How have you been feeling the last week or so? Maybe you felt lost, sick, confused, or angry (I actually felt a bit off on Sunday and couldn’t figure out why). Did you have to deal with lost or delayed shipments, broken appliances or did your internet crash? How about the fact that Facebook went down a few days ago, inexplicably?
After the Facebook crash, my immediate thought was, “Mercury is in retrograde.” In case you aren’t aware, several times a year, as you gaze up into the sky, the planet Mercury will look as if it is moving backwards. That is called “retrograde.” In my family, we actually mark the calendar when this is going to happen, as “fair warning.” We even have a family group text and compare notes when stuff starts to go wrong.
Last week, my partner Jack sent us this text:
“Mercury. I’m now a believer. When will it go away? I’m near losing it.
Printer. Failed.
Phone. Failed.
Computer. Failed.
Credit Card. Failed. WTF???”
Well, according to famed astrologer Gahl Sasson, not only was Mercury retro starting September 27, but a few other planets and such joined in: Pluto, Neptune, Uranus, Saturn, Jupiter, Chiron and Minerva are also retrograding right now. “This is heavy on our bodies, minds and souls. So take it easy, lots of misunderstandings and issues in relationships and anything in your life that serves as your mirror.” Thankfully, these periods only last about three weeks, and Mercury will move out of retrograde on October 17.
I even found an article on CNN Underscored (online) sharing advice on “Everything you need to keep calm this Mercury retrograde.” You can read the entire article here.
Since Mercury is the planet of communication, anything to do with communication or electronics is always a bit “off” during the retrograde. So, I guess it should not be a surprise that my new assistant Johnny lost his phone on a hike this past weekend (both electronics and communication)?
Please feel free to do your own research, but here is a partial list of what not to do during Mercury retrograde. Don’t:
- Sign any contracts. If you are buying a home, double check every little detail in your contract.
- Make a big purchase. Again, don’t be hasty and check through all details.
- Take lightly traffic or travel situations. Watch for traffic and other travel mishaps (like our travel agent booking a return flight for one of my coworkers on the wrong date!).
- Rely on technology. Don’t be surprised if your printers, computers or appliances have glitches, or Zoom fails mid-meeting.
- Be surprised at lots of dropped calls.
- Go looking for misunderstandings. During this time expect a lot of “that’s not what I meant…”
Thankfully, this is the third and final time for Mercury to go retrograde in 2021. We get a break from October 17 until the next retrograde period starting January 14–February 3, 2022. For more information on the goings on in 2022, check out this article.
I realize that some people do not believe in astrology or horoscopes and have no idea what sign they are (I am a Libra, thank you very much), and that all this is crazy talk. However, now that you are aware of Mercury, you may want to pay attention to what happens in your life during these mercury retrograde periods. It’s a little nuts!
Karen
