The planet Mercury goes retrograde March 30, 2011 at 1:47 p.m. PDT, at 24 degrees 21 minutes Aries. Mercury retrograde ends (goes direct) April 23, 2011 at 3:04 a.m. PDT.
Although Mercury retrograde doesn’t actually involve Mercury turning around and retreating, it does appear that way from planet Earth due to the planets’ respective orbits. Mercury is retrograde for about 24 days, about every 4 months.
Consider these 7 points:
1. Mercury retrograde is an astrological affliction, but only one of many possible, and it won’t single-handedly (symbolically) screw up your life. Also, if you have Mercury retrograde in your natal configurations, it doesn’t automatically equate to negative life circumstances. Multiples of factors, instead of single factors, through pattern recognition, symbolize life circumstances and events.
2. Astrologically, Mercury symbolizes such things as mental activity, communication, perception, and commerce. Mercury retrograde periods frequently include a marked increase in reviewing and reconsidering things from the past and possibly finding new solutions to old problems. Delays in personal and business matters and projects, travel delays, scheduling conflicts, and miscommunications are also common.
3. Astrological and numerological indicators, including Mercury retrograde, don’t make things happen, or influence anything—they symbolize and represent. As above, so below.
4. Watch where Mercury retrograde occurs in your natal configurations, particularly if Mercury is one of the most potent heavenly bodies in those charts. If your natal Mercury is retrograde, you should pay a little more attention to Mercury retrograde periods.
5. All too often, Mercury retrograde is given too much emphasis, and serves as the scapegoat for life’s trials when the problem is really represented by dozens of other factors, most often unique to that person’s natal comprehensive charts.
6. My findings show that the pre-Mercury retrograde period (17-28 days before Mercury goes retrograde) is often worse than the actual retrograde period. Furthermore, the final 11-12 days of the approximately 24-day Mercury retrograde period goes more smoothly than the first 11-12 days. The first 11-12 days frequently represent the collapse of previously held notions, intents, and plans, while the second 11-12 days (and even more so for about two weeks after Mercury retrograde) symbolize new ideas and plans that are on much firmer ground.
7. It’s recommended to be a little more cautious of any new ideas (especially those involving a high amount of risk) during Mercury retrograde periods because post-Mercury retrograde it’s typical to see the idea more clearly, altering your original appraisal.
Monitoring hundreds of cyclical timing patterns over the course of many years (including universal factors like Mercury retrograde within those patterns), you get a firm sense of how things will play out in any single individual’s life.
The idea of “self-fulfilling prophesy” is irrelevant, especially to those who have no idea of the cyclical patterns, and aren’t aware that you’re watching how the events and circumstances in their life transpire.
Copyright © 2011 Scott Petullo
5 Responses
Thanks Scott, This is the most level-headed report on Mercury retrograde I’ve seen yet.
And to your point #6, the weeks leading up to this upcoming retrograde have been fraught with an almost comical piling-on of “retrograde-like” events: I’ve caught myself saying repeatedly these last few weeks; “If the wires are this crossed now, I wonder what the retrograde will be like…”
It’s a relief to know things could actually improve.
Come to think of it, one more anecdotal bit for the files: In past retrogrades, I recall telling friends “This is the best retrograde we’ve ever had,” things came together, etc, during retrograde that had eluded us prior to retrograde.
Thanks!
Keith
Hello Scott. Thanks for this post, it’s very helpful. I recently found out Mercury is retrograde on my Natal Chart…though I didn’t give it much thought, I’ll follow your advice about new ideas. Could you talk about other retrogrades too, in the future? Would like to hear about VEnus and Jupiter!
Thanks for your feedback, Keith. Yes, I agree that retrograde periods can sometimes equate to things finally coming together, and overall much more rewarding experiences. Depends on the individual’s unique comprehensive charts.
Scott
Thanks for your comments, Rose. Regarding other retrogrades, please see this blog post regarding retrogrades (toward the end), including Venus and Jupiter: http://tinyurl.com/yzeslv. Also, I may do some other retrograde posts in the future, thanks,
Scott