Is Mercury in Retrograde?
In actuality, No. Not right at this moment. However, the effects of Mercury in retrograde can be felt in advance, by some who are sensitive to Universal energy. Mercury is due to retrograde on March 30th through April 23rd and I have been feeling this one coming on strong! There is always a slight sense of foreboding for me at the beginning of these retrograde phases because life has a tendency to test me hard at these times. This one is a long one and feels very intense to me.
I once told someone that I could feel Mercury shifting at about 2 weeks prior to it’s actual retrograde date. She told me, that wasn’t possible but I know what I feel and I may have discovered something that indicated that I’m not the only one.
When I begin feeling Mercury shift, I usually just get on a search engine and ask the question ”Is Mercury in retrograde?”. I have noticed that if Mercury is within 2 weeks of retrograde my most favorite site for getting that answer doesn’t show up anywhere near the top of the search engine listings. However, When I enter the same phrase, within 1 week of mercury retrograde, that site is always at the very top in the #1 position! The name of the site is www.ismercuryinretrograde.com That is a sure sign that I am not the only one who feels mercury shifting prior to it’s date. For that site to move up in the search engine results means many people would need to be asking the same question.
I feel it is extremely important for people to be aware of these phases and how they affect us, especially with the turbulent nature of our present times. I’ve gathered some info below. I pray it is read by many. Please send it on to anyone you know, anywhere in the world, who may be out in the streets protesting.
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This quote is by Rob Tillet
“Mercury, the messenger of the gods, symbolises mentality: our intellect and mental outlook, the way we think and communicate. Mercury, as Hermes, is the emblem for the magus, the wise counsellor, divine messenger—and prince of thieves!
Planetary lord of Gemini and Virgo, this fast-moving planet stands for ideas, methods and information, especially as expressed through communication and media. Mercury rules writers, travellers, analysts, magicians, salespeople, astrologers and all types of consultants. Through his rulership of our hands, Mercury also reveals our manual dexterity and mechanical skills.
Mercury, god of the crossroads, also governs transportation: how we get where we’re going, both physically and mentally. Are you a hare, or a tortoise? Mercury’s position in your chart will tell all!”
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The following is an article copied from ABOUT.com. It gives a very detailed answer to the question below. I feel we need to be especially aware of this in consideration of all the public uprising going on in our world right now. If people aren’t aware of the Mercurial influences things could turn violent due to miscommunication or misunderstandings. It’s hard to stay calm and balanced during these phases but knowing what you are up against could help you to relax and stay calm. Mercury tests our patience and can influence us to react in haste.
Knowing what’s going on with Mercury can go so far as to allow you to laugh at things that would otherwise piss you off!
This phase is happening in Aries and as I see it this will complicate matters even further in regards to the global public uprisings.
The pink parts are my own interjections.
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What happens during Mercury retrograde?
“Since Mercury rules communication, it’s said that everything goes haywire in that area — emails get deleted or bounced back, mail is returned, calls go out into the ethers, etc. Some people find that their computers go on the fritz or phone lines go down. I’ve never seen the hard data on this, so make your own observations. It does seem though that miscommunication abound during the retrograde period.
Since Mercury also rules travel and transportaion you will also find that travel delays and transportation break-downs will happen. Anything electronic or mechanical can be affected.
I like to check and double check every plan, reservation and schedule. I suggest you give yourself plenty of time to get where you’re going. Back up your computer and all computer work! SAVE, SAVE, SAVE!
A Time-Out:
Mercury retrograde gives us time to catch up with ourselves, and to look back. Something from the past might return in a different form. This can mean people, ideas or buried insights that need to surface for you to move forward. Often it’s felt as a contemplative time, depending on the sign, a chance to go over old ground again, to claim what you missed the first time.
I find these phases very productive for working through personal issues, doing self-refection and thinking through big decisions. I try not to act on anything until Mercury goes direct again but I always come out with a great plan of action.
Be Non-Committal:
There’s a long-held belief that it’s best to avoid making set plans during the Mercury Retrograde. This means being cautious about things like signing contracts, and forming partnerships and corporations. What gets put in writing at this time may turn out to need serious revising after Mercury goes direct. But since tying up loose ends is the domain of retrograde, this type of finalization might fly.
It’s also not a good time to make large mechanical and electronic purchases. Wait another month before upgrading your car, phone, computer or TV. You might easily get a lemon or have it damaged during delivery, or lost in shipping.
Can you repeat that?:
In our relationships, sometimes we gloss over things that pushed buttons at the time, but which we let slide. What seemed not worth the trouble may reveal itself as a major issue in need of our attention. The Mercury retrograde is a time for review, when the underlying patterns come to light.
It is very hard to communicate during this time. It doesn’t matter how you word things or how careful you are with your tone, you are bound to be misunderstood. You also will misunderstand others. There will be a complete disconnect between what you say and what others hear. It will feel like they are putting words in your mouth or you may be accused of doing that to someone else. Try not to get flustered. Just chalk it up to MR and try to let it go.
Back to the Drawing Board:
Some dreams and goals get lost in the hectic rushing around of daily life. The Mercury Retrograde period can be a rich time of reflection on those longings. This makes it a time for the soul to ponder its destiny. You might look over old journals, review your creative work, muse on serendipity of the past that have pointed you toward your spirit’s calling. It can make the retrograde period a time of solidifying a sense of your personal story and where you’re headed.
What does it mean in each different sign?:
The Mercury retrograde is shaped by the sign through which it is cast. For example, a Mercury retrograde in Cancer turns the mind toward things like family, home and the invisible emotional bonds that connect us. On the other hand, a Mercury retrograde in Aquarius gives it a different spin, with a review of group dynamics, the larger human community, all from a detached perspective.
This phase is happening in Aries and as I see it this will complicate matters even further in regards to the global public uprisings. More detail on this below.
Making the Most of Mercury Retrograde:
Astrology is a tool that can make you aware of patterns, like those that come during a Mercury retrograde. Just observe and see what happens, and be open to the past returning for review. If it’s coming back, there’s likely something more to learn or release from it. You don’t have to retreat to the zen monastery, but a little solitude and quiet reflection never hurt anybody.”
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As I said in the beginning, I feel that this Mercury Retrograde feels very intense and I think that’s going to be the case largely because of the fact that it is retrograde in Aries. I looked up the attributes of Aries so I could be sure of what we might be dealing with.
Follow the link for the entire text. Here are a few of the points that stood out for me.
We need to be praying patience, compassion and wisdom upon all world leaders!
Aries the Ram governs leadership and initiative.
Aries people are bold and self-confident, although they do tend to be overly impulsive.
Aries’ motto is “Crash through; or crash!”
Ariens are always overflowing with ideas, schemes and plans to conquer the world.
Aries has masses of energy and courage and will rush in where angels fear to tread, for the Arien ego can be rather overbearing.
Ariens are risk-takers…
Undue optimism, or impatience and desire for self-aggrandisement can result in wasted effort for an Aries, or even severe setbacks and disappointment.
Aries is a determined fighter and a powerful adversary, with a strong urge to express him/herself over the widest possible field of endeavour.
They are are all extremists and for this reason can fall prey to stress-related ailments and mental problems.
Please understand that these are not the only attributes of Aries. I have a wonderful son who is an Aries and his father is as well. They have many positive attributes as well as the ones I listed. I have isolated the ones I think could cause us problems in relation to, specifically, the political issues we are facing right now. Our world leaders will be affected most strongly and there is much potential for instability and rash decision making.
I’m happy you are still with me because I wanted to invite you to come back here and share your Mercury Retrograde stories with me. I get a kick out of hearing them. If they’re long ones you can send them to my email. Short ones can go in my comments box. For the next month try to pay attention to all the different things pointed out in the previous article and write me about those experiences. Also let me know if you think you handled them more calmly because of your awareness, than you might have if you didn’t know about Mercury retrograde. If you have any observations on a political/societal/planetary level please share those as well.
PEACE!
Angie
