Mercury Retrograde Is An Astrological Scapegoat--it Gets too Much Blame

Mercury is retrograde May 26th to June 19th,
2008 in the sign of Gemini. Mercury retrograde,nwhich occurs a few times each year, is one ofnthe most talked about astrological events,nespecially by astrology hobbyists and novices.

Although Mercury doesn’t really do a 180 andnbacktrack during a retrograde, Mercury appearsnto reverse direction for less than a month. Thenillusion of Mercury retrograde is due to the orbitnof Earth in connection to Mercury’s orbit. Afte
retrograde, it goes “direct,” when it appears tontu
back around and go in the right direction,ncontinuing to progress through the astrologicalnsigns (e.g., Aries, Taurus, Gemini, etc.).

Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and
Neptune all retrograde as well. At least one ofnthese planets are retrograding at any givenntime and the further the planet from the Sun,nthe longer it retrogrades (e.g., Neptune for ove
155 days).

Astrologically, all planets and the Sun and Moon ncan be classified as masculine or feminine, nnoctu
al or diu
al, or challenging or rewarding.
But Mercury is an oddity because it can be either nin every situation depending on which planet itnaccompanies, which makes it the hermaphrodite nof the solar system.

Depending on Mercury’s condition and to whichnheavenly body or bodies it’s connected, it cannbe related to the following: communication,nconversation, thievery, deception, mercurialndisposition, messages, information, intellectualnpursuits, and education.

Mercury retrograde is notoriously known fornsuch things as communication screw-ups andnmisunderstandings, computer and othe
technology glitches, travel delays, schedulingnconflicts, machinery break-downs, and ncomplications with new project launches.

Mercury retrograde doesn’t make such thingsnhappen, it’s just symbolic of these things. Asnabove, so below.

Mercury retrogrades are known for being goodntimes to go more deeply into existing projects,nre-examine already discovered prospects, re-donthings, and finish things already in motion. It’sna time to slow down a bit and be more cautious.

Although Mercury retrograde (or any retrogradenfor that matter) is an affliction, it’s only one ofnmany possible indicators.

In our view, too much emphasis is placed o

Mercury retrograde and it’s often blamed for ncircumstances when it shouldn’t be, where a ndozen or more other astrological or numerologicalnconsiderations are more closely related to thensituation.

Also, your natal astrological indications maynsuggest that you have an easier time with Mercurynretrogrades than average. For instance, if Mercurynisn’t a major player in your natal charts, it’s lessnof a conce
for you.

How Mercury retrograde symbolically affects younalso depends on where in your natal charts thencurrent transiting Mercury retrograde falls. If itnfalls in a weak house for example, and is unrelatednto the matter at hand, it could be even more of annon-issue for you.

Here’s our view on Mercury Retrograde timingnbased on our observations since the 1980s: up to
17-28 days before Mercury goes retrograde cannbe “worse” (communication issues, etc.) thannthe actual retrograde period. Also, the secondnhalf of the actual Mercury retrograde periodngenerally runs more smoothly than the first half.

An example of a Mercury retrograde happeningnis to think of a seemingly great idea duringnretrograde, but then later you learn of additionalninformation that changes the equation, thus thatngreat idea is altered considerably. We’ve learnednto be patient with new ideas during Mercurynretrograde, put them on the back-bu
erntemporarily, and wait a few weeks for a cleare
perspective.

We suggest going ahead with anything you havenplanned during retrogrades and not worrying toonmuch about the phenomenon. Just make surenyou’re a little more thorough and cautious innyour dealings, especially with new or importantnplans. Assume nothing, take nothing for granted, nand be ready for some delays.

Copyright © Scott Petullo, Stephen Petullo