossible or at least terribly painful to create new written content, whether I want to accept the correlation or not.

(I have heard that people who were born during Mercury Retrograde periods have the opposite experience, that they are enlivened during these cycles.)

2. For those who take this with a grain of salt, albeit somewhat interesting salt: While it might be a bunch of whooey, this paradigm suggests that it’s possible for roughly about six months of the year to go NOT how you would like, no matter how hard you try. This can be a huge relief. You can’t control it. So, STOP trying so hard to be happy and content all the time. Embrace the periods of suckage. Life has its ebb and flow, a wavelike pattern of ups and downs. It’s not your fault. You don’t need to meditate more, say more affirmations, visualize harder, eat less carbs. You do need to do less. Surrender to the suckage. Take cover. Hide under the blanket with chocolate and a journal and pen. And just hang on. Everything will change again.

3. This topic, as it relates to dating, online or off-line: If it feels like your dating campaign is not going how you would like, it might be worth checking on the direction of Mercury’s travels. Maybe this isn’t the ideal time for you to be trying to communicate with new people? Maybe it’s time to go back over your relationship history for clues, information that might lead to revelations, or a previous lover who wasn’t ready “then,” but is perfect for you now…

You can ask yourself the same questions without consulting the skies: Are you fighting against what is happening, or have you surrendered to it?

Are you cursing the traffic, or finding a good song on the radio and waiting it out while singing at the top of your lungs?

No matter what situation we find ourselves in, we have choices.

And as a coach, I am all about discovering and making empowered choices.

Please note that I am not an Astrologer, but rather an Astrology hobbyist. If you are interested in delving deeper into this topic, I highly recommend Chani Nicholas’ website: http://www.chaninicholas.com/

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A few words about paradigms and oracles, including Astrology (Western, Chinese, Vedic), the Enneagram, Myers-Briggs, Tarot, Angel Cards, psychic readings, and more:

I love oracles. I love personality tests. I love anything that gives me the opportunity to feel and be seen, to reflect on who I am and what I have to offer, to clarify what I need and want and how I be in the world.

Every one of these tools is just that. A tool. The power of the tool depends on who is wielding it. And while there are experts who will use these tools, ultimately it is you who decides what feels right, what is useful about the information, if it is true or not.

Some say that you can read each of the 16 Myers-Briggs personality types or 12 signs of Astrology without knowing which-is-which and feel like every single one applies to you.

I say, if you are drawn to any one of these paradigms, notice that. And if the perspective is helpful, use it.