Mercury Retrograde

I’ve never been a big believer in astrology. Sure, I peek at my daily horoscope on occasion but I know those horoscope writers are rarely experts in the field of astrology. If I were to truly delve into astrology there would be more to it than just a sun sign. I’d be researching birth charts and educating myself on all sorts of things that I just don’t have the time or interest to invest in.

Now, moon phases and their effects on human behavior is something else. I’ve always been intrigued by full moon madness and since the moon effects the tides and we are made mostly of water, I can get behind that scientifically. This leads me to the topic at hand. If the moon really does affect us as a species do the planets in our solar system affect us as well?

Since 2019, it seems that I have been informed by the media and social media every time Mercury has gone into retrograde. I’m not sure why this information suddenly became so important. I’m fairly certain Mercury has been doing this for as long as there has been a Mercury but since we are currently experiencing our first Mercury Retrograde of 2022, I decided to look into it.

What is Mercury Retrograde

A Mercury Retrograde occurs once every four months. It was previously believed that during this time the planet changed direction and moved “backward” in its rotation around the sun. Later, astronomers determined that this is simply an optical illusion caused when Mercury briefly overtakes Earth in its orbit.

The Planet that rules communication

Verbal, written, and internal communications are said to be affected by Mercury. Not only the way we communicate with others, but, also the way we communicate with ourselves in our internal dialogue. It’s said that it’s best to slow down and reflect before communicating thoughts or ideas during this time.

Energy influence

Mercury Retrograde is said to cause some people to feel drained and lethargic while others are feeling restless and full of chaotic energy.

Intuition

They say that if you are sensitive to intuition you may become overwhelmed during Mercury Retrograde. Thoughts, premonitions, and empathy will be at an all-time high. Maintaining emotional boundaries will be difficult and will lead to energy drain.

The past comes back to haunt us

Mercury retrograde is a time of reflection and in that reflection things from the past return to us. Sadly, in some cases, this includes our exes.

Don’t make big changes

They say that you should never sign a contract, make a big life decision, invest in a major purchase or cut your hair during Mercury Retrograde.

Your place in the zodiac

It is also thought that how Mercury Retrograde will affect an individual is directly related to their astrological sign. For me, a Pisces, this current retrograde is supposed to cause past trauma to resurface. Cancers will be tempted to break their New Year’s resolutions and sink back into comforting habits.

What does it all mean?

For believers, Mercury Retrograde is a real phenomenon that causes real, though not life-changing, shifts in our daily lives and overall sense of well-being.

For skeptics, planetary retrogrades are merely an optical illusion with no capacity to impact humans, energy, or human behavior.

For me, I’ll be on the lookout for communication from my ex and swiftly delete any texts that I might receive. Talk about past trauma resurfacing!

This article was originally posted here: https://medium.com/@BonnieJTaylor/mercury-retrograde-78d9438e3540