What the heck does Mercury in retrograde mean?!
The first time I heard about Mercury being in retrograde I was in a yoga class. My teacher used the concept as part of his theme for the class that night. Since he is one of my mentors I believe most things he says to be true. Plus, I love learning about Astrology topics. I started to research the concept, and this is my best explanation of what Mercury in retrograde is.
In astrology, Mercury is the messenger of the gods, and is the ruler of Gemini and Virgo. Mercury is the messenger in both Astrology and Mythology. It is the planet of day-to-day expression and communication. Mercury’s action is to take things apart and put them back together again. It is an opportunistic planet, decidedly unemotional and curious. Mercury not only rules communication, it represents coordination. Thought processes, ideas, and sensory information from both conscious and unconscious sources all need to be coordinated and understood. Mercury analyzes, sorts, groups, and makes sense of things. How do we handle nervous energy? How do we express and convey our thoughts? When we are “acting out” our Mercury, we are inquisitive, curious, communicative, and versatile. On the negative side, we can be high-strung or nervous, nit-picky, indecisive, and overly technical.
So what does it mean to be in retrograde?
A planet is classed as being in retrograde when it appears to move backwards, in an opposite direction to Earth.
Astrologers believe that when a planet is in retrograde, the areas of life it governs go into a sleeping or resting state. Since Mercury is the messenger planet, astrologist believe it can result in arguments and misunderstandings. Several times a year, it appears as if Mercury is going backwards. This time was traditionally associated with confusions, delay, and frustration. Some people blame Mercury in retrograde for “bad” things that happen in their lives. Instead, people should take this time to sit back and review where they put their energy in their lives. For example, if family and faith are important to you, are you putting your energies there? Take a moment to reflect.
What's the difference between Astrology and Astronomy?
Astrology- is the study of the universe and how those positions, motions, and properties affect people and events on Earth. Astrology is the belief that the positioning of the stars and planets affect the way events occur on earth.
Astronomy- is the study of the universe and its contents outside of Earth's atmosphere. Astronomy is a science that studies the planets, stars, asteroids, and galaxies.
How does Mercury in retrograde affect us?
In summary, when Mercury is in retrograde it affects our communication (speaking, listening, emails, messages, phone calls, etc.). It can make "set" plans or making decisions hard, and misunderstandings or miscommunications are common, so be careful when signing or creating contracts and agreements during this time period.
When it comes to relationships my only advice is to have this mantra or mindset: don't jump to conclusions
Meaning that not everything is as it seems. If you feel blown off, misunderstood, or "off" in any way whether it's a new relationship or you've been together for years try to not let yourself assume, or jump to conclusions. Life has a way of playing out...and you might be surprised by the change that could occur once this time of reflection is over.
In my opinion one of the positives to Mercury being in retrograde is that it's a time period that allows us to redo/readdress and take time to stop, look, listen, and find closure in all aspects of our lives.
Quesations? email: moderngypsydream@gmail.com
or check out my sister Angela's website: www.thecapriquarius.com
Resources
The Only Astrology Book You’ll Ever Need - by Joanna Martine Woolfolk
Simply Astrology - by Cass & Janie Jackson
The Astrology Bible - by Judy Hall
Cafeastrology.com
Astro.com
Mysticmama.com
Theastrotwins.com
