What's Mercury, is that what their site runs on?
On Sept. 9, Mercury will go retrograde for the third time in 2022. During this stretch, which ends on Oct. 2, you may hear all sorts of things being blamed on the planet of communication’s retrograde period, from technology mishaps to misunderstandings with friends and loved ones.
But what exactly is Mercury retrograde, why do people make such a big deal about it and is there anything that can be done to avoid its pitfalls and blunders?
What is Mercury retrograde?
“Three or four times a year,” says
Annabel Gat, a senior astrologer at Vice and the author of “
The Moon Sign Guide” and “
The Astrology of Love & Sex,” “Mercury stops moving forward through the degrees of the zodiac and begins moving backward, or at least only appears to! Mercury is not actually moving backward in space, only in the ephemerides of astrologers.” The term “retrograde” refers to the appearance of the planet moving backward in the sky.
Effects of Mercury retrograde
You may have heard people warn of electronics going haywire during the Mercury retrograde period, and that’s because of the planet’s connection to all things involved in communication.
“As Mercury retraces its steps through the zodiac, delays may take place as well as misunderstandings as Mercury rules communication,” Gat says.
Though it may sound like cause to head inside and lock the doors, Gat says there are some upsides to the turbulent Mercury retrograde period. “This can also be a fantastic time to revisit the past, and generally slow down. People may be more forgetful at this time; however, folks may also find objects that previously went missing. Conversations may be revisited; messages that had been lost may surface. Things may turn “upside down” — but sometimes that reversal is exactly what you need!”
As 2022’s third and final (phew!) Mercury retrograde period approaches, here are some things that can help you to navigate the chaos of technology gone awry and communication gone hinky, and to soothe you when inevitable disruptions occur.