Harnessing the Power of Mercury Retrograde

At first, you think you’re just having one of those weeks where you fall victim to Murphy’s Law at every turn. It seems there is a cloud hovering over you, raining down misfortune and miscommunication at every turn. You spend your energy swimming against this tide of bad luck to no avail, and turn to your friends to vent your frustration. To your surprise, they nod along in understanding and share their stories of recent unfortunate events. Slowly it dawns on you that this much “bad luck” and miscommunication couldn’t just be coincidence. Sure enough, you check the almanac and it’s Mercury retrograde.

For people who study astrology, Mercury retrograde is the time of the year when it appears that the planet Mercury is moving through the charts in reverse. The planet Mercury is associated with the ancient god Hermes, or Mercury, who ruled communication. That is why when Mercury is in retrograde it can throw off all types of communications and make connecting with each other rather difficult, if not impossible.

Mercury goes retrograde four times a year and is often marked by failed technology and minor frustrations that complicate your day. While these can happen at any time during the year, they may become more pronounced and frequent during the retrograde. Take heart, Mercury retrograde does not have to be a negative time and with it occurring four times a year, it will help you keep a positive outlook if you take a few steps to weather the storm that is bound to happen.

Like with any other storm, Mercury retrograde is a time to slow down, evaluate the conditions and shelter in place until it passes. With communication slowed and technical glitches common place, Mercury retrograde becomes an ideal time for reflection. You may want to avoid signing on the dotted line at this time and instead focus your efforts on the details of the project. Think of this as a time to go over the details and make sure that everything is in order.

When facing Mercury retrograde in your relationships it is important to bite your tongue before snapping at your partner over something that turns out to be rather insignificant. Be sure to take the time to really listen to your partner and don’t take it personally if they seem out of sorts. It may not have much to do with you and everything to do with the alignment of the planets.

On a more practical note, it always pays off to spend time backing up your data and important documents before the upcoming period. It’s an especially good idea to make this extra effort since this time is known for unexpected power failures and odd technical glitches leading to missed communications. Don’t be afraid to reach out in a different way if you’re waiting to hear back from someone during this time. There’s a good chance that your wires got crossed and the message is lost.

If you want to survive, and even thrive, during Mercury retrograde it pays to go a bit inward and reflect on your current situation. Pay attention to the details and be very careful with your assumptions. As always, don’t take minor slights personally and be on guard against being defensive and getting argumentative over minor issues.