Mercury and Murphy's Law
No, not really. Don't stay in bed for a month. I mean... you can if you can afford it and no one will miss you. Sounds good to me. You can catch up on the lost episodes of Bonanza they have on Channel 2.2!
But, in reality... no one can afford to just disappear for a month and it sounds awfully boring anyway. And, it's not the end of the world. Especially if you take note of when Mercury will go Retrograde and prepare for it. It happens three times a year, lasts for about a month, and it won't kill you. Just bite you in the butt if you don't look out for it. I stock up on yogurt, cut down on red meat, back up my computers and servers, take my car in for an early service if it is close to needing an oil change or whatever, and I try not to plan vacations during these periods.
Mercury does not actually change its orbit and go the other way. That would REALLY foul things up. What happens is that our orbit around the sun and Mercury's orbit have different intervals of time and from our perception, it looks like it is going the other way because we are moving at different speeds and at different distances from the Sun. The "Retrograde" is an optical illusion And, it happens with several planets in our Solar System. It's just that with most of the other planets, this optical illusion only happens every several years if even in a lifetime, so we don't notice it much. With Mercury, that hot and speedy little planet appears to change its direction three or four times a year! Dangnabbit!
So, the optics are an illusion... but the Gravitational forces and math are not illusion. The planet looks like it changed orbit to our eyes... and it feels like the Gravitational pull changed to everything else. Mercury is generally associated with electronics, travel logistics and contractual commitments. Some signs are more susceptible to its influence, and sometimes you get lucky and never have an issue. For me, however... well, this last time my toilet flusher broke, my car broke down and my phone went haywire. All on the same day!!!
Now, I know I have problems with Mercury. Quite frankly, I can feel it in my intestines. I was serious about the yogurt. Especially probiotic yogurt. I was also serious about backing up computers and servers. So, here's the thing... these are healthy activities anyway. Computers and Servers should be backed up regularly. The digestive system should be given a break and cleaned out regularly (one reason I believe many cultures have periods of fasting as part of their rituals). And, as far as travel logistics goes... it's up to you. If you have restrictions on when you can take vacation and have to do it while Mercury is retrograde, just make sure to take extra cash because the ATMs might not work where you are going, take extra batteries for your electronics, take extra Pepto-Bismol, and leave for the airport an hour earlier than usual so that the flight can be delayed an hour. That sounds silly, but my guess is if you leave for the airport on time, your flight will leave on time, but you'll be stuck in a traffic jam on your way for two hours and miss the flight.
Most Astrologers will also tell you that you should avoid signing any contracts or beginning new ventures while Mercury is Retrograde. And definitely try to avoid buying any computers, phones or other electronics. Well... I don't believe in putting one's life on hold for a whole month. What I do believe in is if you have to buy a new phone cause your old one broke... just make sure to ask about the return policy and the warranty. And if you have to sign a contract because it can't wait, just make sure to read all of the fine print and get a second set of eyes to review it if you can.
In general, retrograde or not, if you plan for things that can go wrong and expect the worst, you will generally be pleasantly surprised in life and not get so frustrated when things go wrong. Because they do. Well, that is my philosophy, anyway.
The other not so good news...
When you look at the Mercury Retrograde Calendar, it will show that this period lasts roughly three weeks. Which is true. What most Astrologers don't put on the calendar, because it seems overwhelming, is that there is also a period of about a week before and after the retrograde where Mercury appears to stall and stand still. For me, the stand still period is way worse than the actual retrograde. Many people report the same problem. So, it really ends up being a five to six week period, again, three times a year, sometimes four. Like this year, 2016.
Mercury Retrograde 2016
- January 5 to January 25
- April 28 to May 22
- August 30 to September 22
- December 19 to January 8, 2017 (Do your holiday shopping early!)
Mercury Retrograde 2017
- December 19, 2016 to January 8
- April 9 – May 3
- August 12 – September 5
- December 2 – December 22
Remember to be extra cautious the week before and the week after these dates as Mercury stalls and comes to a Standstill. For example... this year (2016) the retrograde ends on September 22, but it will take until October 15th for Mercury to appear to moving at full speed. Then we'll get about a month and a half of awesome before it starts to slow down again in early December.
