What Does Mercury In Retrograde Mean?

Mercury in retrograde means an all-out war between astrology and people who consider themselves pro-science?

No, not really.

It's more like a minor quarrel people tend to have in a bar or at school, with that one friend that constantly asks for everyone's zodiac sign. Don't get us wrong, Mercury in retrograde is a real natural phenomenon, but the way it makes a difference in our personal lives is not really a subject of scientific debate.

This aspect is more in the domain of astrology, which offers advice on how to battle this peculiar phenomenon. Nevertheless, whether or not you believe in astrology, it is worth knowing what retrograde Mercury actually means. And if things do go wrong, you can always blame the planet. 

Mercury Moves In Mysterious Ways

As far as planets go, Mercury can be a real rascal. It might be because he is the smallest of the planets in our solar system. Every once in a while (about three or four times a year to be exact), this speedy, sun-scorched planet starts moving in different directions than what we are used to. This unusual movement is actually an optical illusion that happens when Mercury is passing between our planet Earth and the Sun.

Both Earth and Mercury travel in the same direction (all eight planets travel in the direction of the Sun's rotation), but since Mercury travels at a faster rate (and has a shorter orbit), the moment it catches up to Earth, it will appear to be moving backward. During that period, when Mercury speeds past our planet, that is the time we experience the event we know as retrograde Mercury.  

Scientifically speaking, it is just a function of two planetary objects orbiting in the same direction but at different speeds. Since it is all about the perspective, if we were to watch the same phenomenon from Mercury, it would appear the Earth was making those same motions. To put it simply, Mercury is just beating Earth in an interstellar race every four months or so, and "tricking" it's inhabitants about the way it moves. This "tricking" part is hard to capture since Mercury is located on our dayside, and the only time we could see it is during sunset or sunrise. The same thing applies to Venus.

Could This Be The Reason Why Your Life Gets Out Of Hand? 

Interestingly enough, during that time, we also experience a popular planetary trend that may or may not affect our day to day life. Astrologists certainly believe it does. Since Mercury is considered as a planet of communication and expression, it rules all types of communication, not only listening and speaking.

This means that Mercury will find a way to make your partner angrier, your research paper less inspiring, your morning bus delayed, and it might even scramble your e-mail messages! If we turn to astrology to provide us with an answer as to why this is happening, it would seem that the reason is that the planet is asleep.

Because Mercury is in retrograde and taking a nap, the activities it governs supposedly tend to get out of control. Usual suggestions vary from not making any important life decisions to not even buying electronic equipment. If you were planning on launching a website or having plastic surgery, you might want to take a step back and wait it out until the planets are in their usual order. Just to be sure.