Mercury goes retrograde about three times a year.  It is common to hear people speak of this period with trepidation! 

What is actually happening in the world of planets and motion is that Mercury appears to move backwards from the perspective of the Earth.  In actual fact Mercury is not moving backwards!  If this upsets you don't worry.  All astrology is based on the appearance of things.  The Sun doesn't actually rise, the Earth turns.  You knew that. 

So the meaning in Mercury retrograde is found in the symbolic interpretation of this apparent backward motion.   It can help us to understand and navigate our world with greater ease.  

Mercury represents the power of the mind.  It is the trickster god because the mind is the slayer of the real!  You know how hard it is to keep your mind on one thing.  That is Mercury at work.  Mercury likes to flip the channels so to speak!  When this planet goes retrograde it's as if  someone is pulling the plug at random moments; stealing the remote and demanding that you unplug!  Of course we don't like to unplug.  We like to keep on keeping on and get where we are going. 

The general Mercury retrograde story goes like this: When Mercury is retrograde it's easy to miss the details;  to misunderstand what was said; to misread what was written; to get the dates wrong or to forget to show up. This is why the common advise is to refrain from signing contracts, making major commitments or undertaking major new endeavours 

What's good about Mercury retrograde is that it's time to get your files in order, contact people from the past, find things, reflect, edit, wonder and learn.  Communication may be difficult but communion is not.  If you're willing to unplug and listen to the deep, many good things can arise. 

If you insist on pushing the river it's easy to come to a snag. 

Still, life must go on, contracts must be signed, houses bought, marriages (heaven forefend!) made; babies born and so forth.  By aligning ourselves with the retrograde energy we can move through this period with a minimum of misery, a deepening of our connection to our soul and some really funny stories if we keep our sense of humour.  

Julie Simmons
Astrologer