The Curse of Mercury Retrograde

You wake up to realize you slept through your alarm, the toast burns, the battery in the car remote died, and you can’t get in touch with your boss to say you’re running late! UGH! The day only gets worse from there and it keeps going. Misunderstanding, technology glitches, and just a general no good rotten day. Then you realize Mercury is retrograde! Oh, that MUST explain it. The curse of Mercury Retrograde! But is it?

That Pesky Planet

Mercury is the smallest planet in our solar system and the first planet from the sun. How could something so small create so much havoc? Every year Mercury decides to go in reverse for a few weeks three or four times. Well, sort of. Retrograde is an optical illusion. From the Earth, it “looks” like it is moving backwards because Earth it over taking its orbit. Mercury Retrograde is a temporary optical illusion that happens a few times every year.

One Star or Two?

Mercury is not the only name this little planet has known. Once upon a time, ancient astrologers couldn’t decide if Mercury was a morning star or an evening star.  That was until the Greeks realized in 350 BCE that it was technically both! The planet could be seen at both times.  Back then, the planet was known both as Stilbōn, which means twinkling, and Hermēs, after the god for its rapid fleeting motion. 

The Romans named it Mercury after their messenger god who was equated with the Greek god Hermes. Ironically, although Mercury’s orbit is quite slow, it appears to us to move fast. Meanwhile, Pliny the Elder called the planet Apollo. Regardless, the symbol for Mercury, ☿, is a rendered adaptation of Herme’s caduceus. So how did it become the harbinger of all things haywire?

Horary Astrology

Horary astrology is ancient and works a little differently from our modern astrology. This type of astrology is based on asking an important question and then, rather than looking at one’s natal chart, a horoscope is constructed reflecting the day the question was asked in order to gain insight. 

The Horary chart represents factors that are unique to the specific situation, and this includes people and objects. With this in mind, should one ask a question when Mercury appears to be retrograde, the astrologer finds himself hard pressed to divine an answer. Why? Because a planet in “retrograde” or going backwards, makes it difficult to determine the future. In this case, Mercury isn’t responsible for things going askew. It simply muddies the waters of divination.

Mercury Retrograde in the Middle Ages

If Mercury retrograde muddied the waters in ancient horary astrology, then by the Middle Ages, it began to garner a negative connotation. Taking the unclear aspect a step further, by this point Mercury Retrograde denoted that future plans were unlikely to succeed. Hey, if you can’t say for sure, best not to take any action. Or, better safe than sorry.

Even during the Middle Ages, astrology was considered a legitimate science and on the same level as astronomy. The god Mercury was a messenger and governed commerce, travel, and communication. The attributes were given to the planet Mercury. As many Europeans during the Middle Ages used astronomical observations to make major life decisions, the belief that a planet seeming to move in reverse equaled a reversal of the planet’s attributes in people’s lives.  

Chaos of Mercury

Between the Middle Ages and the late 20^th century Mercury Retrograde and its effect on human lives became an obscure idea. People stopped seriously consulting the stars and the science of astrology became a funny little past time. The 1980’s, however, ushered in a new era of astrology. Even the First Lady, Nancy Regan, had a personal astrologer!

Astrology during this time became very popular with horoscopes being published regularly in newspapers and magazines. Books on astrology soon became highly sought after when people learned the first lady used astrology to schedule White House events. 

This is the time Mercury became chaos. Soon, everything that went wrong was blamed on one tiny planet. During retrograde, astrologers advised that one should stop and reflect. Don’t rush to sign that contract, double check plans and communications, and if your car breaks down that is definitely Mercury Retrograde! 

Modern Hysteria

Today, with social media the evil of Mercury Retrograde is widely known. People brace for the worst knowing the planet is about to look like it’s going in reverse. Bad things happen. Good things happen. Is either the result of a planet and how it appears from Earth? Or could it be because good and bad things happen every day? Could we be so intent in our belief that our world will be turned upside down for a month that we manifest rotten luck?

It is prudent on any given day to carefully read contracts and communications. One would be wise to slow down and be more cautious in general. Mindfulness is a virtue. Is astrology fake? No. There are charlatans in the world but there are also some very good and trustworthy astrologers. Some days are better than others to accomplish tasks and the full moon does make people go a little crazy. It’s called working with nature. You wouldn’t plant a seed in the dead of winter and expect it to bloom. 

The hype of Mercury Retrograde feels more like gas lighting than astrology. Beware of the big chaos monster! So, take a deep breath, relax a little, and yes, slow down. You will get through it just like centuries of your ancestors did. There is nothing to fear from a tiny planet.