The first Mercury retrograde in 2011 will take place in the fire sign of Aries between the dates of March 30th through April 23rd. This is an important phase as Jupiter and Uranus have also transited into the house of Aries. In fact, all of the Mercury retrogrades in 2011 are in fiery signs, which emphasizes energy, enthusiasm and innovation.
Believed by many, this is a time of miscommunication, misinformation, travel glitches and electrical disturbances – a time to avoid making commitments, entering agreements or making significant purchases. The planet Mercury is the ruler of communications and travel, according to popular astrology, and when it appears to travel backwards, it sends all things communicative into chaos.
A planet is considered retrograde when it slows down and appears to be moving backward. This is an optical illusion, since no planet in the universe changes direction. Relative from our point of view on Earth, it appears sometimes that a planet will stop and go backwards called the retrograde motion, and then stop again and go forward. Much like speeding by a slow moving train, it appears to travel backwards as it recedes. Of course, the planet is not really travelling backwards.
Mercury Retrograde is rapidly becoming the most misunderstood astrological phenomenon and has joined the ranks of other such timeless superstitions, such as stepping on cracks and breaking mirrors. Instead of taking responsibility for errors in communication, bad choices or lack of planning, many people now blame Mercury retrograde for their personal upsets, which is quite dis-empowering. “This kind of thinking takes astrology back 100 years, when the planets were seen as evil forces that bore ominous warnings,” says world renowned astrologer, Mark Husson.
It’s important to realize the power of self-fulfilling prophecy when using astrology as a tool to guide our lives. If, for example, we believe that bad things will happen in our lives during Mercury retrograde, then they probably will, but not because there is a slowing of the planet, but because our subconscious mind has made it so.
It is true that during Mercury retrograde the planet does slow down. Let this serve us as a reminder to do the same and to use this time for contemplation, choosing our words wisely and considering all angles before making commitments and decisions. Let’s choose to spend this next Mercury retrograde to clearly express ourselves, communicate our desires and expect only the best, paying special attention to our fiery qualities: energy, enthusiasm and innovation!
Make it a great retrograde,
Charlene
