Mercury Retrograde happens three times a year for roughly three weeks a year, and, for many, the mere mention of it conjures up fear and panic.  Mercury is the planet that is thought to influence communication and logic;  when it “moves backward ” (it really doesn’t but it appears to!)and actually “slows down”  in the sky for a bit, things can get really confusing, chaotic and aggravating.  It can also be a time to flourish!

I am very far from an astrologer, and I don’t believe that one should base major life decisions on a horoscope, etc, etc, but the effects that the planets, stars and galaxies have upon our lives is undeniable.  I have been doing some digging and talking with experts on the subject of “Mercury Retrograde” that happens on the 6th of February and I learned so many excellent insights!  1. Its actually already sorta started 2. There are extremely positive aspects to Mercury Retrograde if you slow down and roll with it and 3. It (the Retrograde) lasts longer that you might think!

Mercury is starting to show its slowing right now.  Indeed, tomorrow it starts moving super slowly in the sky before hitting its  Retrograde on the day of our Presidential Election in the US.  Given the Mercury Retrograde is thought to affect both communication and technology, our electronic voting machines and mail-in ballots are troublesome to many.  That said, everything in the planets will affect people differently depending on their birth information, so astrologers (I LOVE this ONE!)  who have looked at the Presidential candidate astrology have weighed in on the subject overall.

How do you prepare for a Mercury Retrograde? Right now, as Mercury is slowing in the sky, try to finish car repairs, back-up computer hard drives and make sure things are mechanically running right in your life. During a Retrograde, the general consensus is that the following should be avoided: lots of travel (or else planes can be delayed, baggage lost, etc, with higher frequency) , signing contracts (these projects tend to not work out)  and starting new projects/endeavors (that Grand Opening might need to wait for a few weeks for it to be successful)…these are the mass-consensus on Mercury Retrograde.  Oh, yes, and don’t freak out about technology problems. Last year, my wireless modem blew up and took nearly 5 weeks to get fixed… Its a minor inconvenience, but the frustration if you “fight” what is happening is WAY worse than the annoyance.

On the subject of how long it lasts, this Retrograde is done on February 28, 2014….but Mercury is still super-slow in the sky until well into March, prolonging the Retrograde-esque behavior on the planet.

I mentioned making this time of year super-productive, so lets dive into that subject! For some reason I feel this “retrograde” coming more than ever, so I devised a plan for my weeks ahead.  I am going to do lots of research for the coming year, as its a great time to focus on how things can be improved later.  I am going to get lots of sleep! I am going to finish a few big projects that are long overdue (its a GREAT time to finish things already started!)  I am going to be sorting out bits of the past so that this New Year is better than ever.

In truth- I planned to do all of this anyway. The only difference, I suppose, is that the “Retrograde” gives me an added layer of reason to not feel guilty about getting a bit self-involved!

No matter what, no astrological stuff is bigger than you your karma.  So, be good, say good, think good and you are on your way to a brilliant time ahead! xoxo Dana