Mercury in Retrograde

Last night I called my mom to check in and see how things were. When I asked how she was she replied; “Well, you know, Mercury is in retrograde, so things are just kind of wacky, but we’re looking at the retrograde calendar to see how things might go”. That was probably the last thing I expected her to say, mainly because I had never heard of it before! She began to explain to me what the retrograde was all about and what could be effected by it, and I must say, things started to pop into my mind that have been out of whack on my end over the past month — Could they be a side effect of Mercury in Retrograde?! Perhaps. Here is some information I’ve found online regarding the event.

“Retrograde periods are times for us to slow down and reassess where we are before we move ahead. Sometimes we get so caught up with moving forward, we forget to tidy up the debris we scatter in the process.”

Excerpt from Mercury Retrograde

“When a planet is in retrograde, it appears to be moving backwards in the sky when viewed from earth. Of course it is not actually moving backwards, but the illusion of backward motion is created due to the differing speeds of planetary orbits around the sun. Its effects have been described as similar to the turbulence created in the water by driving a boat in reverse. And just like driving a boat in reverse, the most intense and disruptive energies tend to be concentrated at the point of directional change.

You shouldn’t lock yourself up at home and hide under your bed during a retrograde period. Of course, life has to go on. If you cannot avoid important decisions, making travel plans, or signing a contract, double-check everything, and if possible allow for some flexible negotiation later on. If you work with the computer a lot, back up, back up, back up. Above all — and I speak from experience — cultivate patience. Don’t yell at the call center guy because you can’t log into your internet banking account, don’t lose your temper at the postman when the check you were expecting doesn’t arrive on time to make your credit card payment deadline, and don’t attempt to discuss a failing relationship with a partner during this period — you might say something you’ll later regret.

On a more positive note, let Merc Rx work for you. Merc Rx periods are said to be useful for revision, reflection and re-organization, as I mentioned in my first post. So if you are a writer you may find that while motivation for new work is low during retrograde periods, energy for revising previous work might be quite high.”

Excerpt from About.com – Astrology

What is Mercury Retrograde?
This happens three to four times per year, when the planet Mercury slows down, and appears to stop (station) and move backward (retrograde). It’s an optical illusion, since there is forward movement, like speeding by a slow-moving train — as it recedes, it appears to go backward.

What are the Mercury Retrograde dates for 2009?
The dates are January 11-31; May 6th to 30th; September 6th to 29th; December 26th to January 15th, 2010.

What happens during Mercury Retrograde?
Since Mercury rules communication, it’s said that everything goes haywire in that area — emails get deleted or bounced back, mail is returned, calls go out into the ethers, etc. Some people find that their computers go on the fritz or phone lines go down. I’ve never seen the hard data on this, so make your own observations. It does seem though that miscommunications abound during the retrograde period.

A Time-Out.
Mercury retrograde gives us time to catch up with ourselves, and to look back. Something from the past might return in a different form. This can mean people, ideas or buried insights that need to surface for you to move forward. Often it’s felt as a contemplative time, depending on the sign, a chance to go over old ground again, to claim what you missed the first time.

Be Non-Committal.
There’s a long-held belief that it’s best to avoid making set plans during the Mercury Retrograde. This means being cautious about things like signing contracts, and forming partnerships and corporations. What gets put in writing at this time may turn out to need serious revising after Mercury goes direct. But since tying up loose ends is the domain of retrograde, this type of finalization might fly.

Can you repeat that?
In our relationships, sometimes we gloss over things that pushed buttons at the time, but which we let slide. What seemed not worth the trouble may reveal itself as a major issue in need of our attention. The Mercury retrograde is a time for review, when the underlying patterns come to light.

Back to the Drawing Board.
Some dreams and goals get lost in the hectic rushing around of daily life. The Mercury Retrograde period can be a rich time of reflection on those longings. This makes it a time for the soul to ponder its destiny. You might look over old journals, review your creative work, muse on serendipities of the past that have pointed you toward your spirit’s calling. It can make the retrograde period a time of solidifying a sense of your personal story and where you’re headed.

What does it mean in each different sign?
The Mercury retrograde is shaped by the sign through which it is cast. For example, a Mercury retrograde in Cancer turns the mind toward things like family, home and the invisible emotional bonds that connect us. On the other hand, a Mercury retrograde in Aquarius gives it a different spin, with a review of group dynamics, the larger human community, all from a detached perspective.

Making the Most of Mercury Retrograde.
Astrology is a tool that can make you aware of patterns, like those that come during a Mercury retrograde. Just observe and see what happens, and be open to the past returning for review. If it’s coming back, there’s likely something more to learn or release from it. You don’t have to retreat to the zen monastery, but a little solitude and quiet reflection never hurt anybody

Excerpt from Alpha Life Trends

“Mercury retrograde provides the opportunity to adjust our thoughts, attitudes and decisions about our issues and adjust our new direction as we move into 2009. The adjustments of Mercury retrograde typically occur three times a year (four in 2009) and become similar to a course correction during the flight from one destination to another. The adjustments that occur during Mercury retrograde typically have a theme that occurs all year long, shown by the elements of the signs affected. In 2009 the adjustments that are slated to occur during the retrogrades begin in air signs and return back to earth signs. Thus these Mercury retrogrades take our ideas, decisions and attitudes about specific events and utilize the information to put new processes, contracts, and the like into place.“

I’m going to keep researching this and write more later; in my own words. I’m still new to this concept so I’ll have to gather some additional information to make sense of it all; to relate it back to the hiccups that have resonated over the past month. But so far, very interesting stuff….