What Exactly is
Mercury
Retrograde?

Mercury Retrograde Dates for 2021

January 30 – February 21: Mercury stations retrograde at 26

Aquarius on January 30 and goes direct on February 21 at 11 Aquarius!

May 29 – June 22: Mercury stations at 24 Gemini and stays retrograde until it gets to16 Gemini and stations at 16 and begins to go direct on the22nd of June!

September 27 – October 18: Mercury begins its’ station at 25 Libra September 27 and continues to move in retrograde motion until October 18 when it goes direct at 10 Libra.

People always ask me: ‘What exactly is ‘Mercury Retrograde’? Or, they will say: ‘oh no, are we in retrograde again?
First and foremost, it is important to understand that ‘We Do Not Go Retrograde!!’ And even the planet Mercury does not go retrograde in that it goes in backward motion in it’s orbit around the Sun!  It’s when the planet Mercury (the nearest planet to the Sun) and the planet  Earth align in such a way that Mercury appears to be moving backward against the stars (constellations) of the Zodiac. It never actually moves in reverse, it just looks that way from our terrestrial vantage point because the planet Mercury is moving slower in its’ orbit around the Sun than the Earth, so it looks like it is going backward in reference to where the Earth is traveling.  If you have ever been on a train that was passing another train, and in comparison to the mountains in the distance, it seemed to you that the other train was moving backward? That’s what Mercury Retrograde is an optical illusion of sorts.  You were both moving in forward motion, but one train was moving faster than the other Mercury, the swiftest of all the planets, retrogrades for approximately three weeks every four months.  This year it retrogrades three times.  Check out the schedule on the back of this card.  When it changes its’ apparent direction it feels like you are in a speeding car and the driver just slammed on the brakes. You can’t help but notice and react.

What Happens To Us On Planet Earth When Mercury Retrogrades?

First of all, Mercury rules all communication. The planet Mercury was named by the Romans after the fleet-footed messenger of the gods because it seemed to move more quickly than any other planet. It is the closest planet to the Sun, and second smallest planet in the Solar System.  When Mercury is moving retrograde you will miss appointments, your computer equipment crashes, you hate your haircut, your sister hates her birthday gift. There will be countless delays, cancellations  and postponements.  If any these events occur to you, just know that you will benefit in the long-run. Don’t fight them, although your frustration level and feeling of restlessness will be hard to cope with at times.
All machinery and things with moving parts such as computers, televisions, camera equipment, telephones, disposals and so forth will reveal any weak links. It is critical that you back-up your data and be more careful and vigilant than ever. In matters of the heart, your boyfriend or girlfriend may break up with you or say something hurtful. If this happens to you, take a wait-and-see attitude.Since Mercury rules speech, they may not mean what you think they are saying now. Let them have some space and wait.  You will know what they really mean when Mercury goes direct again. They will likely change their mind when the Mercury Retrograde period is over.

Mercury Retrograde 2021

When traveling, leave early and allow for extra time for travel.  Have all bags double-taped closed, double check address and reconfirm appointments.  Things get lost when Mercury messes us up.  Take NOTHING for granted. In particular, issues from the past that have not been resolved tend to reappear in order to demand resolution, so we can move on. Retro phases also present us with a series of events over which we seem to have little or no control, relating especially to the sign in which the retrogradation occurs.
Some activities are lucky or actually improve when Mercury retrogrades.  You are likely to bump into old friends that you haven’t seen in years.  Adopted children tend to find their birth parents or people locate their long lost siblings.  Mail that went astray weeks or even years ago shows up and some things that were lost reappear.  If you ‘go with the flow’ it is a time to say what needs saying, to retrace one’s steps and to finish what needs finishing.  Bring your portfolio up to date and clean your closets. Take time to enjoy your family and relax.
Just try not to start new things.  If you have to start a job during this period know that the nature of the job is likely to change dramatically over time.  Perhaps the person you know will leave or your responsibilities will be very different from what you thought they would be.  Or, your company won’t be ready to take you on and won’t have much to do until things are reorganized.  But, remember if this was a position that you tried for in the past, then you’ve got the vibes working FOR you rather than against you.
Mercury rules the mind and thinking.  So, if you were born with Mercury Retrograde you will tend to reflect deeply over events and issues throughout your lifetime.  There will be a more philosophical tone to your character.