In the first of three articles in this series, we discussed the cosmic "trickster" known as Mercury retrograde and the problems that you may experience when the planet Mercury goes retrograde during the next three weeks, from July 14 to August 8. In this second blog, we talk about how to benefit during the time Mercury is retrograde. Blog three discusses the aftermath when the Mercury retrograde period ends. We'll chronicle all the public figures who were casualties of "Mercury retrograde" because they did not head the cautionary advice in this column!
To use Mercury retrograde to your benefit you must first understand Mercury's influence on you. Mercury rules your intelligence, mind, memory and all types of communication, ranging from talking and texting to writing. It also rules your self-expression and communication style. In a more public sense it rules commerce, computers telephones, transportation and air travel. How Mercury functions in your birth chart tells a lot about how you formulate ideas and how you share them. It indicates how you make sense of the everyday world you live in. Your faculties are not functioning well during these three weeks we call "Mercury retrograde."
When Mercury goes retrograde, three to four times a year, communications of all types can go haywire! During these three weeks, under this planetary influence, you may experience misunderstandings and communication failures like you've never seen. This may also be a time when you may experience computer crashes, mechanical breakdowns, merchandise you ordered getting lost, buying a car that is a "lemon," countless cancellations, delays in air and car travel, at-work negotiations break down, projects fail, and clients change their mind.
The problem is that during the time that Mercury is in retrograde, people's mental faculties "go on vacation." Information may be misunderstood, confused or unclear in some way. And it all leads to a high level of misunderstanding and communication failure that is way beyond the normal!
You may be asking: "What is the purpose of Mercury retrograde?" Well, sometimes, in order to move forward you need to move backward. This gives you the opportunity to rethink your actions and even "fix what might be broken." By doing this, when you do move forward, you will produce even better results.
These three weeks are meant to be a contemplative period where you review past ideas and insights you have had, activities you've been involved with, projects that you are working on, communications with others and all the decisions you plan to make. Take time to reflect on each of these areas. Ask yourself: "Have I missed something?" This is an excellent time to review, research, revise, reevaluate and reconsider all your plans so you can make more successful decisions when Mercury goes direct on August 8.
Take These Precautions
With these problems in mind, you can make the Mercury retrograde period work out more positively by taking these precautions.
1. Agreements. Avoid entering into any agreements or signing any legal documents. Whatever you put into writing may require serious revision when Mercury goes direct. There is something in the details that you may miss. And, there may be something you don't know that you will ONLY know when Mercury goes direct. I had a friend who got married during the Mercury retrograde; three weeks later her new husband decided to tell her about the two children he had out of wedlock.
2.Closing the Sale. If you are "selling" your ideas or your company's products, avoid trying to "close the sale" during Mercury retrograde because you may be "stalled" with excuses and delays. If you get the order, the customer may cancel it or change his mind.
3.New Projects. Avoid launching new projects or making that "big presentation." People may either not understand it or oppose it. If it's adopted it may either fail or have to be totally restructured at a later date to succeed.
4.Meetings. Avoid scheduling meetings and events during Mercury retrograde, because you are more likely to experience confusion, mistakes and cancellations. I once had a client whose business was "offering public seminars." He had a ridiculously-high number of cancellations and "no shows" for his seminars during the four times a year of Mercury retrograde. I told him to stop booking his seminars during those dates. That advice solved his problem.
5.Traveling. Allow extra time when traveling; make sure your bags are very secure. Take extra precautions because during this time they may be more likely to be lost or stolen. Re-confirm your reservations, appointments and addresses for your meetings as delays and cancellations can be expected.
6.Computers. Regarding computer equipment, back up your hard drive and install new software prior to Mercury retrograde, not during.
7.Autos. Do any needed repairs on equipment on your car or any machinery before the retrograde.
Here Are Some Positive Things to Do:
•Projects. Wrap up or complete projects that have already started but make sure to do more research on all areas that you "were sure" would make your plan successful. Have all details double-checked. On a personal level, this is a great time to "finish up" anything that you started, whether it's cleaning out your clothes closet, painting the garage or finishing the basement remodeling job you started six months ago.
•Meetings. Start your meetings by saying to the attendees: "This meeting is not for making any decisions, only to share ideas and exchange information." Set the date for decisions when Mercury goes direct on August 8.
•Sales. If you are in sales, this may be a great time to contact old sales leads; you may find that they are now ready to do business. After all, these are "prospects" that you pursued during a more positive time when Mercury was direct. In fact, you may get a phone call from an old prospect who previously said "no" and now wants to be a customer.
•Decisions. Stall, delay, but hold up on making any decisions until the time Mercury goes direct. You may find out something that you "didn't know" when Mercury goes direct. I went to buy a very expensive suit during the retrograde, but didn't. As I walked out the store, a salesman on a "smoke break," whispered to me: "That was lucky that you didn't buy that suit because it will be on 50 percent sale next week" (i.e., the day that Mercury went direct).
Best advice: Wait until Mercury goes direct to make your most important decisions, because that will be the time that clearer communication returns and you can trust that the information you receive to be accurate and reliable. But for now, if you heed this advice you may experience more positive results during this "haywire" period known as Mercury retrograde.
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