Mercury is the closest planet to the Sun, and Mercury retrograde is an optical illusion that happens three or four times a year, making the planet appear to be moving in the opposite direction than usual.
What we see is similar to what happens when one car overtakes another and, for those in the faster car, the slower vehicle appears to be moving backwards. All planets appear this way from Earth at different points as they orbit the Sun at different speeds.
People have observed Mercury going retrograde for thousands of years, and many who believe in astrology associate Mercury retrograde with an increase in personal problems.
Leena Sahab, a 42-year-old who works for a non-profit organization, tells the BBC about Mercury retrograde: “I’ve noticed that various ‘setbacks’ actually happen to me when Mercury retrograde is present. My laptop suddenly stops working or, if I’ve bought something tech-related, it doesn’t work properly.”
Although in today’s age almost everyone has heard of “Mercury retrograde” and the…setbacks it brings, dr. Nicholas Campion, professor of cosmology and culture at the University of Wales Trinity Saint David, tells the BBC that the phenomenon was not always interpreted as we interpret it today.
Dr Campion says that in medieval times, if someone tried to answer a question by drawing an astrological chart, Mercury being retrograde was taken as a sign that the answer was negative or that something was “unlikely to happen”.
“It wasn’t until the 20th century, in the astrology of the English-speaking world, that Mercury retrograde came to mean that we’re going to have…well, good problems,” says the astrology expert, adding that this interpretation began to gain popularity in the 1980s.
Other experts who spoke to the BBC are skeptical of this interpretation.
“While astronomy and astrology may have been more closely related in the past, the majority of scientists today believe that astronomical phenomena such as retrograde have no predictable effect on people’s lives,” says Dara Patel, of the National Space Center in Leicester.
On the other hand, Mireille Hammal, an expert in alternative therapies, acknowledges that “a lot of people think astrology is just nonsense”, but believes that astrology can be useful for people, as long as they don’t get “to the point of obsession”.
According to her, her clients who believe in Mercury retrograde “typically avoid buying electronics during this time or postpone signing contracts, moving into a new home, or engagements and weddings.”
Dr Campion, who has an MA in Cultural Astronomy and Astrology, believes Mercury retrograde has found popularity because of its simplicity – but says this can undermine how professional astrology is perceived.
“Mercury retrograde needs almost no interpretation,” he says. “It’s not complicated and it applies to everyone. The view that this is either a good time or a bad time to make plans really undermines the idea that astrology can be complex and nuanced – and different for everyone,” he continues. “Because, it’s a fact that for many people, many things go well when Mercury is retrograde,” he concludes.
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