10 Tips for Surviving Mercury In Retrograde

Ever have a week when everything goes horribly awry? The office computer network mysteriously crashes just as you put the final flourish on a Powerpoint, your reliable friend spaces out on plans, and the train shows up 20 minutes late. Chances are, you're smack in the middle of Mercury retrograde.

Three or four times a year, Mercury passes the earth in its orbit. From a space-geek's telescope, this creates the illusion that Mercury is spinning backward. It also begins to march in reverse during its astrological transit, backing up instead of progressing through a zodiac sign. As a result, everything under Mercury’s jurisdiction goes “backward,” too, which can translate into utter cosmic chaos here on earth. Mercury rules communication, travel, and technology, so all of these areas can go haywire for about three weeks. Here are 10 tips for surviving this cycle.

1. Back up your data.
Note to all 21st-century dwellers: Mercury retrograde can crash electronic equipment. Back up your computer, calendar and cell phone address book. If you haven’t done it before Mercury went retrograde, do it now.

2. Expect travel delays.
Mercury retrograde is notorious for causing travel SNAFUs. Flights are delayed or cancelled. You leave your passport in Prague or Ubud…only to discover this while attempting to check in at the airport. So pack well and safely. Stock your Kindle, bring a snack to the airport, and check that flight tracker. Road trippers should bring a spare tire or spring for that extra insurance.

3. Confirm plans.
Even the most reliable friend can turn into a flake during Mercury retrograde. Or, she shows up at 8:00 instead of 7:00…at the wrong restaurant. Confirm and triple-confirm.

4. Focus on the prefix re-
…which means to go backward. Review all your contracts before you sign. Renew your commitments or vows, rather than making new ones. Mercury retrograde is a great opportunity to handle unfinished business. Most of us start a million things that we don’t complete, never realizing how much psychic clutter this creates. The retrograde is like a quarterly review, a chance to tie up those loose ends and create a clear vision for the future. Take advantage of it, and you’ll emerge fresh and ready when Mercury goes direct.

5. Press repeat.
Misunderstandings abound when messenger Mercury runs amok. Prepare to repeat yourself often, and to speak slowly and deliberately. Delegating? Make sure that the person you address really got the instructions to avoid a comedy of errors.

6. Plan a reunion.
Since Mercury retrograde brings the past back around, it’s a great time to reconnect with your roots. Get in touch with old friends – and don’t be surprised if people from your past track you down out of the blue, or you run into each other “randomly.”

7. Beware the ex factor.
Speaking of people from your past, ex-loves have a habit of creeping back around during Mercury retrograde. You might hear from the most random ex-boyfriends and former flames (even childhood crushes). Proceed with caution, and soon you’ll see if the second time around is better than the first…or more of the same old song.

8. Think before you ink.
Mercury rules contracts, so if possible, delay signing deals—or at least, read everything with extra care. Either wrap up important negotiations before the cycle starts, or wait to sign documents until Mercury goes direct.

9. Reconsider.
Did you throw out the baby with the bathwater? Write someone off? Make a snap decision you now regret? Mercury retrograde is a great time for a do-over.

10. Surrender.
Maybe, just maybe, even retrograde Mercury has its reasons for causing delays or making plans fall through. Maybe the universe has something better in store, and you have to wait to find out. A little patience can do our instant gratification seeking culture good. (For more on this cultural phenom, read Douglas Rushkoff’s Present Shock.) So don’t shoot the messenger—Mercury, that is—before you get the whole story. Hang in there! This, too, shall pass. 

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