Until October 9, an optical illusion due to the rotation of the Earth will make it look like the planet Mercury is moving backwards. That’s, literally, a bad sign in the world of astrology. Mercury is said to govern communications, and it’s happening in the constellation Libra, which has to do with relationships, partnerships, and diplomacy.
So lots of people are worried about this. And using it as an explanation for cellphone crashes, relationship breakdowns, and bad contracts.
After the jump, a link to two articles in the New York Post by one journalist who ridicules some of his “smart friends” who believe in this and another journalist who defends his belief.
Question: Why DO smart people actually believe in astrology?
From Tim Donnelly, Why smart people actually believe Mercury retrograde ruins lives | New York Post:
If you spilled a whiskey all over your computer or signed a lease for a bedbug-filled apartment, relax! It’s probably not your fault; it’s probably Mercury retrograde.
The astrological phenomenon, which started Thursday and goes until Oct. 9, is the hottest scapegoat in town, the juice cleanse of the cosmos, if you will.
According to astrological hucksters (and the flocks who follow them), the three periods each year when Mercury appears to be moving backward are total pandemonium, a time when the stars are liable to wreak havoc on technical devices, morning commutes and official documents.
[Keep reading. . .]
From and Robert Rorke, But I’m a Believer! New York Post:
When astrologers say Mercury is going retrograde, people react as if the Ebola virus has been let into the solar system, and with good reason.
In astrological lore, Mercury is the planet that rules communications of all sorts. When the planet goes “backward,” problems in that area usually arise.
Some may brush it off as pseudoscience, but I’ve found it to be true in my own life. I first took an interest in astrology ten years ago when I noticed things going amiss when Mercury was in retrograde.
Phone calls went unreturned, appointments were missed and schedules seemed to always be changing at the last minute.
Mercury goes retrograde three times a year, and the current period is in Libra, the sign that rules relationships, partnerships and diplomacy. During this time, it’s common to hear from old friends and contacts you haven’t spoken to in ages.
[Keep reading. . .]
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