Mercury Is Retrograde—Oh No!

Every one at one time or the other has heard that Mercury going retrograde is a harbinger of bad things or bad luck. People tend to freak out when they hear the news.

The thing is that Mercury going retrograde isn't all bad news. It is a time to slow down and genuflect on things, before starting your hectic life again. Mercury retrograde forces us to take a breather and think things through instead of taking action before it is time to put things in motion.

This is a time not to sign contracts or deal with court situations. You are getting ready to close on a house? This is not the time do that, because contracts get lost, written wrong, or there are misunderstandings. This is a good time to reread the contract, revisit any contract revisions or changes, in order to make sure it is written exactly the way you understand it was supposed to be written.

Mercury retrograde can be a good thing, but what exactly is it? It has to do with Earth's orbit in relationship to Mercury's orbit. Every two to three times a year, Mercury's orbit in comparison to the earth's makes it appear in the sky that Mercury is moving backwards.

Everything in astrology is about the energy of the planets. Mercury's orbit moving backwards means the energy of Mercury is stagnant—it's not moving. Think of a pressure cooker and how it reacts when the pressure builds up inside of the cooker. It explodes.

Retrograde energy is dormant energy that gradually builds until the planet goes direct and then that dormant energy explodes.

Mercury is the planet of communications and commerce. It affects written and oral communications, as well as travel, commerce, and electronics. It is during this time peoples tickets get lost, luggage sent on the wrong plane, computers acting up, and cell phones not working. Documents get lost or misplaced, agreements placed on hold, contracts delayed or lost.

Mercury is in the sign of Pisces, and it will affect you personally depending on what house Pisces rules and the planets in that house. It affects how you communicate with others as well as how you perceive what others are saying to you.

Pisces is also a water sign and if you are a water sign then you will be more about expressing your feelings, and you will feel the effects of Pisces more than the other signs. The two other water signs are Scorpio, and Cancer.

Scorpio with Pisces will be intense emotional communications like a tsunami of feelings have just been released, like they have been storing up everything they've been wanting to say and now they can. Unfortunately, Scorpio is not very tactful, and in the process of explaining their feelings wind up hurting other's. This is the time to think about what you want to say and how.

In Cancer with Pisces, it will be more about one not feeling appreciated for their actions. Whether it's taking care of loved ones, cooking, working or in a relationship. They can feel like they are being taking advantage of... not acknowledged for their contributions. This energy is about Cancer feeling unappreciated and unloved.

Water mixing with Earth can help with earth being less in the moment and have more intuitiveness. There are three earth signs which are; Taurus, Capricorn, Virgo.

Pisces with Taurus is a good combination. It gives the fixed stubborn Taurus a way to express their empathy and their feelings more. Taurus isn't good at expressing themselves and Pisces can help with that.

Pisces with Capricorn will be a struggle. Capricorn is a task master. No fun until all of their tasks are completed. Pisces is a dreamer and very emotional. This water combined with the stodgy earth sign could turn this person into a complainer. "You wouldn't be here if it wasn't for me" or "You wouldn't have been successful if I hadn't helped" type of complaints.

Pisces with Virgo will also be a struggle. Virgo's are meticulous and have this need to be perfect. They can be a bit of a nag on their own, but adding the watery Pisces to the mix and you have even more nagging to deal with. But more along the lines of, "You never listen to me and I tried to tell you or "I'm only trying to help."

The air signs will fare better with water Pisces, but will also feel the effects, just not as much as the water and earth signs. The air signs are Gemini, Libra, and Aquarius.

Pisces with Gemini should be interesting. Mercury rules airy Gemini. They love to communicate on a social level. They love learning about others without giving away anything of themselves. Pisces is the martyr (my take) of the signs. "This is what I have done for you," "This is what I have given up for your sake," etc...

This could affect Gemini in the sense, "I know all about you because I care vs. you don't care enough to know me." Gemini's won't volunteer information about themselves, thinking if you really wanted to learn you'd ask. Pisces energy could bring that need out during retrograde.

Pisces in Libra makes the person a little more flamboyant, more of a partier and liking the finer things in life. The rich and famous people as Libra are a little bit of a gossip, and Pisces might influence that trait depending on where in the natal chart Libra is located.

Pisces in Aquarius could make this person less idealist and more aware of the things affecting man in the world. Aquarius is a humanitarian sign and they care about people and Pisces would affect that. The Aquarius person could be more vocal about areas in the world that affect man and what can be done to help.

The last element is fire. The fire signs are Leo, Aries, and Sagittarius. Pisces watery energy mixing with the energy of fire could take that fire of passion and adventure and water it down.

Leo's passion for life and his love being the center of his world could be watered down. His communications becoming dispassionate, passive, and detached.

Aries is a sign of physical action and can be blunt and forceful. Pisces water energy could temper that bluntness and lend her softness and gentle approach to communications.

Sagittarius is more a sign for foreign travel, and freedom, higher learning, and education. Pisces could have the adventurous Sag demeaning himself saying, "I'm not good enough" or afraid to ask for anything.

However Mercury affects you is not bad. One just needs to slow down and use this energy as a way to really think about what you want to do.