Mercury in retrograde is frequently perceived as a time when the cosmos are working against us on planet Earth. It is undeniable that during Mercury Retrogrades there seems to be an increase of miscommunications, misconnections, and electronic devices taking a nose dive. I myself have slipped into negative thought patterns concerning Mercury Retrogrades. In effort to understand what is happening and how to best utilize this special time I sought out the opinion of a professional.
Recently, I had a very insightful conversation with Phyllis Mitz, M.A. and professional Astrologer. She very effectively broke down what happens logistically in the Universe, how to prepare, what energies are created, and how to most effectively utilize a Mercury Retrograde.
Tarot by Megan: I don’t really know too much about astrology outside of the 12 sun signs and some basic characteristics of each. Would you mind telling me what it means when Mercury is retrograde?
Phyllis Mitz: What it literally means when Mercury is in retrograde is it is going further out into orbit then it normally is in relation to us. So it looks like to us it is going backwards, but in fact it is not going backwards. It is designed for a period of reflection and re-tracing recent steps. It is a time to reflect to see if the decisions and the involvements we have been in lately are going to work. People say “Mercury retrograde is going to cause problems,” but my feelings are there is a blessing to that because, basically Mercury retrograde says “If there are problems with what you are up to, here they are!” It is not a punitive kind of a thing as much as it is set up for the inner work and the inner life. More so than getting what we want in the outer life to work well. Sometimes it can mean missed appointments, technology going nutty, definitely misunderstandings, and things not working correctly. Usually it is little things that disrupt our plans, not things that completely screw us up. In that way annoyance is unavoidable. For people that are the sign that mercury is retrograde in, because it can be retrograde in any one of the 12 signs, those people feel it very much. When Mercury is moving quickly in the sky that seems to be easier than when Mercury slows down. Those are the Mercury retrogrades when people go “Oh my God!” It can be an annoying period. It can be a period when you are not supposed to hire people, buy a car, or sign contracts. But if you do just know that later when it goes direct you might have to tweak it a little bit.
TBM: What are some things that people can do to that Mercury retrograde would benefit?
PM: Activities I would recommend taking part in; retreat, reflection, going over agreements, decisions, and contracts that you have already done. Confirming what you have already decided. Back tracking recent decisions and ideas. I am not saying sit in your room and don’t do anything, as much as take a moment for reflection and check what you have already done. It is a good time to go over things and make sure that what you think you have in motion is correct and it is a fantastic time to check things out and ask yourself if this is what you really want and indeed working the way you thought it was going to work. It is not necessarily a forward movement period, although it has a reputation where some people think “I am not going to do a thing with Mercury in retrograde” and I think “that is YOUR Mercury retrograde, you are loosing opportunity.” It is just more knowing that there is a little bit more of a wild card and things can get a little freaky, but the headline with a Mercury retrograde is take a minute; meditate, journal, and take a little more time during Mercury retrograde to go inside, because that is really all it is asking.
TBM: In general how long does a Mercury Retrograde last?
PM: On average three weeks and it takes place three times a year. The Mercury retrogrades for this year are; March 12th through the 4th of April.
TBM: That’s interesting the first Mercury Retrograde of the year ends the day before my birthday. Is that a good or a bad thing?
PM: I feel that is very powerful for you. I am going to get technical for a minute. You see a planet going along through the degrees of the zodiac and then it seems to sit still and that would be on the twelfth of March. Then it appears to us as going backwards and then when it goes direct it goes back to where it was to begin with. This is called the shadow. Right after your birthday it is hitting the shadow and it means that this could be a little bit more active/crazy time for you because that Mercury retrograde is very strong around your birthday and your sign. I would love Mercury to go retrograde around my birthday, as nutty as it sounds, because more people will be thinking about me, more people will be calling me, more things will be offered to me and even if they fall through who cares! Because Mercury makes it happen so just know around your birthday things are going to get exciting. I look at a Mercury retrograde as buying us a couple of extra weeks to think things through. Concentrate on the inner work by journaling, going inside and checking things out. It is a mental practice. Take walks, meditate, contemplate, talk with friends, and take a moment to unwind your mind and reflect. More mercury retrogrades for 2012 are July 15th to August 8th and November 6th to 26th which should be interesting because it is right after the upcoming election.
TBM: What are steps people can take to prepare for Mercury retrograde?
PM: Two weeks before Mercury goes retrograde that’s the territory Mercury is going to be going back over. If you sign a contract the day before Mercury goes retrograde that is just as wobbly as signing a contract during the retrograde. Mercury is going to retrograde all over it! So the two weeks before check your signatures on your agreements make sure you avoid the same things you would during a retrograde. Mainly check things out, have a plan B if you are traveling, don’t completely rely on technology, and understand that your computer or car could go berserk. If you have to get a repair to your car or computer I would recommend doing so before a Mercury retrograde, but even the weeks before that is basically the stuff Mercury is going to go back over. Watch your thoughts, dynamics, and what kind of things pop up. What kinds of things are decided before a retrograde? These kinds of things require a review. For example: In my past I used to sell real estate and if I sold a house right before Mercury went retrograde, that deal I would watch more carefully. Mercury retrograde might bark at that one and it is more likely I would have to redo parts of that deal. None of this is to fear. Mercury retrograde is so rarely bad. Unless we are trying to do something that is not for our highest good. Let’s say someone wanted to buy a house and during Mercury retrograde it fell apart and I would have to look at it like that was apparently not the right house for them. It was never an undermining feeling like I just got screwed, it was more like weird, freaky things would happen and it would just fall apart and basically I would look at it like that wasn’t for you.
TBM: I feel there is a lot of general misconception and fear around times of Mercury retrograde. Can Mercury retrograde be thought of positively?
PM: People that fear Mercury retrograde just don’t understand it. It is really a time of reflection, even though there can be annoyances that is not the headline. This is a more spiritual, reflective time of year. Use this time to your benefit, just have a plan B and allow for flexibility and tweaking. Mercury going retrograde is a blessing!
I hope this has shed some light on what is really going on during a Mercury Retrograde. As Phyllis said it is a very powerful time that is best used for reflection and evaluation of life decisions. I plan on harnessing this next Mercury Retrograde's energy positively. I am looking forward to March 12th to begin my first conscious review process with the help of Mercury.
If you are interested in learning more about Phyllis Mitz’s work you can contact her through her website at www.astrologerphyllis.com.
