Mercury Retrograde

By Kathy Cooper

When Mercury by transit appears to turn retrograde, all sorts of things go awry. Some of the things that are affected involve almost anything connected with getting something from A to B.

Whether that be mail from here to there, a phone call to someone, transport, etc etc. Quite often we also have to retrace our steps and repeat the original thing that we had tried to do. It can be as simple as not being able to get someone on the phone, or a letter does not get delivered or is sidetracked, goes somewhere else and has to be re-delivered.

When purchasing, something may be overlooked and it has to be returned to the shop, exchanged, refunded or replaced. Often the transaction is not complete or satisfactory the first time around and is adjusted the second time.

This can be quite frustrating as it affects various aspects of your life and you feel as if you are wasting time re-doing something twice just to get it right.

Those who have Mercury strong in their natal chart will feel the effects of Mercury retrograde more than anyone else. Mercury also rules our thinking and therefore our decisions and quite often while Mercury is retrograde we may make a decision and at a later time change our minds totally about it.

It is as if there is a glitch in the thinking process that interferes with the normal flow of thought and affects our thinking for a few weeks and then all goes back to normal and we may be quite surprised at some of the decisions we realise we could have made (or did make) that were inappropriate or not really in our best interests. It is not the best time to apply for a job, start a new job or set up business, start a new course, take that trip, start a new relationship, build a house, buy a car, write that book, enter that competition or just about anything else that you are depending on a good outcome, because it will often be delayed, changed, or involve much backwards and forwards steps that you tie yourself all up in knots and have to cope with all the unravelling later.

It is best to postpone anything of real importance in your life until after the Mercury retrograde phase, which usually lasts approximately three to four weeks. Mercury has rulerships over things such as faxes, post offices, letters, computers, telephones, transport of all kinds, communication in many forms and will have more of an impact on anything that relies on these processes to operate smoothly, which of course they are not likely to while Mercury is out of whack.

When ordering goods for delivery, it often happens that there is insufficient quantities to make up the order completely and only a partial order is filled and the remainder despatched at a later time. Some items may be substituted or have to be replaced as they are not what was expected or ordered.

Sometimes we change our minds about what to order, because we are not sure what it is that we want. Cheques may have to be re-presented at the bank, re-sent, altered or changed in some way or refunded for an item that was paid for in advance and not delivered, or not available at that point in time. Letters go astray, correspondence sent to the wrong person or address and a general mixup of information occurs.

Misunderstandings also happen as the information is relayed incorrectly or distorted in some way or delayed so as to cause confusion or other obstacles get in the way of delivery. Time is usually of the essence and this is the very thing we have no control over. We can try our hardest to get something off the ground but a hindrance of one sort or the other obstructs the action. We may miss planes, trains or automobiles and have to catch a bus which misses the next connection and get there late.

All of this just because Mercury has turned retrograde for a few weeks. Eventually though, as in all things, life goes back to normal once Mercury resumes direct motion and we follow suit. If we should move house during one of these periods, the new premises may not be all that you had hoped or you may not spend a long period of time there. Also some unpacking may get stored away and left until you move the next time!

The number of original occupants may also change at some time during your stay there. If you were to move in with your brother and sister, one of them may leave that address before you and the other sibling do.

(The above article was previously published in the Astrological Monthly Review Magazine)