Mercury Retrograde: It's all about perspective.

Call me crazy, but Mercury retrograde doesn't scare me. Not one bit.

It used to, though. I used to check the calendar and think that every bad thing happening during Mercury retrograde was related to the planet's illusion of traveling backwards through the sky and not by some psychological trickery my mind was playing on itself. Not to say that Mercury didn't have anything to do with it, but I'm sure the hype I felt about it certainly didn't help!

In fact, this Mercury retrograde (3-26 August, turning this time at 1°12' Virgo) has been relatively peaceful, and a lot of it, I imagine, has to do with how it  is approached. While I can't necessarily control what happens during this phenomenon, I can absolutely control how I react to these seemingly frustrating setbacks and annoying snafus. These aren't necessarily days when there are bullets to dodge, but days wherein I can reflect what these bullets are... and how I can alter their paths.

Mercury itself is named after the winged messenger of the Gods, blindingly fast and incredibly agile, able to dodge almost anything in its way and continue its path without any major obstacles in its way. It's no wonder the planet that is able to travel around the Sun in 88 days is named for such a quick god! It's equally impressive in its ability to surpass the earth not once, but twice each time it orbits the Sun, whizzing by first on the same side of the solar system where it can be seen, then a few weeks later when it flies by on the opposite side of the Sun where we can't see it.

The wise communicator and, thanks to its speed and agility, universal trickster, Mercury is responsible for communication, travel, appointments, and other aspects involving thinking and perception. The process and dissemination of information is vital under Mercury, and of course, He would also rule people who work in these areas, such as writers, orators, consultants, commentators, gossips (don't think this is a job? You'd be sorely mistaken! Just look at TMZ!), salespeople, teachers, tricksters, and travelers. On the occult side, Mercury is responsible for healing, astrology, and the dissemination of spiritual knowledge.

So when Mercury travels backward in the sky, you imagine that many of these would go absolutely berserk... and in some way, you'd be right! You might notice the communication between you and your spouse, coworkers, boss, or friends is a little muddled; your well thought-out travel plans are somehow caught up in a glitch; electronics might go a little haywire. You're warned not to sign things, not to agree to anything, not to travel, not to call anyone, and most of all, to expect things to go really, really wrong.

So what do we do? Exactly that! We hide under huge rocks during these three weeks every 88 days, shielding ourselves from the world and staying the hell out of Mercury's way while hiding under the covers until things level out and things return to normal, then thinking that we somehow managed to avoid the worst. It's all a very stressful time when we can't get anything done, lest Mercury comes and, pardon my French, fucks it all up.

But in my opinion, Mercury retrograde kind of gets a bad rap. In fact, if played right, this time could work in our favor, even as others' situations are melting down all around us! How? By, as I said before... changing your perspective.



Aside from the trickery that could be played on us these two weeks, what else could Mercury retrograde mean? Think about this: The astrological purpose of this planet is to foster communication, networking, and general intellectual thought and introspection. When Mercury travels backward through the sky, it could appear that He is going back to revisit where he just was, revealing more about what has gone on back then and trying to make more sense of it. You might experience an interesting phenomenon around this time, when you suddenly start thinking back to a deep philosophical conversation with a friend the week before, that fight you had with your spouse last weekend, the discussion with your boss about your work performance Tuesday afternoon. You become incredibly focused on that, trying to see the underlying meaning in that conversation, fight, or discussion, and really using that information in the present.

It could be your second chance to review everything that happened and really see, for the first time, why that conversation, fight, or discussion occurred. In a way, it's an astrological "time machine" where you have the opportunity to make a difference in your life, strive for something better, and even understand more about yourself and the world about you. Think of it as finding the facts of a situation after the fact, and applying it to now.

I can't go into detail about it today, but I've been going through something like that even before Mercury retrograde, and it all really came to a head on the 3rd. Past occurrences have been my main focus, and in reflecting on them, I discovered something that I absolutely have to do in order to create a better life for myself and for my family. Is this strictly a thought process brought by Mercury himself, or just some strange coincidence that happens to line up perfectly with Mercury revisiting His own past?

I'm not entirely sure, and I still have quite a few days to see where it leads me. But let me tell you this: I highly prefer this to my internet fizzling out or my communication skills getting all jumbled!

You can harness and control it, too. If Mercury's primary purpose is to teach us that knowledge is power, that thinking is crucial, that reflection is key, then why would Mercury also encourage us to believe that ignorance (by hiding under the aforementioned covers and cowering from the world) is bliss? To truly gather the power of this time, when Mercury goes backwards to see what was, try being proactive during this time and look for everything you've never been able to find on those "perfect" direct days. You might be surprised at what you find... and what you never knew you lost!

Whatever you do, good luck this retrograde period, and every upcoming one. Just be sure to peek your head out once in a while. ;)