Mercury's retro look

Thurs 26 Aug – Wed 8 Sept

About every four months Mercury, the winged messenger, first rock from Apollo the Sun, goes retrograde. August 20 until September 11 marks the current retrograde phase. A planet is described as retrograde when it appears to be moving backwards through the zodiac. According to modern science, this traditional concept arises in the illusory planetary motion created by the orbital rotation of the earth with relation to other planets in our solar system. Planets are never actually retrograde or stationary, they just seem that way due to this cosmic shadow-play.


A retrograde period is best seen as a cycle, beginning when a planet becomes stationary (Aug 20th this time), and ending when it returns to the point where it first paused (Sept 27th - although the actual visible backward movement ends on Sept 11th). However, during the cycle, a planet's energy is most powerful (and more likely to generate critical events) when the planet makes a station, appearing motionless in the sky. These stationary periods occur at the beginning of the cycle (Aug 20th), when the planet first halts as it prepares to move backwards, and midway through the cycle when the retrograde planet slows to a stop before moving forward again (Sept 12th). The direct station (when the planet halts before moving forward again on Sept 12th) is the most powerful and can be used for maximum benefit.


In general, Mercury rules thinking and perception, processing and disseminating information and all means of communication, commerce, education and transportation. By extension, Mercury rules people who work in these areas, especially those who work with their minds or their wits: writers and orators, commentators and critics, gossips, teachers, travelers, even tricksters and thieves. Thus astrologically Mercury retrograde gives rise to personal misunderstandings; flawed, disrupted, or delayed communications, negotiations and trade; glitches and breakdowns with phones, computers, cars, buses, and trains. And all of these problems usually arise because some crucial piece of information, or component, has gone astray or awry. It is not wise to make important decisions while Mercury is retrograde, since it is likely that such decisions will be clouded by misinformation, poor communication and careless thinking. Mercury is all about mental clarity and the power of the mind, so when Mercury is retrograde these intellectual characteristics tend to be less acute than usual. Check the small print!