DavidWolfe.comOf all the astrological events that take place within a given year, few are as concerning as Mercury retrograde. At this time, the planet Mercury appears to move backward.
What? How?
Imagine you’re standing on the sideline of a track field watching someone run the circular course. As they pass you and enter the first curve, their motion seems to change direction. From your viewpoint they’re no longer running from right to left; now they’re going from left to right.
That’s pretty much what happens during Mercury retrograde. Mercury stays in retrograde until it swings back around the next curve and appears to move forward again. This happens four times throughout the year.
So, why is this concerning? Well, astrologically speaking, Mercury governs communication, intelligence, awareness, logic and reasoning. All that goes straight out the window when the planet enters retrograde – a totally counter-intuitive, logic-defying and, well, backwards state.
The next Mercury retrograde begins on August 30th and runs until September 22nd. Here are 8 things you should absolutely not do between those dates.
#1 – Don’t Negotiate A New Agreement
Mercury retrograde is not the time to apply for a mortgage. Things that make sense and seem doable during this phase may appear totally banal when Mercury swings back around and begins moving forward again. You could miss out on details that Mercury would’ve shown you if it was moving forward.
#2 – Don’t Launch A New Project
Between August 30th and September 22nd, don’t try to pitch your company that idea you’ve been thinking of. As with the previous point, there could be details that you’re missing. Even if your plan is flawless, Mercury’s retrograde motion could make you fumble the presentation.
#3 – Don’t Plan A Meeting
During Mercury retrograde, any meetings or events you plan are far more likely to be cancelled due to error or misunderstanding. Even if the meeting or event does take place, it could quickly turn into an absolutely unproductive or dramatic mess; remember, communication is one of the skills that suffer during this phase.
#4 – Don’t Travel
People and systems tend to act very weirdly during Mercury retrograde. That does not make for fun traveling. Your luggage could get stolen, that well-meaning local could botch the directions or you could wind up with a delayed flight. Consider holding off all unnecessary trips until after September 22nd.
#5 – Don’t Go Shopping
Seriously, hide your credit card and stay away from your favorite online store when Mercury goes into retrograde. Otherwise, expect to make some very frivolous purchases that you will regret as soon as the planet swings back around. Some items might even prove faulty. Good luck finding that receipt – although, Mercury in retrograde probably made you throw that out.
#6 – Don’t Get Your Car Fixed
Getting a vehicle repaired is iffy enough under normal circumstances. During Mercury retrograde? That rare defect? Guess what – your car has it! That mechanic you hired? He thought you wanted a full service and now he won’t give you your car back unless you fork over the cash.
What You Should Do During Mercury Retrograde
While Mercury retrograde is not the time to make big, new decisions, it is the time to reflect. Spend the roughly one-month phase thinking about all that you’ve learned recently. Think about how you might apply those lessons to short and long term goals of yours. When Mercury swings back around, you may notice a huge push forward towards those goals.
What are you doing (and not doing) to prepare for Mercury’s retrograde? Let us know in the comments below!
Sources:
Tarot.com
Huffington Post
MoonLinks.net
RealitySandwich.com
Astrology.About.com