Many people have at least partially heard about Mercury retrograde. It is often blamed for all one’s misfortunes, and one blames it for failures in one’s business and health problems. But what does Mercury retrograde really mean? Is it really that bad? What can and can’t be done during that period? All these questions are answered by astrologers from Astromix.net.
Mercury’s Place in Astrology
Let’s start with the astrological properties of the planet. What is Mercury in astrology?
This planet is responsible for communication and understanding, the relationship between things and people, knowledge of the world. The planet has a strong influence on the human mind. Especially at an early age, when familiarity with the world is most active.
Mercury energy manifests in a person in the form of a sharp mind, inquisitiveness, ingenuity. Its position in one’s natal chart reveals how easy it is for one to learn new things and interact with others.
Mercury’s position also affects what inspires a person and what type of work is right for them.
What is Mercury retrograde
There are two types of planetary orbital motion – direct and retrograde. Direct or direct motion is the planet’s normal course, which we see from Earth as shifting from west to east. But when the planet “overtakes” the Earth in its orbit, it begins to seem that it has begun to move backward across the sky – from east to west. This motion is called retrograde or retrograde.
We observe Mercury retrograde more often than other planets because it is the fastest around the Sun. It starts moving “backwards” as many as three times a year, each time by 20 days. This is what Mercury retrograde is in astrology.
In comparison, Venus goes retrograde twice in three years. Therefore, it is Mercury retrograde that has a much greater impact on a person’s life than the other planets.
How Mercury retrograde affects a person’s life
The influence of a planet in retrograde motion is similar to a direct influence, but with a minus sign.
In the case of Mercury, it means a negative influence on one’s thinking abilities. It affects almost all areas of life. During a Mercury retrograde phase, one’s attention span may wane, reactions may slow, and absent-mindedness may increase. During such a period, it can be difficult to collect one’s thoughts and one may make mistakes even in habitual actions.
In addition, perception of information is distorted during Mercury retrograde. Important details slip from view, bad ideas seem good, and wrong things seem right. Decisions made during this period may seem crazy afterwards. Our brains function strangely at this time, and we can easily make mistakes.
Interestingly, Mercury in reverse not only affects humans, but also technology. Cell phones and computers malfunction, communication fails. It can be difficult to get through to a partner, send a fax or an email. This is directly related to the fact that Mercury is also the patron of communication.