Is Mercury Really In Retrograde?

Or Is Mercury Retrograde Just An Illusion?

Last week, Mercury retrograde began for the first time this year, but its phenomenon has trended for years. Just caught your sleazy boyfriend scheming, or accidentally sent an inappropriate email to your entire contact list? Blame it on mercury retrograde! But before you accuse a planet 48 million miles away, at least give it a chance to explain first. 

Mercury in retrograde is sort of like a drunk, an unwanted house guest who over-stayed their welcome, slept with your boyfriend, crashed your computer, destroyed your house, and then left the mess for you to deal with. Sounds like my 20s. 

There’s a purpose behind the madness though. This retrograde is the universe’s way of showing us what we needed to see. Mercury is the planet of communication, and speak she does! You see, your boyfriend was obviously a loser, your computer was in desperate need of a few updates and a virus scan, and your home needed a good spring cleaning anyway. All those past problems that you’ve swept under the rug, will be scattered in front of you in an effort for you to finally deal with the mess once and for all. 

Retrograde, from the Latin “retrogradus”, literally means “spin backward.” But it’s all an illusion. Every four months or so, the planets appear to reverse direction for a few weeks. But it doesn’t actually retrograde. 

Retrograde motion is when a planet appears, when observed from Earth, to reverse direction. This happens due to an optical illusion caused by differences in orbit. Source

Think of it like cars driving on a highway. When you speed up and pass a car, a weird illusion makes it look like that car is reversing. In reality, you’re just zooming past it. The same is happening with Earth when Mercury is in retrograde. Source

When Is Mercury Retrograde?

Mercury will be in retrograde this year (2019) – March 5 – March 28, July 7 – August 1, and October 31 – November 20. There’s a whole website devoted to its’ buzz here https://www.ismercuryinretrograde.com/

What can you expect? Communication errors such as crashed computers, relationship misunderstandings, travel mishaps, job tension, unstable emotions, and increased anxiety. 

It’s a time of cleansing and big change. Compare it to when your computer has 7462973 tabs open and you’re running with a few viruses. You need a reboot and it sucks, but it helps things run smoothly.

Plenty of great things happen to. You might re-connect with a long-lost friend, or make a big career change. It’s a good time to bring out old, unfinished projects and complete them. Use this time to revisit, redefine or reclaim and reconnect, in order to move forward. 

“StephSocial.com” is a participant in the Amazon Services Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.ca.

Proceed With Caution

Be patient and adaptable. Get over this Mercury retrograde like a speed bump, slowly and with caution. It’ll be over before you know it with smooth driving ahead. You should check out this book, How To Survive Mercury Retrograde.

A few tips to help you get through a Mercury retrograde in one piece:

1.) Backup your phone and computers. This way if you have to reboot, you won’t lose any important files.

2.) Schedule regular car maintenance before the retrograde. Mercury has a way of bringing underlying problems you were unaware of, to your attention. You don’t want to be left stranded. 

3.) If you have to do any major traveling during this time, double, no triple check your tickets for times and departure information. 

4.) If you find out your boyfriend is scheming, let the dog go! Once and for all. Or it’ll just happen again, the next time mercury is in retrograde.

5.) Avoid signing contracts and important documents unless absolutely necessary. 

6.) Take some extra time for you. You’re probably feeling stressed and overwhelmed. Take care of your mental health. I recommend checking out The Spirit Almanac It’s full of helpful breathing, aromatherapy, and meditation techniques, and it’s all backed by science! 

“The Spirit Almanac provides readers with potent, accessible rituals they will  want to call on again and again throughout the year to feel more grounded, aligned with their purpose, and in touch with their own innate sense of knowing.”

So can a planet in fake reverse nearly 50 million miles away cause so much disarray here on earth? What do you think of Mercury retrograde? Comment below! Be sure to sign up to receive our seasonal editorial at https://stephsocial.com/stephs-social-pie-seasonal-editorial/