What does Mercury in retrograde mean?

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What does Mercury in Retrograde mean?
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As you may well know, astrology involves looking at the position of planets and stars when we were born, and using that to interpret their influence on our lives. Mercury happens to be one of the planets which is supposed to have the most influence, and that's particularly true when it's in retrograde, a phenomenon that comes around several times a year. What does that mean in concrete terms? Planets in our solar system orbit around the sun. If you think about it, those that are closest to the sun have to travel the shortest distance to complete a full orbit. Of all the planets, Mercury is closest to the sun, and it actually completes a full rotation in just 88 days, compared to the 365 it takes planet Earth. It also travels more quickly than other planets, which is important to note when considering what in retrograde means. It's actually an optical illusion based on our view of Mercury from Earth. When it's in retrograde, it seems to be orbiting the sun in the opposite direction from its usual path. Now, of course, its actual direction and speed don't change at all. It's a little like when a fast moving train overtakes the one you're in. For a moment, while traveling side by side, it seems that you're moving backwards. And that's pretty much the impression we get when Mercury is in retrograde, because it's traveling faster than us around the sun. Mercury goes into retrograde three or four times a year, and for two to three weeks at a time. The first period this year already finished back in mid-January, but there are still three more to come. First, from the 21st of April to the 14th of May under the Taurus sign, second, from the 23rd of August to the 15th of September under Virgo, and finally, from the 13th of December to the 1st of January under Sagittarius and then Capricorn. Why are astrologers interested in this phenomenon? According to NASA, the planet is named after Mercury, the messenger god from ancient Roman mythology. Just as he could travel quickly from place to place, the planet is the fastest to move around the sun.
In astrology, Mercury is said to be the planet of communication, intellect, memory and transportation. When Mercury is in retrograde, astrologists warn that our communication risks going off the rails, and in different ways depending on the characteristics of our star sign. For example, fire signs have a reputation for being impulsive and outgoing, which could make for a particularly turbulent time during Mercury retrograde. Is Mercury being in retrograde always negative then? Not always, although if you look on social media, you'll see some people want to blame all their hardships on Mercury. When retrograde Mercury starts trending on Twitter, you'll see posts about how it's causing family arguments, public transportation delays, and even IT bugs.
Negative predictions based on astrology can lead to a form of one-upmanship, which sees others simply wanting to show that their fate is worse than everyone else's. What's more, doom mongering is common in astrological predictions. So, fear and anxiety around Mercury in retrograde are hardly surprising in that sense. If you give any credence to astrology, you shouldn't start panicking when Mercury is in retrograde. Instead, dedicate some time to reflection and avoid making any rash decisions.
There you have it.
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