So Here we are again. Mercury has turned retrograde and suddenly our favorite astrological sacrificial lamb is offered up before us.

But not so fast.

The nature of Mercury retrograde, and in fact every retrograde planet is a bit more complex than is often discussed. In Vedic astrology for instance a retrograde planet is considered to be “strong”. The word strong is ambiguous to say the least but let’s consider astronomically what is happening and we will soon also understand what type of strength a retrograde planet has.

When a planet is retrograde it is closer to the Earth than at any other time during its orbit. It is exactly the closest when it’s celestial longitude is either exactly the same as the Sun (for Mercury and Venus, planets inside the Earth’s orbit) or exactly opposite the Sun (for planets outside of the Earth’s orbit).

To understand the visual phenomena of a retrograde planet you need only imagine you are traveling down the highway at 70 miles an hour and you pass a car that is going 60 miles an hour. From your perspective, in the faster moving car, the slower moving car appears to be moving backwards. This is exactly what happens with a retrograde planet. It is not actually moving backwards. But based on its current orbital position around the Sun it appears to be moving backwards from our orbital position on the Earth. See the diagram below about Mercury and Venus retrograde and combustion cycles.

As you observe this diagram you will see that Mercury and Venus are retrograde when they are in between the Earth and Sun, closest to the Earth. Outer planets would be retrograde when the  Earth is between them and the Sun.

With Mercury and Venus retrograde, they are the faster moving car. With the outer planets, We are in the faster moving car. But in both instances the planets are closer to the Earth when retrograde.

So, OK – we understand the astronomy – but how does that affect us astrologically and its energies being disbursed in our life.

There is no doubt that a retrograde planet will tend to act unpredictably. Why?, because our life on Earth – through the matrix of the mind and body and its relationship to time (astrology) – is moving forward. The retrograde planet appears to be moving backward. Thus, externally in the world, the retrograde planets’ energy become a source of confusion. We begin to hesitate externally with that thing. With Mercury for instance we become unsure of what to say, we doubt our communication abilities. We become aware of things that seem “unfair”. We may confuse important details that are necessary to move forward. None of this sounds very good does it? So why am I saying it strong? Well, here is why.

Just because something becomes a source of confusion externally does not mean it is bad or weak. In fact, the interruption of the Mercury issues (or any other retrograde planets issues) is a powerful catalyst for internalizing that energy and increasing its reflective power. This power of reflection is something we rarely use while happily going along with our smooth day to day life.

Here is an example. Every day we return home and we take our key and shove it in the lock turn the lock and open the door. We don’t pay attention to the key or the lock. We perform this task mechanically. That is, until one day we come home and the key does not enter the lock — or when we try to turn the key and the lock will not open. When that happens suddenly we pull out the key and examine it very closely. We then see that the key is bent, is dull, and getting worn. We notice the lock is also getting worn. Suddenly we pay attention to the key and the lock. The key and the lock were in that worn state for quite a while. But we didn’t notice it until it messed up externally.

When things are moving smoothly in our life, and we feel comfortable with them, we tend to fall asleep. Retrograde planets create confusion with their external nature. This confusion causes us to hesitate and reflect. This reflection is a powerful catalyst for understanding the inner, deeper nature of the life lesson related to that planet. In the Eastern/Vedic sense we are not necessarily here to be happy. Happiness is a part of life but we are here to learn the truth about who we really are. A retrograde planet as such is “strong” in delivering that lesson to us.

A person who has a retrograde planet in their birth chart will often hesitate with that energy, due to some confusion / lack of confidence with it. The hesitation and confusion will be seen in the areas the planet  rules as a House Lord. For instance, for Libra ascendant, Mercury rules the 9th (Gemini) and 12th (Virgo) houses. Thus, if a Libra rising person has mercury retrograde in the birth chart, things related to the 9th and 12th houses (personal philosophies, teaching, letting go of ideas) will be a source of confusion. But this confusion creates a powerfully reflective nature in the individual. This will be an area of life that is deep and rich within them. The external mistakes and hesitation bring about greater care in using that energy. Over time especially, this can be quite powerful. Based on the dignity and disposition of that natal Mercury (sign and aspectual strength) you predict whether or not these things will lead them to more or less strength.

Mercury retrograde cycles are very good for writing, organizing important projects, and even starting new projects if you find the right auspicious time (called Muhurta). Yet in general, important things such as signing contracts and other types of negotiated agreements where people have to pay attention to important details are better left when Mercury turns direct, if at all possible.

However, people go way overboard with the Mercury retrograde bogeyman analysis. Often you hear that “any contracts signed while Mercury is retrograde will surely get broken” and other things like this. I will tell you, as someone who watches the cycles all the time, I have started many successful things while Mercury was retrograde – including releasing a book and starting an entirely new set of classes and other important things. Now someone may say “well, what if you had waited until Mercury was direct, maybe it would have been even more successful”. Okay, that’s a valid point — and we will never know. Yet, the point is both of these things were very successful by the standard I chose to measure them. My book release paid for the first printing in 24 hours. My astrology classes led to $10,000 in unexpected income over the ensuing three months. Hardly what I would call a failure in any respect.

Between now and October 14 Mercury will be retrograde. However, he will be very well dignified in his own sign of Virgo. This is a great time for writing, reflecting upon important details, and communicating after you have gathered your details accurately. Because you see, the things that are most important to a planet is its dignity – the environment the planet is in.

Mercury in Virgo is always going to be powerful. So this is a powerfully good time for Mercury issues – communication, writing, organizing and managing details. There is nothing wrong with hesitating a little bit before we open our mouth either. One of the benefits of Mercury retrograde for sure.

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