What is Mercury retrograde?
Mercury retrograde is said to occur when the planet when appears to be moving backwards in the heavens in relation to its regular movement. Of course, the retrograde motion is apparent and not real in that it only appears to be slowing down in its orbit and moving backwards relative to our perspective here on Earth. A physical explanation for this can be found here.
In astrology the retrograde motion of a planet is considered an accidental affliction and is said to bring out the more negative characteristics of the planet making them a little more ornery than usual. Since Mercury is a general significator of communication, its retrograde motion is generally associated with letters going missing, phones breaking, laptops blue screening and a host of communication breakdowns and misunderstandings. These effects are so commonly known that they have entered popular consciousness and it is not uncommon to see newspaper articles on the subject.
Does it affect everyone?
From the perspective of traditional astrology, the movement of the heavens have real effects on the world. “As above, so below, as within, so without, as the universe, so the soul,” as Hermes Trismegistus tells is in the Emerald Tablet. It is this interconnectedness between all things that allows us to use astrology and other oracles to make predictions about the future.
However, given that the conditions below may be different to the conditions below where I am, a better question might be whether Mercury retrograde affects everyone equally every time it happens. Given that all iphones everywhere don’t spontaneously combust every time there is a Mercury retrograde causing a worldwide epidemic of social media withdrawal rioting, there must be something else that we need to consider.
In an astrological sense, the condition of the celestial bodies has to be read in relation to an individual’s nativity. Unless Mercury takes on some prominence during a particular time period (i.e., it is a Time Lord), it’s unlikely that a retrograde Mercury alone will have much of an effect. You may notice some of the negative effects if Mercury is Lord of the Year, or is the bound ruler of your Ascendant, or has some prominence in the annual Solar Return, and this may only really be the case if Mercury is afflicted in your nativity.
If you are reading this, the chances are that you are one of the unfortunate ones who is negatively impacted by Mercury retrograde or at least suspect its influence in your life. If so, you may want to look at your nativity and determine which houses Mercury rules, and the house that it is in, to judge the areas of your life that are likely to be affected. You may also wish to look back over your history to determine the nature of the effects of previous Mercury retrograde periods.
How long does it last?
The good news is that Mercury retrograde periods are relatively short. For example, the current retrograde period lasts from 26 July to 19 August, however it is not uncommon to begin to feel the effects a couple of weeks on either side while Mercury is in its shadow period and is still slow in motion.
Is there a cure?
We find remedial measures to turn away the negative impact of the planets more commonly in Vedic astrology. This is less so the case in Traditional Western astrological magic where the emphasis is on utilising the universal signification of the planets to cause desired change. To illustrate this difference, let’s take Mercury as the ruler of your second house which rules your wealth.
In Vedic astrology, if we wanted to increase our wealth, we might pray to Budha (the navgraha deity associated with Mercury) directly or wear one of his gems, particularly if he has some essential strength, when he is planetary ruler of the time period (according to whatever dasha system we are using). In Traditional Western astrology, if we were poor and wanted to increase our prosperity, we would most commonly create a talisman of Jupiter as he has universal signification over wealth. As such, we’ll consider some of the Vedic remedies to pacify a planet and determine how we might go about using these to negate the unpleasant effects of a Mercury retrograde
Petitions. We can petition Mercury directly. In the Vedic tradition, one might recite a Budha mantra during a Mercury hour. You may wish to recite some prayers according to your own tradition to an appropriate Mercurial figure, e.g., Hermes, Raphael, etc.
Pacification. In the Vedic tradition there are ritual called Budha dosha nivarna pujas which aim to pacify Mercury in which the God is invoked, visualised, and offerings are made in a fire ritual. It is possible to adapt this format using a Mercurial deity you are familiar with and offer him or her things consonant with his or her nature and mythology.
Gemstones. Wearing gemstones is a pretty common remedial measure in Vedic astrology, but it’s not a good idea unless Mercury is in good condition in your nativity. In Jyotish, a gemstone woukd only be worn if the planet was strong and the ruler of a fortunate house such as the ascendant, 5th or 9th houses. Some care needs to be taken as gems can intensify the malefic as well as the benefic effects, and a Mercury retrograde period is not a good time to experiment with gem therapy unless you know what you are doing.
Sacrifice. Called daan in the Vedic tradition, this involves dedicating some time aside to engage in acts pleasing to Mercury. A good example is to set time aside every day or week to read or to study during a Mercury hour. Another option involves giving Mercurial things to Mercurial types of people, e.g., books or stationery to school children.
Some other remedial measures from a more traditional Western perspective might involve asking for aid from Mercurial spirits, however it is generally not wise to evoke them when Mercury is afflicted unless you already have a relationship with them. The Picatrix tells us that petitions made to retrograde planets may be rejected. We might also carry a talisman of Mercury, but this would need to be made beforehand when Mercury is strongly dignified. It may also be worth identifying and dealing with negative character traits that are unleashed or magnified when Mercury is retrograde through autosuggestion or other means such as those described in Franz Bardon’s Initiation into Hermetics.
Can I completely negate its negative influence?
I believe it is possible to arrive at a state of being where one is free of the influence of the planets on one’s mind through intense meditation and introspection, but one is never truly free of karma while one is in physical form – Sri Rama, although he was a god, was still banished from his kingdom and faced exile; Jesus, although the Son of God, suffered on the cross; and even the Aesier and Vanir have to face death during Ragnarok.
In the Hermetic view, before you were born and while you were in the presence of your daimon, you chose the fate that you would experience when you were incarnate. The best attitude may therefore be to face your fate head on with courage. Until then the earlier steps may suffice.