Copyright © 2001-2012 Pauline Edward. All rights reserved.

Shining the Light on awakening

When Mercury turns retrograde, (appears to move backwards in its orbit) we generally encounter a higher than normal occurrence of disruptions, delays, breakdowns and upsets in fields relating to and involving communications, from transportation to negotiations. (See Retrograde Motion explained)

Recent and Upcoming Retrograde Mercury Periods:

• Nov 24—Dec 13 2011
• Mar 12—Apr 4 2012
• Jul 14—Aug 8 2012
• Nov 6—Nov 26 2012
• Feb 23 2012—Mar 17 2013

Thank you Alexander Marchand for the wonderful illustration!

Pauline’s Guide to Surviving Retrograde Mercury

Typical Mercury Retrograde situations: labour disruptions and strikes, rallies, marches, protests, breakdowns in negotiations, labour relations and peace talks, computer hardware and software crashes and slowdowns, loss of mail, loss of luggage while traveling, car problems, delays in receiving mail and communications, loss of documents, mix-ups and errors in written and verbal communications, unreliability of e-mail, (except for spam of course, which seems to proliferate like wildfire!) or loss of mail or shipped items.

To ensure that your retrograde Mercury period goes smoothly, both personally and professionally, here are a few tips:

• Take the time to think through your projects and issues before taking action. Reread important documents clearly, especially quotes and pricing for business transactions. All business, commercial and financial communications and documentation should be carefully edited and revised. Give yourself ample time for mailing and shipping letters and packages. Now is not the time to play chicken with your important deadlines!
• Keep an eye on your luggage while traveling. Pay attention to road signs and signals. Watch for distracted drivers. No matter how good a driver you may consider yourself to be, if the "other guy" isn't paying attention, you could be in trouble.
• Follow-up on business communications, either with an e-mail or telephone call. Avoid making assumptions. Confirm appointments before setting out for a meeting. Bring a book or magazine to read if you expect to wait for an appointment.
• If possible, postpone the signing of important documents such as leases, especially car leases, important sales orders and offers. If you must sign, REREAD carefully!!! DOUBLE-CHECK! Misplacing a "0" on a quote could spell disaster!
• Clearly this is not the best time to begin a new business venture. But if you must sign during this period, revise all contracts carefully. Otherwise, it is best to wait until Mercury returns to Direct motion.
• Obviously, this is not the best time to purchase important communications equipment such as computers and automobiles! If you must make the purchase during this time, obtain an outside, independent evaluation or opinion on the matter.
• I can't say this often enough: back up your important data, every day, more often if you are working on important documents! Keep your filing and paperwork up to date. It doesn't take much to lose an important document!
• Due diligence! Take the time to think things through, revise your plans and don't be in a hurry to finalize important deals or matters, whether personal, or business. This period is more favourable for introspection than for quick decision-making. Remember, don't rush, think twice and look three times!
• Great time to study, go in-depth into a subject, meditate.
• Also this is an excellent time to correct previous mistakes, especially those shopping errors you made just before Mercury turned retrograde. Don’t be shy to return your purchases to the store!