Mercury Retrogrades Don't Have To Be A Bad Thing—Here's How To Make The Most Of Them

Uh oh—Mercury is retrograde again. But before we start cracking jokes and making memes, what does Mercury retrograde actually mean? And further, how does it impact us?

Astronomically speaking, Mercury retrogrades occur when Mercury passes the Earth in its orbit around the Sun. From our perspective on Earth, Mercury appears to be moving in a different direction, even though it's not actually moving backwards.

As astrologer Molly Pennington, Ph.D. tells mindbodygreen, no planet will ever actually go in reverse motion, but she likens it to when you're sitting in a parked car, and the car next to you starts moving. Suddenly, you feel like you're in motion too, even though you're not.

So, why do people freak out about Mercury retrogrades? We covered the literal astronomy of it, but astrologically speaking, there are some other implications that tend to make people a little nervous.

For one thing, Mercury governs themes around communication, technology, and travel—so when it's retrograde, those are exactly the areas that tend to get hit the hardest. Think travel delays, miscommunications, accidentally sending an email too soon...things of that nature.

As the AstroTwins previously explained to mindbodygreen, "During [Mercury retrogrades], astrologers advise against buying new computers, electronic devices, appliances, and cars," adding that signing contracts is also tricky during Mercury retrograde, as you can easily miss an important detail.

But according to Pennington, Mercury retrogrades aren't totally a bad thing. In fact, she says, they offer us the perfect opportunity to "go back in time" and make any revisions necessary before moving forward.

Sure, your texts might not send as quickly, or you might get a flat tire on the way to work, but in terms of the big picture, Pennington explains, "It kind of forces the idea that editing, revising, cutting things out, going back to something and reworking it—these things are just part of the process."

If you thought you only had to factor in Mercury retrograde's effects during the retrograde itself, think again. There's a "shadow period" that comes along with Mercury retrogrades in the weeks leading up to it, and the weeks after.

This "shadow" phase starts a few weeks before the actual retrograde and ends a few weeks after, which the AstroTwins describe like "the lingering fumes of a bus or car after it's driven away."

And according to Pennington, the shadow period can also be of use to you, because it can show you what exactly is going to be addressed or revisited during the retrograde period.