You’ve certainly heard a variation of the phrase before, typically spoken with a sigh. Someone is experiencing a bad day. Or perhaps they’re acting strangely. Or despite their best efforts, nothing seems to be working out. The smallest planet in our solar system and the one closest to the sun, Mercury, has been given the responsibility. Mercury is to blame. The poor thing is moving backward. In fact, it’s taking place now.
A fundamental tenet of astrology, which has existed for thousands of years and taken many different forms, is the notion that planets have an impact on people’s lives. According to a recent Harper’s Bazaar deep dive on the subject, the notion that Mercury, in particular, can have some stinging effects, is a relatively recent discovery, beginning around the 1980s. And in the last ten years, a tale about Taylor Swift whining about Mercury’s purported astrological mayhem in an MTV video from 2014 is what gave it its contemporary, meme-like aspect.
A science is not astrology. However, “Mercury in retrograde is a real phenomenon, best understood by planetary scientists who, like astrologers, think a lot about Mercury but, unlike those astrologers, would never dream of blaming the planet for making them forget their keys. According to David Rothery, a planetary scientist at the Open University in England, Mercury’s retrograde motion has nothing to do with the planet’s real orbit; rather, it has to do with how the planet appears to us in the sky between the early morning and late evening hours as a little white dot. Mercury often moves in the opposite direction as the stars in the night sky, from west to east. However, that constant motion occasionally reverses itself, heading westward as opposed to eastward.
The explanation has to do with how Mercury and Earth are positioned in relation to the sun. Due to its closer orbit to the sun than Earth’s, Mercury completes one complete rotation of the sun in only 88 Earth days as opposed to our planet’s 365. Because of its speed, Mercury occasionally passes Earth as it orbits the sun, “overtaking us on the inside track,” as Rothery put it. And when that occurs, it appears as though the tiny white dot in our sky is reversing course and moving nightly in the opposite direction. When Earth finally catches up with Mercury, Mercury appears to change its trajectory once more and turn “prograde.” About three to four times a year, this phenomenon lasts for three weeks.
Mercury retrograde is a myth, although being real sometimes. From our vantage point on Earth, we can see everything that is happening. Even on the surface of Mercury itself, a distinct astronomical object pulls off a similar optical illusion. As seen from Mercury’s surface, the sun can appear to move backward at times, according to Nancy Chabot, a planetary scientist at the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory. Trippy!
From our vantage point, Mercury looks to change, but in reality, the planet is simply cruising along, orbiting the sun as normal. More would need to be explained if Mercury actually halted and reversed direction in its orbit than just missed emails and commuting delays, as predicted by astrologers. Mercury, of course, has no influence on human affairs on a regular basis. No other planet does either. So I have an unreasonable urge to protect Mercury, who in this situation has gotten the short end of the stick.
Already one of our solar system’s most underappreciated planets, Mercury. All of the rovers go to Mars. Jupiter appreciates high-end photo shoots. Venus is the subject of a contentious discussion about whether or not aliens are present. Recently, even Uranus has drawn a lot of interest. There are no moons or rings on Mercury. Pluto itself has moons. What does Mercury receive, then? People who, in the words of Harper’s Bazaar author Jo Livingstone, “may well know more about Mercury as an astrological phenomenon than a physical planet” groan and roll their eyes. I believe Mercury would very much like to be eliminated from this narrative, to quote Taylor Swift.
For the most part while Mercury is “in retrograde,” it is so close to the sun in the sky that radio connection with a spacecraft at Mercury is impaired by interference with the signal, Rothery said. This, in his opinion, is the only impact this has on happenings on Earth. He declared, “I pay no attention to any astrological commotion, and those who do should look for Mercury in the night sky for themselves or look up images of the planet taken by spacecraft to realize “what a fascinating world it is. Of all the planets in the solar system, Mercury has the most craters. And as it shrivels over billions of years, it is actually contracting very slowly, with its crust crunching and breaking.
Chabot’s mood can be impacted by Mercury’s retrograde phase, but not in the way that astrologers might anticipate. When Chabot reads an article about Mercury being a danger to astrology, she looks to see if the image was taken by the NASA spacecraft MESSENGER, which orbited the planet from 2011 to 2015. Mercury Surface, Space Environment, Geochemistry, and Ranging is the acronym for the mission. NASA enjoys using acronyms. Mercury’s annual retrograde periods provide me the opportunity to see the MESSENGER photographs utilized in articles more frequently, which makes me happy,” remarked Chabot, a member of the mission team. She finds it disappointing when the astrological posts substitute images from NASA’s Mariner 10 probe. Less than half of the surface of the globe was photographed during the expedition in the 1970s. The entire planet, every crater and crevice on its sun-baked surface, as well as the hardened ash indicating the planet formerly had volcanoes, were not visible to humanity until MESSENGER.
When the spacecraft ran out of propellant needed to stay in orbit and crashed into Mercury’s surface, the MESSENGER mission came to an end. 2018 saw the launch of the most recent Mercury mission, which was coordinated by the European Space Agency and the Japanese space agency, JAXA. The spacecraft is still traveling, using a series of flybys of Venus and Mercury to guide it in the direction of its destination. The BepiColombo project will tuck into orbit around Mercury in late 2025. It is named after the Italian mathematician from the 20th century who performed the calculations for Mercury flybys.
Mercury will change roles in the optical illusion in our sky by the end of the next week and come out of retrograde. BepiColombo will perform its most recent flyby of the planet in late June, zipping within just 124 miles (200 kilometers) of the surface. And as it travels, it will take beautiful pictures of this intricately detailed and denigrated by astrology universe. It won’t uncover any proof as to why your day seems to be going awry. That has a much more localized answer.
In This Article...
Does the Mercury retrograde actually have an impact on us?
What effect it’s having on your energy levels Expect to have either more or less energy than usual, especially worried energy. will either drain you of your typical vigor, leaving you feeling tired, or fill you with chaotic, scattered energy, possibly leaving you feeling restless, distracted, and agitated.
Is Mercury really going backwards?
Avoid signing contracts. Avoid purchasing electronics or anything with gears or moving parts. If the mail is misplaced or something goes wrong while you’re traveling, do not be shocked. Also, keep in mind that you might forget something, such as your phone or spectacles.
Astrologers recommend following this advise while Mercury is in retrograde, which this time lasts until March 28. The statement is now frequently used as an excuse or scapegoat when anything goes wrong.
Any “retrograde motion by Mercury is an optical illusion,” as real scientists point out. And they vehemently refute astrology’s central tenet, according to which events on Earth can be affected by the movements of the planets. Studies have actually found no connection between how planets behave and how people behave.
What exactly is Mercury in retrograde?
After a run of poor luck, I’ve been blaming Mercury Retrograde for years. If I get into a disagreement with a friend or my technology fails me for too long, I’ll start to wonder if Mercury is retrograde. I always find it when I open my astrology app, almost without fail. Retrograde has started.
If you’re not familiar with Western astrology, Mercury Retrograde refers to the phenomenon when the communication-ruling planet Mercury appears to move backward in the sky. The phenomenon, which contemporary astronomers today refer to as retrograde motion, is merely the illusion of planets altering course.
Is retrograde only a mirage?
Imagine going for a walk in the middle of the night on a dark summer evening and noticing something strange in the sky. Although it has the appearance of a star, it travels through the sky in an odd manner, moving backwards before moving forward once more. You’re undoubtedly certain that an encounter with extraterrestrial life is imminent.
It’s interesting to note that while this type of activity frequently occurs in the night sky, it has nothing to do with extraterrestrial life. The optical illusion that we observe here on Earth, where a planet appears to move forward, backward, then forward again in the night sky, is known as retrograde motion.
Of course, this apparent motion takes place over weeks or months rather than in mere seconds. But over the centuries of recorded history, astronomers found it to be no less puzzling.
In reality, observers have been perplexed by this peculiar behavior in the night sky for thousands of years. The declaration of the heliocentric paradigm, however, did not lead to the full solution of the problem until Copernicus and Galileo in the 16th and 17th centuries.
Because the planets that display it appear to be changing directions to us while actually moving in the same direction, we refer to the apparent retrograde motion that we observe as such. Instead, it is really a delusion brought on by the solar system’s dynamics.
What zodiac signs will be impacted by the 2021 Mercury retrograde?
The other cardinal signs in the other elements will feel this particular backward turn the most because it is occurring in cardinal Libra. Aries (cardinal fire), Cancer (cardinal water), and Capricorn are included in this (cardinal earth). Aries, it will manifest in your fourth house of domestic life, Cancer, your seventh house of partnerships, and Cap, your tenth house of careers.
When Mercury is in retrograde, do you yearn for your ex?
Old lovers always manage to find their way back into your DMs around this time, but don’t act foolishly. You might feel the want to reunite with an ex when Mercury is retrograde, but you might later regret it. The answer to the questions, “Why do I keep thinking about my ex?” and “Should I keep my ex as a backup?” is obvious: no.
What zodiac signs are impacted by Mercury’s retrograde motion?
Nothing in astrology is more notorious than the dreadful Mercury retrograde. Because it rules both cognitive and communication processes, Mercury has a significant impact on how you live your daily life. This quick-moving, very intelligent inner planet tends to confuse people and lead to errors in judgment when it goes retrograde, which can derail all of your goals. Fortunately, you don’t have to prepare for total disaster if you belong to one of the zodiac signs that will be least affected by Mercury retrograde in spring 2022: Aries, Cancer, Libra, and Capricorn.
On May 10, as Mercury is transiting through Gemini at a 4 degree angle, the next Mercury retrograde will start. As a result of this mutable air sign’s propensity to think more quickly than it speaks, miscommunication is a major theme of this erratic and capricious retrograde. Mercury won’t stay in Gemini for very long, though, as on May 22 it will turn back into Taurus and travel through that sign’s obstinate and slow-moving zone once more. Mercury is returning to this fixed earth sign, so you may find yourself second-guessing every choice and finding it difficult to look past your attachments to particular beliefs and viewpoints. Be careful you know what you’re talking about and try to have an open mind.
Despite the fact that Mercury retrograde can throw your life for a loop, you must keep in mind that it only lasts for around three weeks. This retrograde, which will terminate on June 3 at 26 degrees Taurus, could transport you back in time and bring up unfinished business that has to be attended to. Let this retrograde give you another chance to attempt because there might still be things you need to say or decisions you need to make.
In either case, cardinal signs might not experience the full effects of this retrograde. This is why:
What actions are prohibited in 2021 when Mercury is retrograde?
Ellen Bowles, an astrologer and co-author of Astrology SOS, claims that “we can have technical or mechanical troubles, and our wires can seem crossed in all our channels of communication.” “Planetary retrogrades are occasions for everyone to stop and think. We are being advised to slow down and double-check the details when Mercury is retrograde.” The urge to meticulously examine every last aspect extends beyond the three to four weeks of the retrograde period itself. The same guidelines for what not to do during Mercury retrograde also apply during this time, which lasts for a week or two before and after the actual retrograde. This period is known as Mercury’s shadow phase or “retroshade.”
What zodiac signs will be impacted by the 2022 Mercury retrograde?
When you believe you have everything under control and your troubles solved, Mercury retrograde seems to mix things up. There’s always a problem lurking around the corner when it comes to astrology, and nothing illustrates this more than when Mercury, the planet of thought and communication, starts to move backward through the zodiac rather than ahead. Taurus, Gemini, Scorpio, and Sagittarius are the zodiac signs that will be most impacted by Mercury retrograde in spring 2022, so you *might* want to get ready for some technical issues soon.
Mercury usually stirs up temporary turbulence and commotion when it stations retrograde. This retrograde, which occurs three to four times a year, is nothing new to you because you’ve already encountered it numerous times. In other words, there is no need to be concerned; the world will not end, and you will survive it unharmed. Although miscommunications and misunderstandings frequently occur when Mercury is retrograde, it is also a lovely time to reflect on your life, look back on previous endeavors, and take care of any unfinished business.
Mercury retrograde this spring starts on May 10 at 4 degrees Gemini, going backwards. Mercury rules this mutable air sign, so this will be a typical retrograde experience marked by confusion and diversion. Think carefully before you speak, especially if you’re twisting the truth. On May 22, Mercury will reenter Taurus, slowing down the intensity of this retrograde and making it more frustrating for Mercury, who already finds it difficult to move through this rigid fixed earth sign. Fortunately, everything will finish on June 3 just as swiftly as it began.
What the astrological signs listed below should be aware of is:
