There are a few articles being shared through The Grand Overseer about this astronomical event. I mean astronomical in a “sun and stars†kind of way, not a “wow, that is massive!†sort of way. Mercury in retrograde is also an astrological event. We’ve written about astronomical and astrological events on TPP before.
What does it mean astronomically that Mercury is in retrograde?
Imagine you are driving your car on a long, straight road next to a railroad track. There’s a train up ahead, but it’s a ways off. There’s no one else about, so you floor it, windows down and all. It doesn’t take long for you to catch up to the train. Then you start to pass it. You watch the train as you pass it by and, even though it’s still moving in a forward motion, it looks like it is moving backwards.
That’s what’s happening with Earth and Mercury right now. Earth is the car and Mercury is the train. Retrograde planetary motion is an optical illusion. Planets don’t rotate backwards around the sun. Planetary retrograde motion is not unusual; it happens several times a year and with all other 8…er…7 planets (sorry Pluto!). Mercury has been in retrograde since October 21st and will remain so until November 10th.
What does it mean astrologically that Mercury is in retrograde?
The articles on The Grand Overseer are about the astrological meaning of Mercury in retrograde. The article I’ve seen a few times is on the Huffington Post (HuffPo). Actually, there are two articles on HuffPo and they are both Top 10 Lists about the astrological impact Mercury in retrograde.
Mercury and Minerva by Gaspar Becerra, 1560
The first article is the Top 10 Things Not to Do During Mercury in Retrograde. The overarching theme here is that you shouldn’t make any major moves contingent upon good communication. Mercury is a messenger in the Roman pantheon, so it makes sense that a perceived lag in that planet’s rotation would (negatively) affect the delivery of information. I think the idea here is that we personify Mercury (the god) during this retrograde, and in doing so, we all mess up our communications with one another.* That’s why we should avoid major moves right now.
I’m trying to think of a big move, change, or decision that doesn’t rely on good and clear communication and I’m coming up short. So my big take-a-way is that you shouldn’t make any decisions, especially big decisions, until November 11th. I hope everyone has Netflix or Amazon Prime to help you avoid life for awhile. =)
The second article on HuffPo is 10 Good Things that Happen During Mercury in Retrograde (by the same author). The overarching theme here is that retrograde is a time of reunion and reconciliation. People and things that fell away from your life may come back to you while Mercury falls behind Earth for a while. Again, as we personify Mercury (maybe the planet this time) and seemingly slow down, we give other people, old ideas, and the universe in general a chance to catch up to us. I really like this idea.
What do you think about Mercury in retrograde? Do you plan to suspend any major decisions until November 11th? Is there anyone or anything you hope comes back into your life?
* I probably shouldn’t be writing this blog post. There’s a good chance it will read like gobbledygook to you!
+ Featured image, an enhanced color image of Mercury’s hemisphere from NASA’s Photojournal page.
3 comments
Kristina says:
Oct 25, 2013
Thanks for the good things about Mercury retrograde. I haven’t read it yet, but I always hear about emotionalism and miscommunication because of Mercury retrograde. So it’s nice to know there are some positives.
GG says:
Oct 25, 2013
Hi Kristina! I have heard the same about Mercury in retrograde — only negative things. The About.com article is a nice read, too (click the link on “reunion and reconciliation” above).
Psyzen says:
Feb 27, 2018
Hello Pagan Princesses! I have just found this site. Excellent. Informative sites such as this are invaluable as people move away from a blinkered outlook, once provided by major religions, to a broader outlook that is more relevant to the modern day mind. In fact, anything that does not promote bigotry, violence, prejudice etc. but propagates enlightenment from wherever is most welcome. …but, to the topic. Mercury retrograde is a good argument against linear thinking (prevalent in the West). Constant increase in production, wealth and profit is not sustainable. Spiral development is more appropriate. Similarly, knowledge and thinking, represented by Mercury, is not served well by a headlong attack. Pause, reflect, absorb what is learnt (the retrograde phase) and then advance, wiser and more informed (the direct phase). Books have been written on this subject (I recommend ‘Retrograde Planets’ by Erin Sullivan) but the above is a good place to start.