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 and connecting with old friends.
I am writing this during the April 1 to April 25, 2024, Mercury retrograde, which takes place in the sign of Aries.
Here is what The Cut has to say about this retrograde:
“Aries is fiery and spirited. The sign abides by a ‘leap before you think’ approach to life and is known for its impulsive, reactive nature. On a good day, Mercury in Aries is bold, courageous, and passionate — this placement isn’t afraid to speak up for itself, call out the bullshit, and volunteer as tribute. But on a bad day, Mercury in Aries can be a bit brash…”
“Naturally, these challenging qualities will be amplified during Mercury retrograde. For the next three weeks, we should anticipate lots of impulsive, knee-jerk reactions. People will say things they don’t really mean. Minor inconveniences will catalyze massive meltdowns. Communication breakdowns will result in full-blown temper tantrums. And since Aries is considered the baby of the zodiac (it’s the first sign, after all), we’ll all end up feeling a bit immature during this upcoming Mercury retrograde.”
How Do You Best Handle Mercury in Retrograde?
As a believer in astrology, I pay attention to times when Mercury is 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.
As I look back on the first week of the current Mercury retrograde, I remember hearing from a long-ago college friend, talking about an upcoming reunion. He asked if I remembered some last names of people who lived in our dorm. I did, and then was inspired to reach out and connect with them.
I also got angry at the hair salon because of a long wait. I even complained about it at the front desk, which apparently is a no-no, according to my hair colorist. While my hair color was processing, I had an inkling that Mercury was retrograde. I pulled out my trusty iPad to check, and, sure enough, it was. When I read that it was in Aries, I realized that I had probably blown things out of proportion, and apologized to my hair colorist. I’m also convinced Mercury retrograde had something to do with the fact that two of us were booked for services at the same time.
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!