Demystifying the Mercury Retrograde
illustration by Honey Simatupang
The Mercury retrograde. You’ve heard about it. Something in your day went horribly wrong, and one of your friends sighed and said, “Mercury’s in retrograde.” You missed your bus and only the retrograde could be blamed. You’ve definitely felt its effects, but what exactly is the Mercury retrograde, and more importantly, why does everything go wrong three times a year?
Mercury is the smallest planet in our solar system and the closest to the sun. Mercury also moves quickly - making a full orbit around the sun in just 88 days. Due to Mercury’s fast-paced orbit, the planet often laps Earth while both are making their rotation around the sun. While Mercury is overtaking Earth, the planet appears to be moving backwards, creating the optical illusion known as the Mercury retrograde. This period lasts for roughly one month, causing chaos on planet Earth. Or so we’re led to believe.
In astrology, Mercury rules over communication and travel. Essentially, any aspect of our lives involving words, spoken or written, or movement becomes disorganized, conflict-ridden, and full of tension during the retrograde. The Mercury retrograde can be felt when we’re misunderstood by our friends, when we miscommunicate with a co-worker, or when we fail to express ourselves. This period can make it difficult to read, write, create, settle business matters, complete assignments, and so forth. This also extends to technology, our contemporary vehicle of communication, explaining patchy cell service or inconsistent internet connection. Mercury’s association with travel also indicates car trouble, delayed transit, and missed flights during the retrograde period.
With these catastrophes in mind, it’s no wonder why the Mercury retrograde puts people in a panic. Many companies, blogs, and social media accounts have spread the narrative that every single thing will go wrong in this period. Which, upon evaluating what Mercury is and its realm of influences, isn’t the case. The retrograde affects major aspects of our lives, especially in an increasingly online, communication-driven world. But it’s not the end of the world.
Perhaps the biggest question within astrology is “what now?” What can we do but watch as the stars and planets plot against our earthly plans? The first step is to understand what each planet represents. During the Mercury retrograde, your communication will be strained and cause frustration, but there are other things going on in the night sky that also have an influence. There are aspects of your life that Mercury doesn’t directly impact. You can’t just fixate on what Mercury is doing at any given moment – there are lots of astrological and non-astrological factors at play.
For example, Mercury has a different influence in every birth chart. Everyone communicates differently; therefore, the retrograde will impact everyone differently. In astrology, there is no universal evil that torments everyone equally. Look into Mercury’s placement in your chart and use it to understand what it means for you specifically. Once you understand your Mercury placement, you can explore strategies to better curb the more stressful side effects of the retrograde. Astrology is personalized; everyone feels the effects of the Mercury retrograde differently.
The retrograde is also impacted by other factors within astrology. Mercury slips into retrograde on September 27th and will remain there until October 18th. Positioned firmly in Libra season, this retrograde throws the positive qualities of Libra (diplomacy, co-operation, and sociability) out of balance while the not so desirable attributes become emphasized (indecisiveness and avoidance) within the realm of communication. These disturbances are specific. It’s not just a period where everything goes horribly wrong; it’s a period that may challenge us with conflicts and passive-aggressive comments. At this time, depending on so many factors, other aspects of our lives may be secure. So while the next Mercury retrograde will undoubtedly cause tension in a central aspect of our lives, don’t write this period off.
When it comes to Mercury misbehaving three times a year, the best thing we can do is understand it, so we can better work around it and maybe even work with it. We can’t refuse to exist because of it; the retrograde happens too often for that. By understanding what exactly the Mercury retrograde impacts, you can better survive its cosmic chaos.