Mercury Retrograde

Dates

Okay, don't go and panic! This usually happens at least 3 times a year.

Here is some info and tidbits about Mercury Retrograde.

The Planet Mercury
What is Retrograde?
What is Mercury Retrograde and does it affect us?

 

The Planet Mercury:

Named after the Roman god of communication, and also known as the Greek messenger Hermes (ruler of Gemini and Virgo), Mercury is the planet that deals with reasoning, thinking, communications, phones, mail, computers, our everyday routines, travel, purchases, contracts, plans, and reservations. I have found that during Mercury Retrograde, all forms of electrical things are affected, especially automobiles.

What is Retrograde?

This is when a planet appears to stop and go in reverse. I say appears to because it does not stop, it only seems like it. Planets that appear to go retrograde or appear stationary actually never are; as I said, they only appear to. In relationship to other planets in our solar system, this is an optical illusion, created by the orbital rotation of the earth. To see this effect in action, visit here. Have you ever noticed the wheels on other vehicles as you are driving? At times they appear to be going backwards when they are not; it's the same illusion.

What is Mercury Retrograde and how does it affect us?

When the planet Mercury goes into a retrograde period, it normally lasts about 2 to 4 weeks, sometimes more, sometimes less, and as it appears in this reversed way, it seems to cause havoc with people. This relates even more to the sign in which Mercury is retrograde in, at that time only.

So how does it affect us?

Mercury Retrograde affects all forms of communication:

Verbally - we may say things that are not taken as we mean them. We may get ignored, speak too softly, raise our voices, scream or yell more, or hold things in. We just may not be heard no matter how many people appear to be listening.
Hearing - We don't seem to hear things or hear what is being said, or sounds around us; we become oblivious to them or get confused and mixed up about what we heard.
Mental/Thought - Our thoughts get confused, jumbled, short tempered, we assume more and get things wrong and have trouble remembering things.
Energy - Our physical energy is more drained or we feel more wired up.
Electronics - Telephones will ring and no one will be there when we answer, or we will get or receive a lot of wrong numbers, not get our messages right, not make connections. Radios and televisions, VCR's, DVD players, video/cameras, etc. will not work properly. Computers, printers, copiers, etc. all seem to take on a mind of their own, and not work or work crazy.
Purchases - (Hermes deals with merchants) Purchases and other types of transactions will be affected. When buying items you may find that the instructions are missing, the item is missing parts or just doesn't work and needs to be exchanged, or you may even find you have ended up paying more for it by mistake. Also be cautious here when it comes to your bills and credit/credit cards, check them, be sure the purchases are yours and the amounts are correct.
Automobiles - I have noticed that during a Mercury Retrograde, there are always more automobiles stopped on the side of the road, broken down, and more accidents (probably due to the lack of attention by people, short tempers, etc.).
Note: Any plans or reservations made before the retrograde takes place usually go well, and any issues are usually minor and easily taken care of. All forms of communications are affected so be careful of confrontations, avoid them at this time if at all possible!

How can we get through it easier?

As you can see, during a Mercury Retrograde many things are affected. We can get through these periods by being aware they are approaching and preparing what we can to make things easier. Especially making plans and signing contracts, etc., before the retrograde. Making sure our important or essential things are taken care of. And the main things is to stay calm, be patient with both yourself and especially others, to avoid confrontations. So if you are planning on a "serious" talk/discussion, especially with your mate, children, boss, etc., it's best to do it before or after the Mercury Retrograde period. If this is unavoidable, then remember to stay calm and be patient and do your best to listen and speak calmly and clearly, get through it the best you can. Tests? Yep, another thing to note, tests may be harder, more confusing, or difficult, or you may fail.
Interviews and resumes are another thing to watch for. Try not to have your interviews or turn in resumes at this time as it may go wrong, they may not remember you or your resume may end up at the bottom of the pile or in the trash by mistake! Again, since Mercury mainly deals with communication, other things are affect too, such as singers/singing, authors/writing, etc., etc., etc.

Those are some of the main things that a Mercury Retrograde will affect and some people will experience some of them, some stronger, some milder, and other people may not experience any at all. Remember it will be stronger with the astrological sign the retrograde is in and the people that are of that Sun Sign astrologically can be affected more or less.

Here are the dates for Mercury Retrogrades for 2011-12 :

2011

Goes Retrograde
Wednesday, March 30th, 2011
1:48pm Pacific Daylight Time

Goes Direct
Saturday, April 23, 2011
3:04pm Pacific Daylight Time

Goes Retrograde
Tuesday, August 2nd, 2011
8:50pm Pacific Daylight Time

Goes Direct
Friday, August 26, 2011
3:03pm Pacific Daylight Time

Goes Retrograde
Wednesday, Novemember 23rd, 2011
11:19pm Pacific Standard Time

Goes Direct
Tuesday, December 13th, 2011
5:43pm Pacific Standard Time

2012

Goes Retrograde
Monday, March 12th, 2012
12:49am Pacific Daylight Time

Goes Direct
Wednesday, April 4th, 2012
3:11 am Pacific Daylight Time

Goes Retrograde
Saturday, July 14th, 2012
7:16pm Pacific Daylight Time

Goes Direct
Tuesday, August 7th, 2012
10:40pm Pacific Daylight Time

Goes Retrograde
Tuesday, November 6th, 2012
3:04pm Pacific Standard Time

Goes Direct
Monday, November 26th, 2012
2:48pm Pacific Standard Time

On a brighter note, there are many positive things with Mercury, so don't get depressed and caught up in the web of Mercury Retrograde. Remember that all planets, other than the Sun and Moon, will go retrograde now and then. Each planet affects us in different areas of our lives and thus so will each planet as it goes retrograde. Mercury is just more noticeable to us when it goes retrograde than other planets, which seem to affect us more individually.

 

Gail, a.k.a. WinterSky
Copyright 2006, 2011

 

 

Last updated April 8, 2012

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