Handling a Mercury Retrograde

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How to Handle a Mercury Retrograde: 2015 Edition

by Kathy Biehl

If you’ve heard the term “Mercury retrograde,” odds are you don’t have good feelings about it. Take heart! Even if some people react to it as if the sky is falling, Mercury retrograde is not the end of the world. It’s a regular phenomenon that happens three or four times every year.

What does Mercury Retrograde mean?

First, the technicalities: Mercury is retrograde when it’s traveling backwards. That’s an optical illusion, of course, and comes from a change in that planet’s orbital speed in comparison to the Earth’s. (Think of it as the planetary equivalent of speeding up, passing a car and seeing it fall far behind after you in the rear view mirror.)

How this works: When Mercury is moving in reverse, the areas of life it governs do not play by the usual rules. Pay extra attention to anything related to communication and travel-including phones, computers and electronic devices, the mail (remember that?), cars, public transportation, and commutes.

Messages go astray; misunderstandings and confusion abound; technology malfunctions; traffic snarls; travel gets delayed. Postpone launching major projects, signing major contracts and buying big-ticket items. Double-check fine print, backup your data, and allow lots of extra time when you’re on the road.

The good news? This is an excellent time to investigate and research, finish old business, clean up paperwork, and get in touch with people you haven’t talked to in a while. Pay attention to who surfaces from the past, in person or in thoughts. Their reappearance could help tie up loose ends or resolve lingering business. Organize and prepare so you’ll be ready to move ahead when Mercury does!

Mercury Retrogrades in 2015

Mercury is retrograde from:

~ January 21 – February 11, going from 21 Aquarius to 3 Aquarius

~ May 19 – June 11, going from 13 Gemini to 4 Gemini

~ September 17 – October 9, going from 6 Libra to 0 Libra

It’s common to feel communication and transportation matters start slowing a couple of days before a retrograde begins. Once it ends, the change is not instantaneous. Wait a few days before resuming business as usual, to give the planet time to get moving again.

OM Times is a leading voice of the Conscious Community with articles covering the full spectrum of Conscious Living. Click here to see all we share.