News / Astrology

Mercury Retrogrades in 2016 all feature the earth signs (Capricorn, Taurus and Virgo). That makes it a year of refining how we go about turning dreams into concrete, lived day-to-day reality.

Mercury is retrograde approximately three times a year for approximately three weeks each time. As such, retrograde Mercury is a fairly common occurrence (Mercury is retrograde approximately 18% of the time). The shadow period is different than Mercury's storm period in astrology, which refers to the period when Mercury is moving especially slowly.

As the planet of communication, Mercury retrograde tends to breed a certain level of confusion. Mercury rules our "lower" mind - how we perceive and interpret information that we receive from our environment, and how we relay that information to others. Mercury has rulership over such things as speaking, negotiating, buying and selling, listening, formal contracts, documents, travel, the mail and shipping, and so forth. All of these areas of life are affected when Mercury is functioning in a sluggish state.

Decision-making is challenged during Mercury retrograde. Needless to say, it is not advised to sign contracts, engage in important decision-making, or launch a new business. Delays and challenges are more probable with Mercury retrograde. It's a time when being careless with money, our personal information, or paperwork can be costly.

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