What Happens When Mercury Goes Retrograde?

Its that time again folks! When the whole world seems to have gone more than a little bonkers!

Yes, Mercury in retrograde can have “interesting” and “fascinating” side effects .

What is Mercury Retrograde?

A few times per year Mercury slows down in its orbit around the Sun, creating an illusion of backward movement. Imagine being in the back seat of a car, watching another car on the motorway. If the other car is going slower, it’ll appear to be going backwards, when actually it’s going forward. The retrograde of a planet is this kind of optical illusion.

Here is a diagram of what it looks like in the heavens.

When Mercury is in retrograde, communication can seem to slow down, misfire or go haywire with missed calls and technological snafus.

Mercury – Winged Messenger of the gods – rules the star signs of Gemini and Virgo and is associated with communications (of all types), travel, keys and contracts. This is why there’s a warning against signing contracts or starting a project during Mercury retrograde.

I have recently had a number of requests for the dates for the Mercury retrogrades in 2013 so below are the dates from the Ephemeris and a little information about the impact that a retrograde Mercury can have on our lives.

November 6, 2012                 Until                                              November 26, 2012
23:04 GMT                                                                                            22.47 GMT

February 23, 2013                Until                                               March 17, 2013
9:41 GMT                                                                                             20.03 GMT

June 26, 2013                         Until                                              July 20, 2013
13:07 GMT                                                                                        18.22 GMT

October 21, 2013                   Until                                             November 10, 2013
10:29 GMT                                                                                        21.12 GMT

As you can see form the 2013 dates ,Mercury retrograde periods happen about three times a year.

So what  are some of the things that can happen to us here on P3 (Planet Earth)  when Mercury appears to go backwards in the heavens?

All sorts of things! It’s like everyone you know has suddenly gone quite mad! You might find yourself getting into bizarre arguments about nothing at all, being unable to finish sentences or barely even able to form a coherent thought. Your computer  and other electronic equipment is more likely to go on the blink and you could also experience travel delays. I always recheck my flight status and check-in details and the luggage tags on my bags when traveling at this time and factor in extra time to get to the train station or the airport in case of delays or hold ups.

Some information may be unavailable to us or hidden in the process of dealings so it is wise to try and sign contracts outside of a Mercury retrograde time.

Expect to hear some whining from your friends who are Gemini or Virgo, since both are ruled by Mercury! Your Mercury ruled Virgo and Gemini friends may be feeling the Mercury retrograde effects very keenly – so be gentle and do try and sympathise with them.

Mercury rules a lot of industries like publishing, writing, editing, advertising, sales, public relations and anything to do with transport, like airlines,trains, buses, the post office and taxi cabs. Real Estate problems may occur with the  buying and selling process experiencing delays and obstructions during a Mercury retrograde. Things get held up , contracts take ages to be signed , documents go astray, photocopiers stop working … these are  just a few things that could come off the tracks at this time.

From my personal experience dentistry is another area one has to be mindful of  during a Mercury retrograde. If you are planning to  have dental work that involves the removal of amalgam (essentially the metal Mercury) WAIT – reschedule to a time when Mercury has gone back to its direct course. I cannot begin to tell you the disasters that occurred for me when I attempted this feat with my Virgo dentist during a Mercury retrograde. Suffice to say – a 45 minute task took 2 and a half hours, a change of surgeries and a complete instrument change as well and lots of sweat and pain! And that was just my dentist!

Now for the good news ….

Mercury retrograde provides us with lots of beautiful opportunities if we can just look at things slightly askew.

Mercury retrograde wants us to reflect spiritually. It is providing us with an opportunity to re-visit and re-examine various areas of our life which may need a little more work, so that we can move forward. This is a time to look at things with clear eyes and enable fresh and new perspectives to be revealed.  We often have major breakthroughs — intellectual, emotional or spiritual — during this time.

It’s also a great time to tie up loose ends and complete unfinished projects which may include letting go of old out-moded relationships and friendships. Having said that this is also a time when  it is common for old lovers, friends and acquaintances to get in touch! If you hear from someone from your past, call or see them and work out what you need to say or do to complete the unfinished “business”.

One of the best ways to cope with a Mercury retrograde though is to allow and just go with it – remember you do not have to be at the mercy of this energy unless you wish to be. Be gentle with yourself and others and allow the grandeur of the Universal machinations to unfold around you.

 

One Response

  1. Brilliant, Im a Virgo & this is right on target. Amazing how the planets affect us. I’ll be taking this advice & work watch what i do through this time.
    Thanks Ruthie for the guidance xxx

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