Whether you subscribe to Western astrology or are reading this with a healthy dose of skepticism, there is value in taking the time to assess your beliefs and that is what a Mercury retrograde asks you to do.
First, a little about astrology. Retrograde is an illusion of sorts: the appearance of a planet moving backwards due to our fixed position on a planet that itself is both rotating and in orbit. If nothing else, astrology is a lesson in perspective, a reminder that we exist within the context of a larger universe and that even something so seemingly fixed as cardinal directions is, well, relative.
Due to science and a bit of mathematics that I won’t go into here, all the planets in our solar system station retrograde at least once a year, if not more. Mercury, which is both the smallest planet and the planet closest to the sun, retrogrades about every three to four months for about three weeks, which is to say, pretty often. This makes the planet a rather convenient scapegoat for many mishaps and the subject of websites such as ismercuryinretrograde.com.
The Realm of Communication
The symbolism of it all, at least in the Western astrological system, is rooted in its namesake, the ancient Roman god Mercurius, the messenger of the gods, often credited with oversight of the realm of communication. In some depictions, he is portrayed as a trickster, in others, the more solemn guide of souls to the underworld. There is an implication here that belies the power of communication, particularly when weaponized intentionally, within a society built upon human cooperation. Whether verbal or nonverbal, written or spoken, direct or indirect, our communications with ourselves and others around us construct our human experience.
This construction is extremely delicate and highly subjective. Communication is almost entirely predicated upon interpretation and so too is astrology. In words and celestial bodies, we detect symbols that carry meaning, identify patterns within context and make conclusions that inform how we react and respond, rinse and repeat. All these operations leave ample room for miscommunication, which is when communication has failed us in some way.
Research also tells us that culture shapes our communication and its interpretation according to multiple factors, such as form, including structure and syntax, language and context, from how we learn to communicate to the rooms we enter as we navigate social hierarchies. In an increasingly interconnected world, our ability to communicate interpersonally and interculturally will determine the future we are able to build together.
Don’t Fear the Retrograde
And so, we might adopt a recurring period of review - a retrograde - to step back, take in perspective and reevaluate our communications. Does this need to align with the apparent planetary retrograde of Mercury? Maybe not, but perhaps there is something to the frequency at which this phenomenon occurs that provided a culture more closely attuned to the skies a timely reminder to turn their attention to their communications.
If you’re currently experiencing the consequences of poor communication, then perhaps you’re all too ready to blame Mercury for your problems; if not, perhaps this all seems a moot point. But moving backwards in order to gain perspective is not the bogeyman that Western capitalist interests would have you believe. It is certainly a privilege to have the time, space and support to do this work and, yet, we all suffer the consequences when we do not.
Now What?
If you do nothing else but ponder the role of communication in your life, congratulations, you are working with Mercury in retrograde. If you’re looking for something else to do, here are a few suggestions:
Reflect on how you communicate. You can evaluate your communication style, your experiences with communication or feedback from others. Where or from whom did you learn to communicate? What beliefs do you hold about communication? How do you navigate the gap between intention and interpretation in communication?
Identify someone in your life with whom communication is important to you. Consider how you communicate with them in particular, how you interpret their communication and what, if any, difficulties you have in communicating. If you can, invite them to a conversation about this without judgment and with compassion.
Learn more about communication, whether by reading about effective communication or listening closely to the ways in which others communicate, whether in media or in-person. Be intentional about any research you do and question the source of information that you receive.
Review how you organize your communications, whether electronic or in-person. Are the systems you use working for you? What are pain points in these systems and what can you do to alleviate them in the future?
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