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,
which occurs a few times each year, is one of
the most talked about astrological events,
especially by astrology hobbyists and novices.

Although Mercury doesn’t really do a 180 and
backtrack during a retrograde, Mercury appears
to reverse direction for less than a month. The
illusion of Mercury retrograde is due to the orbit
of Earth in connection to Mercury’s orbit. After
retrograde, it goes “direct,” when it appears to
turn back around and go in the right direction,
continuing to progress through the astrological
signs (e.g., Aries, Taurus, Gemini, etc.).

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

Astrologically, all planets and the Sun and Moon
can be classified as masculine or feminine,
nocturnal or diurnal, or challenging or rewarding.
But Mercury is an oddity because it can be either
in every situation depending on which planet it
accompanies, which makes it the hermaphrodite
of the solar system.

Depending on Mercury’s condition and to which
heavenly body or bodies it’s connected, it can
be related to the following: communication,
conversation, thievery, deception, mercurial
disposition, messages, information, intellectual
pursuits, and education.

Mercury retrograde is notoriously known for
such things as communication screw-ups and
misunderstandings, computer and other
technology glitches, travel delays, scheduling
conflicts, machinery break-downs, and
complications with new project launches.

Mercury retrograde doesn’t make such things
happen, it’s just symbolic of these things. As
above, so below.

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

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

In our view, too much emphasis is placed on
Mercury retrograde and it’s often blamed for
circumstances when it shouldn’t be, where a
dozen or more other astrological or numerological
considerations are more closely related to the
situation.

Also, your natal astrological indications may
suggest that you have an easier time with Mercury
retrogrades than average. For instance, if Mercury
isn’t a major player in your natal charts, it’s less
of a concern for you.

How Mercury retrograde symbolically affects you
also depends on where in your natal charts the
current transiting Mercury retrograde falls. If it
falls in a weak house for example, and is unrelated
to the matter at hand, it could be even more of a
non-issue for you.

Here’s our view on Mercury Retrograde timing
based on our observations since the 1980s: up to
17-28 days before Mercury goes retrograde can
be “worse” (communication issues, etc.) than
the actual retrograde period. Also, the second
half of the actual Mercury retrograde period
generally runs more smoothly than the first half.

An example of a Mercury retrograde happening
is to think of a seemingly great idea during
retrograde, but then later you learn of additional
information that changes the equation, thus that
great idea is altered considerably. We’ve learned
to be patient with new ideas during Mercury
retrograde, put them on the back-burner
temporarily, and wait a few weeks for a clearer
perspective.

We suggest going ahead with anything you have
planned during retrogrades and not worrying too
much about the phenomenon. Just make sure
you’re a little more thorough and cautious in
your dealings, especially with new or important
plans. Assume nothing, take nothing for granted,
and be ready for some delays.

Copyright © Scott Petullo, Stephen Petullo