Mercury Retrograde FAQ
A useful
guide to what it is,
what it means,
and
why it happens
What is Mercury Retrograde?
All of the planets move in the same direction
around the Sun, each with a different
rate of speed. Mercury's orbit is
88 days long; therefore approximately
4 orbits of Mercury around the Sun
equals 1 Earth year. —
Periodically,
Mercury appears
to slow down, then stop, (stationary
retrograde)
and then move slowly backwards for
several weeks (retrograde). Eventually,
it appears to stop again and reverse
direction (stationary direct)
moving slowly forward once again (direct). Eventually
Mercury appears to
return to its normal orbital speed.
This occurs
because Mercury travels faster than the
Earth, and it periodically catches up
with Earth, passing us by. When
Mercury "goes retrograde" it
does not actually slow
down, stop and move backwards. It only appears to
do so.
This phenomenon occurs near Mercury's inferior
conjunction to
the Sun—as
Mercury passes closest to the Earth,
between the Earth and the Sun. This phenomenon
has to do with the relative speed of
the Earth and Mercury as well as their
relationship to each other at
a particular point in their orbits. There
are three Mercury Retrograde periods
each year, each lasting approximately
3 weeks.
What does Mercury Retrograde mean?
In mythology, Mercury is the messenger
of the gods. Astrologically,
the planet Mercury is said to be
associated with or to rule all
activities that relate to communications,
travel, learning such as:
- signing agreements
- classes and schools
- sending correspondence
- communications equipment such as computers, radios, and phones
- traveling and travel equipment such as cars, bicycles, trains, and planes
Classically,
Mercury retrograde periods are not considered
ideal
for engaging in Mercury related
activities such as:
- placing ads
- making important
decisions
- travel
- purchasing communications
equipment
- signing contracts
- initiating business
deals
- sending important
correspondence or any type of message
- starting school
or any important project
- beginning any
new enterprise (as plans may be
reversed later)
A
Mercury retrograde period is thought
to be excellent for:
- reviewing and
revising plans
- catching up
on old business
- cleaning out
the metaphorical closet
- deeply considering
issues
However...
like everything else in life, these
rules are not steadfast and your
experiences may differ from these
generalities. Never let the planets
rule your life! If you simply must sign
a contract or begin a new job when
Mercury is retrograde, go for it!
While some
of us are very sensitive to Mercury
cycles and find that certain activities
become difficult during retrograde
periods, while others experience
no such problems. How you experience
Mercury has a lot to do with planetary
placements at your birth, as well
as with current planetary
positions. The best way to understand
how Mercury retrograde periods impact
you is to track your own experience.
Check the dates
that Mercury is retrograde to
track how sensitive you are to
this cycle.
My
baby might be born during Mercury
retrograde and I'm nervous with
how this will affect him/her in life?
Do not worry about your
little baby if s/he's born with a
retrograde Mercury. Many very intelligent
people have that in their charts.
It's the mark of a deep thinker and,
depending on the sign and placement
of Mercury in relation to the natal
chart as a whole, it can indicate
an individualistic thinker—someone
who absorbs information from external
sources, and processes
it coming up with their own
conclusion. The Mercury retrograde
native does not approach things in
a superficial way, and often has
an uncanny ability to see beneath
the surface of issues.
Again, depending
on the sign and placement, it may
indicate a person who is hesitant
to share opinions unless they feel
confident that others want to know
their thoughts. So if your baby has
Mercury retrograde, be sure to encourage
him/her to let you know what s/he thinks—and
to give him/her time to consider options.
So you might say to a young child with
this placement, "Do you want
milk or orange juice for breakfast?
Think about it while I butter your
toast and let me know."
Do you have a question about Mercury
retrograde that's not included here? Only general questions appropriate for this FAQ page will be considered. No personal questions too specific to be of general interest will be answered.
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