"I don't believe in Mercury Retrograde"

Photo by ZCH: https://www.pexels.com/photo/planet-mercury-in-full-shot-photography-12498795/

I know, people say that a lot...so...

Okay firstly, retrograde is a real thing, astronomically.  You can find a more technical, but still accessible, explanation here.  If you think about cars going around in several lanes of traffic, going the same speed and starting out parallel, eventually the the car in the shortest lane (usually the inside track) will get ahead of the car in the longer lane. It can appear then that as the first car passes the second, the second is actually going backwards.  If we think about planets in our solar system, they are all doing the same thing, and sometimes they pass each other. When Earth "passes" a planet during its orbit, that other planet is said to be retrograde.  Looking at them in the sky, the planet appears to move backward.  How often a planet becomes retrograde relative to Earth depends on not only its proximity to the Earth, but also the speed of its orbit.  Planet closer to Earth go retrograde more frequently and stay retrograde longer than do those that are farther out.  

At the very least, I hope people at least believe in THAT!

Now, what impact does that have on us, astrologically?  

In my opinion, really? Not much. The sheer distance between Earth and Mercury is so far....I have a hard time accepting that the planets really have a physical, direct effect on our lives.  

"But, Leesa...you talk about astrology A LOT? How can you now say you don't believe in it?"

My belief in astrology is more about its symbolic value, with a healthy dosage of Jungian psychology.  I also reserve the right to be incorrect. After all, the moon impacts the oceans, and we are mostly water ourselves.  And whenever sun spots get crazy, they can impact our telecommunication systems.  So... ?

For me, Mercury retrograde is a time to focus on those things that Mercury represents: travel and communication.  It's a good time make sure your car is in good working order. Get that oil change you've been putting off.  Or make sure your bike tires are inflated, your bus pass is up to date, and you've double checked any longer distance travel plans.  Maybe it is  also time to clean out your inbox of emails you aren't going to get to anyway, or write those letters you've been putting off.

It can be a good time to improve habits in both of these areas, too.  Pick something you want to be better at. Do you want to remember to use your turn signal?  Want to stop speeding?  Want to stop running for the bus?  Or maybe you want to respond to emails within 24 hours. Or use proper "netiquette" in your conversation, or stop swearing.

Mercury is retrograde for around three weeks, and some psychologists say that is how long it takes to establish a new habit (some say its longer).  Pick ONE to focus on, though.  And since Mercury goes retrograde three times a year, you get a few chances!