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Get ready to blame all your bad luck on the planets, because the first Mercury retrograde of the year has arrived.
Astrology fans will spot the signs that the first planet from the sun is appearing to move backwards from its orbit.
All sorts of spooky goings on herald the arrival of Mercury being in retrograde, from disrupted commincuations to falling out with friends.
So if you have been having a bit of a shocker recently, here’s all you need to know about Mercury in retrograde.
When is Mercury in retrograde?
If life has been serving out a seemingly disproportionate amount of misforutune recently, then you’ve finally got an excuse for your bad luck because Mercury is in retrograde as we speak.
The first retrograde of 2020 started on February 16 and is set to last until March 9.
But we’ve got a little while until the next time, with the next event lasting from June 18 toJuly 12 and the last of the year between October 13 and November 13.
What does Mercury in retrograde mean?
If you are unfamiliar with astro-terminology, Mercury in retrograde (or more correctly, Mercury retrograde) means the planet Mercury appears to stop and move backwards from its orbit.
But the phenomenon is merely an optical illusion, similar to thinking that a stationary train is moving backwards or forwards.
It happens three of four times a year, and lasts for a few days each time.
What effects does Mercury being in retrograde have?
Any time you experience a tiny bit of bad luck from now until early March, you can blame Mercury retrograde for your woes.
In mythology, Mercury is the messenger and therefore one of the main effects of Mercury being in retrograde is messages getting lost in translation.
This ranges through the entire gamut of misscommunication, from people computers short-circuiting or forgetting arrangements, while other symptoms could include things from your past returning and relationship issues.
Experts reckon it’s best to avoid making plans or commitments at this time of year, but they do also say it’s a good time to indulge in a spot of self-reflection.
Other things that happen while Mercury is in retrograde include falling out with friends and loved ones, disrupted travel, getting lost, emails and letters going missing and just a general misfortune befalling you.
