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"What is this Mercury Retrograde
 I hear you talking about?"
ARTICLES 1

I.  Simply Put…

Mercury Retrograde! If any phrase uttered by an Astrologer can make someone cringe more I’m not aware of it. These two words
invoke so much symbolism. I can tell you what it really means and how to navigate it to the best of your ability. When life gives you
Mercury Retrograde, make Mercury Retrograde-ade!

Sun/Mercury Cycle
Mercury Retrograde (Rx) refers to a part of the Sun/Mercury cycle. Therefore, in order to understand Mercury Rx beyond just the
Rx symbolism you must understand the Sun/Mercury cycle symbolism. Mercury is how the Sun expresses itself through word,
song, writing, all forms of information and communications.The Sun/Mercury cycle represents how we communicate with the world
and how it speaks back. The ebbs and flows, periods of quiet and periods of chatter. Each cycle brings it’s own flavor. It takes
Mercury 88 days to orbit the Sun with Mercury going retrograde about every 116 days for an average of 22 days.

Retrograde Explained
When tracking the cycle of the Sun with any other planet there is an interesting phenomenon that occurs from our viewpoint on
Earth.  Imagine a circle where the Sun and a planet start at the same point, 0 degrees. This is referred to as the “Superior
Conjunction”. As they travel around the circle it looks like one is moving away from the other, which they are as different planets
move at different speeds. Just after Mercury is as far away from the Sun as it can go (greatest eastern elongation from the Sun
due to orbital limitations) the apparent motion of Mercury changes direction. It starts to look like its standing still, then going
backwards. Of course the planet has not changed its direction, it is just how it looks to us. Shortly after Mercury reaches its
greatest western elongation from the Sun the opposite happens (the farthest it can get from the Sun on the other side of the
circle). The planet looks like it stands still, then slowly begins to go forward again. The part of the cycle where the planet is
apparently moving backwards is called “Retrograde”. Note I say “apparently”. This “apparent” motion is due to the relative speeds
of each planet and the distance between the two planets. Think of a train with a horse running along side it and it looks like the
horse is moving backwards.

Symbolically Speaking…
Now that you know what Rx is, why care? They key answer is to remember that Astrology is a symbolic system. A series of symbols
applied to a system of measurement (planetary movements). Each part of the cycle has its own flavor that it brings to the whole.  
Each part influences each other part by default. It’s all cycles, everything in context! This moment is just one of many parts of a
larger picture.

Since the Retrograde represents a backwards movement, it symbolizes a time of retrospection, introspection, of review. You get
three chances to live the same series of points, three chances to get it right. The first time when Mercury crosses forward, the
second when its going backwards over the same points it already traveled, and finally a third time when its going forward again it
will cross and continue on over those points again. The first time is your entry to the experience. If you do it well, achieve your
goal, get it right then you have opportunities to do even better. If you don’t get it quite right you have 2 more chances at it. The
backwards crossing is a time to review the actions from the first crossing. What can be improved, what could be changed for the
better? The final forward crossing is the opportunity to implement the corrections identified during the retrograde phase and to
improve or strengthen those done properly during the other two crossings. Ever felt like life was some times a little too “Déjà vu”
for your taste?

Planning for Mercury Rx
Life does go on and sometimes we need to do things while Mercury is Rx so the best advice there is to be aware, plan extra
carefully expecting that there might be issues. There may be no issues but there very well may be. Forewarned is Forearmed. If
you are already prepared that the plane might be late then when it is late it’s not such a blow (and believe me, it will be late!)  

  • Rule 1: Things don’t work out as planned!
  • Rule 2: See Rule 1!
  • Do not purchase any large ticket items, cars, electronics, etc.
  • Give extra care to what you say as misinterpretations are common.
  • Don’t sign any legal documents or make binding agreements.
  • Leave extra time for travel, expect delays so that when they occur you can handle them appropriately. (TIP: Not a good time
    to hope you have enough time to make the plane, a time to make sure you have extra time if you want to catch that plane).


II.  Technically Speaking…















Shadow Period
The full Mercury Retrograde view would also include what is called the “Shadow Period” (see diagram 1 above). It encompasses
the retrograde phase beginning where Mercury crosses the point where it will eventually turn Stationary Direct (SD) at the end of
the Rx phase. This is the first time you are experiencing these points, influences, events. The shadow of the Rx ends where
Mercury crosses the point that it went Rx. The first time you are experiencing something “new”. Note that this is true for all
planetary retrograde cycles, not just Mercury.

Inferior Conjunction
While Mercury is travelling Rx it crosses the Sun again. This is called the Inferior Conjunction (see diagram 1 above). This
happens about 1.5 weeks before the SD. I often find that this is a relief point in the Mercury mess. The Sun has illuminated some
of the issues as it crosses by. Things start to mesh easier, ideas form in preparation for the SD.  


III.  In Conclusion

There are a few things in Astrology I will swear by and Mercury Rx is one of them. This Mercury Retrograde article was delayed
because my computer crashed twice while I was working on it and Microsoft Word crashed once. While I was creating this page the
software hung and I lost my work again! The proof is in the pudding!  

The best use for a Mercury Retrograde is to look around and within. It’s a time to plan the events you want to put into motion, not
to necessarily put them into motion. Maybe that’s why things don’t work out as planned because they weren’t properly planned?

Like any astrological phenomena the more points in your chart that are affected by the Mercury Retrograde chart, the Mercury
Direct chart, the original Superior Conjunction, the Inferior Conjunction, any part of the cycle gives a higher likelihood of
manifestation. As a part of a cycle the Rx must be looked at in the context of the cycle itself. The sign and house of the Superior
Conjunction of the Sun and Mercury give the indications for the whole cycle. The sign and house that Mercury is in when it goes
retrograde and direct will give the influences for the retrograde phase (still within the context of the overall Sun/Mercury cycle).  
The signs and houses your Sun and Mercury are in will indicate how the current Sun/Mercury cycle meshes with your own
Sun/Mercury cycle energy
Diagram 1. Mercury's Path as viewed from the Earth

---------a------------------------------------>Rx  
SD<--------------b----------------------
      ---------------------------------------c----------->   

“a” marks the spots where the “Shadow Period” begins.
“b” marks the point of the Inferior Conjunction.
“c” marks the spots where the “Shadow Period” ends.
Rx marks the point of the Stationary Retrograde
SD marks the point of the Stationary Direct
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