Mercury Retrograde Wrecks Havoc on February Plans
In astrology, Mercury will enter retrograde once again on February 17th until March 10th, and its effects will be felt across the world.
For anyone with an interest in astrology, Mercury in retrograde is a regularly occurring phenomenon which is faced with more than a little apprehension. It is believed that during this passing phase, Earth is heavily influenced by its forces, and this subsequently leads to a number of challenges across all areas of life, including communication, travel and general decision making.
Mercury in retrograde occurs three to four times a year and happens when the Earth passes Mercury during its orbit around the sun. At this point, Mercury is moving slower than Earth and this gives the illusion Mercury is in fact, going backwards. This process of passing by at speed is thought to create a gust of wind which in turn creates turbulence here on Earth.
It has been suggested that during retrograde, people may experience a range of problems, such as miscommunications, delays in travel, loss of emails, missing paperwork, and much more. Mercury is understood to oversee all types of communication, alongside all kinds of formal contracts and agreements. In addition, it controls all types of code including computers, satellites and a vast array of electronic devices. It is believed that all of these areas are adversely impacted when Mercury is in retrograde, as astrologers abide by the saying “as above, so too below.” This means that whatever is happening up in space will be reflected down on Earth.
So what might be affected during Retrograde specifically? Well, astrologers advise you to avoid entering into any new contracts during this time, be that buying a new home, starting a new job or signing a new mobile phone contract. They advise you to avoid making any unnecessary journeys, as travel is likely to be hampered by delays. It is also recommended to avoid entering into any important discussions, such as discussing your role at work with your boss, or talking through issues in your relationship with your partner, as there is a much higher chance of misinterpretation and conflict arising during this period.
The limitations on communications extends to avoiding the launch of publicity, advertising or marketing campaigns, and it is also recommended to hold back on launching a new website or business. Even if your business or activities are not communications-related, the advice is to hold off completely until retrograde has ended.
It is thought that during this period, decisions are more likely to be reversed, agreed projects cancelled and there is an increased chance that clients could make a complete u-turn on plans that were previously approved. Therefore, it is also recommended to avoid arranging any important client review meetings during a period of retrograde, as there is a high chance that these will not go as expected if you do do. Additionally, electronic devices could randomly start to malfunction or break completely and it is strongly advised to back up any devices just before a retrograde to prepare for any unexpected issues.
During retrograde, it is believed that mistakes are more likely to happen, and so astrologers recommend avoiding any kind of elective surgery during this time. Of course essential surgery should be proceeded with as planned, but there is the suggestion that they may not go as smoothly as they would if conducted at another time. Forgetfulness is also a common occurrence during retrograde, so it is advisable to set plenty of reminders, both electronically and physically on a calendar or in your diary.
Celebrities appear to be pretty concerned about retrograde too, with singer LeAnn Rimes tweeting “Mercury is in retrograde and I feel like I’m on Punked.”
Lisa Rinna also said “Now it all makes sense, Mercury is in retrograde till February. Ugh.”
Kyle Richards tweeted about its effects saying “I need to ask @BravoAndy to please never again shoot the Reunion when Mercury is in retrograde #RHOBH.”
And Katy Perry decided to face the challenge head on by saying “I see you Mercury in retrograde, come at me bruh.”
This list of things to avoid during retrograde appears to be pretty exhaustive and with this event taking place 3-4 times a year, it could prove problematic putting all the areas mentioned above on hold every time retrograde occurs. I imagine that the vast majority of people will take the advice above with a pinch of salt and continue on with their everyday lives in the hope that retrograde doesn’t mess things up too monumentally. Although, it might be interesting in hindsight to consider all of those times where things haven’t gone quite to plan, and look back to see if they occurred during a period of retrograde? Perhaps it might be time to alter your plans after all?
Jenna Owen is a Contributing Editor at The National Digest based in the United Kingdom. You can reach her at inquiries@thenationaldigest.com.