Mercury Retrograde is an astrological event that’s become popular in recent years – often used as a way to explain bad days (or weeks), mood swings, things not working out, and in general anything negative happening in life during a specific time period.
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| Mercury Retrograde is an astrological phenomena that's become popular in recent years for the wrong reasons. Illustration by Len Kurosaki |
A few months later, I reached out to Alberta-based astrologer Donna Young to ask her for tips on how to make it through the next one. And that’s when I found out the bad rap Mercury Retrograde has is one that isn’t actually deserved.
“This is the thing that drives me crazy,” says Young, who has been studying the craft for two decades. “A lot of people think that when a planet is retrograde that horrible things are going to happen. Everything that goes wrong is because Mercury is retrograde. It's Mercury's fault. As though nothing ever goes wrong otherwise.”
What is Mercury Retrograde?
Let’s back up a bit.
Astrology is in part based on how other planets interact with the Earth (because we're self-centred and it was originally believed that our planet, not the sun, was the centre of the universe. Obviously, we now know is not astronomically correct).
Because of this, it can sometimes appear that planets are travelling backwards (even though in actuality, they are really just making their regularly scheduled trip around the sun). This visual illusion is why we use the word “retrograde.”
Technically, all the planets go retrograde, as they are all travelling around the sun, just at different speeds. The slower moving planets (slower in comparison to earth), like Jupiter and Pluto (technically a former planet now but it will forever remain a planet in my heart) will appear retrograde every year for about four to five and a half months. Planets that travel at speeds closer to that of earth (Venus and Mars) are retrograde less often: Venus is retrograde every 20 months for 40 days, and Mars every two years for approximately 10 weeks. Mercury does a lap around the sun every 88 days – so we see it “going backwards” from Earth three (and sometimes four) times per year. This may be a reason why it’s the only retrograde we hear about in popular culture.
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| The term retrograde comes from the optical illusion that makes planets appear to be travelling backwards. Illustration by Len Kurosaki |
Mercury's mythological counterpart is the Roman God with the same name (also known as Hermes, if you prefer Greek mythology), who looks after a number of things, including communication, commerce, finances, luck, transportation and trickery.
When Mercury is retrograde, it’s equivalent to Mercury/Hermes backing up to trick us into thinking he didn't do something that he did. And that impacts all the things he rules.
“This is why they say don't make any major purchases when Mercury is retrograde,” Young says. “If you buy something during this time, something might be wrong, and you might have to retrace your steps. But it's not the end of the world. It's just an inconvenience.”
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| Mercury Retrograde affects all the things Roman God Mercury/Greek God Hermes rules, including communication and finances. Illustration by Len Kurosaki |
That’s not to say that Mercury Retrograde won’t have any effects on you – both positive and negative. But what you do (or don’t) experience during these three (or four) yearly events depends a lot on a number of factors, most of which can be found in your natal chart.
Using Mercury Retrograde to your advantage
Mercury retrograde isn’t something we can avoid. And while it may not be the negative, inconvenience-filled astrological period pop culture makes it out to be, it can still throw us off.
So how can we make the best of this triannual event?
“Back up your computer,” Young says, only half-jokingly. “That is absolutely one of the things that you should do before Mercury goes retrograde.”
“This is a really good time for us to retreat. It's a good time to do any of the “re” things: Research, reflect, renovate, remarry even. To redo something while Mercury is retrograde is a perfect use of the period.”
If you’ve been putting off returning that shirt you ordered but didn’t fit quite right, now is the time to cross that off your list. Have a paper due in November? Start gathering information and planning for it now.
“Back up your computer,” Young says, only half-jokingly. “That is absolutely one of the things that you should do before Mercury goes retrograde.”
“This is a really good time for us to retreat. It's a good time to do any of the “re” things: Research, reflect, renovate, remarry even. To redo something while Mercury is retrograde is a perfect use of the period.”
If you’ve been putting off returning that shirt you ordered but didn’t fit quite right, now is the time to cross that off your list. Have a paper due in November? Start gathering information and planning for it now.
But if you’re thinking about dropping some serious cash, especially on items related to communication (the latest iPhone or a new laptop), it’s best to hold off until this retrograde passes.
More importantly though – don’t buy into the hype. Mercury Retrograde is not something you need to worry about. In fact, it’s something you can actually make work for you.
“That's the thing with astrology. All of the planets that are transiting through, you can use to your advantage – if you know what's coming,” Young says.
More importantly though – don’t buy into the hype. Mercury Retrograde is not something you need to worry about. In fact, it’s something you can actually make work for you.
“That's the thing with astrology. All of the planets that are transiting through, you can use to your advantage – if you know what's coming,” Young says.
The last Mercury Retrograde of 2020 begins October 13 and ends on November 3. To learn more about this astrological phenomena - or anything else astrology-related - and its impact on you, book an appointment with Donna Young.
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