Mercury retrograde explained simply

Mercury is the planet of thinking, talking, writing, travel and technology, and the one everyone blames when the printer jams. About three times a year, for roughly three weeks each time, it appears to travel backwards through the sky. Like every retrograde, it's an optical effect: Mercury is passing Earth on the inside lane, and from here it seems to slide backwards for a while. It spends nearly a fifth of the year this way, which is probably why it gets the blame for everything.

In mythology, Mercury was Hermes, the messenger of the gods, and the only one allowed to travel freely between the heavens, the earth and the underworld. He guided souls down and brought messages back up, which is a lovely way to think about a retrograde. It's a trip back down to collect what was missed.

What it's for

Mercury retrograde loves the "re" words: review, revise, return, repair, reconnect and rest. Plans you'd shelved come back for another look, and so do old conversations. Messages go astray, travel plans wobble, and technology has its moments, so back things up and leave extra time.

What it isn't

It isn't a curse. You can still sign things and make plans, but read everything twice and expect a second draft. Some astrologers even say agreements made during a retrograde are easier to revisit later, which is either a warning or a loophole depending on how you look at it. Either way, the fine print still counts.

How to work with it

Use these weeks for finishing over starting. Edit the draft, reply to the old email, return the call, and tidy the files. Say less and listen more, especially when conversations turn intense. Notice what your mind keeps circling back to, because that's usually what the retrograde is pointing at. Then make your bigger decisions once Mercury is moving forward again.

Mercury isn't breaking anything. It's asking you to say it again, more truthfully this time.

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