Mercury Retrograde: Here We Go Again!

NOTE: This article got up a bit late. Why? Because of a bad video card that was supposed to flawlessly power our new 27-inch monitor but didn't. And because of a server problem at our site that closed us down for a few days. And because of company that came unexpectedly. And, well, because of the Mercury Retrograde, that's why!

Three times each year...
... for a three week time period, the planet Mercury goes retrograde. (This means from the perspective of the Earth, Mercury looks to be moving backward in the zodiac). What can we experience during Mercury retrogrades? – most often, increased frustration, interruptions and snafu's that make even simple projects seem impossible You will need more caution, more care, and a pinch more of elbow grease to get things done. Typically there are delays, interferences, miscommunications (especially for those of us with strong Virgo or Gemini in our charts (Mercury is the ruler of these two signs). It is not a good time to launch or initiate new projects. You will be pushing off, symbolically, just when the tide is going out, and it will be more of a strain to make headway with your plan – better to wait until the current is with you.

These are the things to look out for:

1. Signing contracts, (if you must sign, check the details);
2. Making up your mind. (You are likely to change it after the period is over, or further details may come to light that make you realize another choice was better);
3. Sending out marketing or PR materials. (You get little response for your effort, or you may encounter many last minute changes, canceled or missed appointments, or misunderstand or be misunderstood on an important matter.
4. Both soft and hard crashes of computers, hard drives, and iPhones during this time – I had one myself several years ago on the February Mercury retrograde. And now that many of us are spending more time on computers and as our businesses become more computer dependent, Mercury (as the ruler of communications) is affecting computer/technological types of situations. So I'll give an added twist to the usual advice: Back up! – before Mercury sends Murphy to your place.
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Mercury Retrograde Periods Through the Year 2017

Mark the Mercury Retrograde dates on your calendar. How can you best use these periods? They make excellent times to finish up projects already started, to refresh your memory about subject matter you have already learned, and to straighten up accumulated clutter – for example that filing cabinet or computer desktop you're always planning to get to. (If you question whether something is still of value to you, hold on to it and reevaluate after the retrograde). With a little foresight and care, you can still take advantage of these time periods and then begin marching forward again when Mercury doubles back and goes direct.–Barbara.