Can You Hear Me Now?

Me: “I had a great salad today.”

Them: “I knew someone who once got really sick after eating lettuce and I haven’t eaten it since, and I hate all people who like lettuce.”

Me: “I went to the mall today and found a cute shirt.”
Them: “Malls are horrible places and most of the clothes sold there aren’t made in the USA. How can you live with yourself?”

Me: “I cooked a ham for Easter.”
Them: “You ate an animal, and you’re not going to heaven now.”

Me: “We are having problems with chipmunks who are getting into our crawlspace.”
Them: “You do know you’ll probably get rabies now, right?”

Can you picture me squinting, as if looking straight into the sunshine? I’d like to say these responses to recent conversations were made up, but they are real and true. I could probably write a book on interesting social media conversations, but I’m not sure anyone would believe me. They seem to be especially headache-worthy during Mercury Retrograde.

You will often see Astrologers and even Psychics cringe and then sigh when Mercury Retrograde is mentioned, and those around raise an eyebrow and ask what the inside news is.
Mercury Retrograde occurs three times a year, and lasts for several weeks during each time period. It is said that Mercury Retrograde goes backwards, or takes a vacation. Mercury is ruled by communication, so anything with communication, contracts and legal obligations can and often does go haywire. We welcomed (??) Mercury Retrograde on April 9th and it come back from its vacation on May 3rd.

The easiest way to deal with Mercury Retrograde is to think of it as a ‘re’ time. Meaning, it is time to renovate, renew, revise, return, revisit, refinance, renegotiate, review, etc. When buying things during this time, they often work for a short period and then break. When getting a job at this time, it is often short term (it doesn’t mean you get fired, it can also mean you get promoted!). When purchasing a house or a big ticket item, be prepared for issues. To put it in a nutshell, it isn’t a great time to make big changes, huge commitments, or have ‘the talk’ with a romantic partner. Instead is a time to look in the past (review) at what you need to let go of, it can be material or emotional, and correct it for a better future. Sort of like set up for the party, but don’t invite anybody yet. It isn’t a grand time to start anything new, unless it is something you can say you are re-newing.

People like to make excuses. Whether a full moon making them crazy or Mercury Retrograde creating an ornery feeling because nobody understands one another. I admit it, sometimes I blame the moon and stars (and planets) too. I like explanations and if I can look at the celestial, which cannot bite back (or can it?) and point my finger, it sometimes makes me feel better. I like to look at it from a realistic standpoint too, though.

If you feel as if nobody is truly listening to you, you could be one of the many who is more sensitive to the astrological changes. So, how do you handle the next few weeks? Carefully. You may talk, and feel as if nobody is listening. Think Charlie Brown’s teacher. People may be more spacey. Your, and others, energy may be a bit more lazy. And if you are traveling, you may have more issues with the car, train, or plane. Instead of cringing, sighing and whining, Mercury Retrograde teaches us patience. Sometimes I think all of us have lost as our world has gotten so complicated and electronically driven. So when you told your kid to do something twenty times instead of the normal ten times, and it still isn’t done – take some deep breathes and repeat (see the ‘re’) a different way. If you haven’t heard from that job you applied for, submit your resumes to different places, but know that after this period they may review your application and give you a call.

It does ask for you to look in the mirror at yourself, pulling out the rear view mirror even, and seeing what demons you have carried with you through the years – and then doing an exorcism. We all need practice in patience and although most of us all hate lessons, this is one you don’t need to study for.  Release and grow.