mercury in retrograde explained

here are your questions explained...

what is Mercury in retrograde? 

it's an illusion, retrograde is the apparent change of movement. in this case, Mercury moving in the opposite direction of Earth around the sun. however, Mercury in reality is just moving slower than us, and therefore it seems like it's moving backwards.

how long does it last?

this event happens 3-4 times a year for approx 23-24 days. this time lasting from March 22 to April 15th in fire-sign Aries.

what does it mean?

Mercury governs communication, travel, and learning. 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. When a planet retrogrades, astrologically it is in a resting or sleeping state. Therefore, while Mercury naps, the activities that it governs don’t have the benefit of a well-functioning, wide-awake planet to supervise them.

is it all bad?

NOPE! Mercury retrograde periods can be times of heightened inner awareness, when meditation, benefiting from keeping a journal, reworking old plans, and reviewing past work are favored. 

However, when a planet stations, its energies are very strong in our lives. When Mercury stations, communications have more impact, so that negative ones could have long-term implications at this time. Be careful with your words, both spoken and written.

what about Aries?

this references where Mercury goes into retrograde. According to Astrology zone, fire signs in Mercury retrograde, 'tells us we need to apply completely new, visionary, and innovative solutions to the problem that comes up. Fire signs are highly creative and also brave and pioneering – don’t be shy about suggesting a very unusual solution. Fire signs also think on a big, broad scale, so you should think that way when attacking the problem, too.'

i believe that the planets, the stars, all impact us in different ways as I truly believe we are derived from them. during retrograde, i would re-visit some projects, ideas, even people in your life that you've lost touch with recently. refrain from 'signing on the dotted line' in terms of accepting a new job, or buying a home, starting a new business, going into surgery. just hold off for a few weeks if possible. but does this mean you should live in a state of total caution for 3 weeks? i don't think so. if someone offers you your dream job during this time: take it. live your life! the fact that your computer shit the bed may have nothing to do with Mercury and more with its age, a crash in GB storage, whatever... but maybe back up your work to a hard drive (or two) these next few weeks.. ya know just incase...