Feeling tongue tied? Misunderstood? Does your computer have the dreaded blue screen of death. Having one of those weeks where nothing seems to be going your way?  No worries, you are not alone. Welcome to Mercury Retrograde. also known as “storm period.”

Mercury retrogrades for about three weeks, three to four times a year. No planet actually orbits backwards around the Sun, but they appear to retrograde because of their position in relationship to earth. Being the closest planet to the Sun it spends most of the time hidden by the sun’s rays so that it is only visible in the sky for a few days out of the year.

I completely forgot about the November occurrence until it hit me, it being a 5,285 pound GMC Yukon and me meaning my car. Yes my little black car had its’ 4th collision. First there was the runaway cart, then the OMFG did I really just do that and its equally annoying counterpart the sliding into another parked car, and then this.

It wasn’t until a few days later after searching Google for computer fix it solutions that the words mercury retrograde appeared. Ah Ok God so you are not just testing me? you are testing e-v-e-r-y-o-n-e … got it.

The last time I wrote about the retrograde I used it as a crutch to explain my absence. I think we’ve learned over the past 3 years of the blog I don’t need an astrological event to derail the blog. I can do that single handedly without celestial help. I approach retrogrades as a mandatory “time-out” and here’s why I think you should to.  Oh and Gemini’s and Virgo’s you being ruled by the planet Mercury should pay a special interest in this as these periods of cosmic monkey wrench seem to affect you more.

Historically Mercury Retrogrades have been in place during major catastrophes, including Election 2000 and the dangling chads that resulted in the Supreme Court preventing a recount in Florida. Twelve years later we experienced another election and wouldn’t you know ballot issues in Florida once again. It has also been present during horrific events that seemingly were doomed but righted themselves including US Airways flight 1549 successful landing on the Hudson River, which interesting happened during the month of Aquarius, which happens to also be the water bearer. #thingsthatmakeyougohmmm.

During the retrograde you don’t have to stop living, you just need to slow down. Know that Murphy’s Law is in full effect and making decisions should be postponed but if you absolutely have to then do it after careful considerations asking the question what is best for me and my path. Because we are in the sign of Sagittarius the desire to think deeply about things provides a good time for reflection. And don’t even get me started about the solar and lunar eclipses happening as well. These celestial influences will continue to push us forward along our spiritual path willingly or not. The one take away I got from the combination eclipse and retrograde is that you will see a return of people and issues and now is the time to end the cycle as you prepare for the new age that is almost upon us. If you are interested in learning more about I recommend Spiritual Therapy Astrology and their blog.

This is our last mercury retrograde for 2012.

March 12th to April 4th in Aries
July 14 to August 7 in Leo
November 6 to November 26 in Sagittarius, then Scorpio

It wouldn’t hurt to jot these dates down in your calendar for 2013.  Just sayin.

image // light-weaver.com