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Unless you have been living under a rock, you surely are no stranger to the term “Mercury Retrograde”. But why is it a buzzword today?

How do planets in retrograde impact us?

Unless you have been living under a rock, you surely are no stranger to the term “Mercury Retrograde”. But why is it a buzzword today?

When 26-year-old Maitrei, a resident of Gurugram, woke up on her birthday this year in April, she encountered a nightmare no one would wish upon their worst enemies in 2023. A nurse by day and tarot reader by night, Maiteri’s phone had crashed, which meant she could not receive calls, messages, or access any of the social media shoutouts she was being showered with on her most-awaited day of the year. “I knew it was because Mercury was in retrograde for the second time this year. I was expecting this, and I dread Mercury Retrogrades as they are always so chaotic,” she says. What Maitrei mentions is a buzzword that has evaded very few on the Internet—regardless of one’s interest in astrology—especially in the pandemic years when everyone was living on their screens.

The term “Mercury Retrograde” refers to a phenomenon in which the planet appears to go backwards in its orbit three or four times a year. In astrology, Mercury reigns over intellect and communication and, as a result, believers of the occurrence usually preempt widespread communication setbacks during these phases that last between two to three weeks each time. “Think delayed flights, bouncing emails, or even failed monetary transactions,” says Maitrei.

And even if the millennials and Gen-Zs have only just woken up to this seemingly mysterious phenomenon, it has, of course, existed forever. However, one can trace its provenance in pop culture back to the 1980s, when in the United States, an uptick in the mentions of Mercury Retrogrades coincides with the development of computers in the country, especially with the emergence of an American publication named Mercury Hour, a print newsletter founded by astrologer Edith Custer in 1974. It asked readers to write in with their tribulations, to which Custer would respond with astrological remedies. These exchanges would then go on to be published unedited on the newsletter, where frequently, and rather casually, the term “Mercury Retrograde” would be featured, almost like a precursor to social media forums and Reddit threads of today. Interestingly, a revival of the same in prevailing times can perhaps be attributed to technology and its rapid evolution itself. “It’s funny how Mercury, the ruler of communication—so, by extension, technology as well—has somehow benefited the most culturally through the progress of technology itself. This is because Mercury Retrograde, which disrupts technology and communication channels, was and continues to be the most well known and notorious of all retrogrades. And yes, all planets retrograde,” Maitrei says.

The term “Mercury Retrograde” refers to a phenomenon in which the planet appears to go backwards in its orbit three or four times a year. Representative image: Unsplash

The term “Mercury Retrograde” refers to a phenomenon in which the planet appears to go backwards in its orbit three or four times a year. Representative image: Unsplash

A revival of the term

A revival of the term "Mercury Retrograde" in prevailing times can perhaps be attributed to technology and its rapid evolution itself. Image: Unsplash

What a planet in retrograde means in astrology

Currently, we are in the midst of a Venus Retrograde that kicked off last month on 23 July, and is set to last till 3 September. Venus is the planet ruling love, relationships, beauty and money and thereby, while in retrograde, urges us to take a moment and reflect on what may or may not be working in those areas of our lives. On the other hand, another Mercury Retrograde has commenced on 23 August, and will conclude on 15 September.

When a planet begins to retrograde, its powers dim, which, in turn, compels us to introspect and review the aspects of our lives these celestial bodies impact. It is a time when inconsistencies and unhealthy practices are said to be brought to the fore, highlighting the need for improvement in oft-neglected zones.

“Planets in retrograde are always making a buzz because decoding their results takes a long time and a certain amount of expertise, which very few people have,” says astrologer Aashish Raj. According to Raj, it’s the unusual results they produce every single time, even within the same year, which makes them so fascinating to astrology enthusiasts and the common folk alike. “You see, it’s essentially the difference in the speeds of rotation and revolutions of planets that makes them retrograde, or seem like they are moving backward when they are not,” he points out, referring to the visual illusion that throws much into disarray. “For example, the Earth takes one earth year to complete a revolution around the sun, but Saturn takes 30 earth years to do the same. Every planet, therefore, goes into at least one retrograde each year, barring Mars and Venus, which retrograde once every two years and once every 18 months, respectively,” he says.

When a planet begins to retrograde, its powers dim, which, in turn, compels us to introspect and review the aspects of our lives these celestial bodies impact. Image: Unsplash

When a planet begins to retrograde, its powers dim, which, in turn, compels us to introspect and review the aspects of our lives these celestial bodies impact. Image: Unsplash

On the other hand, the sun and moon, which are considered “luminaries,” never retrograde, whereas the North and South Lunar Nodes (Rahu and Ketu respectively) are always in retrograde.

The reason behind this, as Kochi-based astrology student Ishita Ray explains, is because “the concept of retrogrades is with respect to the sun, which is why the sun and moon—which are not considered planets—never go into retrograde,” she says. “The Lunar North and South Nodes meanwhile, are shadows, or astronomically the actual geographical points where the moon enters its ecliptic hemispheres,” with the north being the ascending node, and the south being the descending node. The lunar nodes change positions every 18 months.

The individual and collective impact of retrogrades

Planets in retrograde aren’t just weapons of mass contemplation, but affect people on an individual level too. According to Ray, it largely depends on the person’s natal chart. “For individuals, it’s mostly based on the house into which the retrograding planet transits in their charts. Houses represent various aspects of a person’s life. So, for example, if Venus is retrograding through someone’s Seventh House—which is the house for relationships—then they need to reflect on that aspect, and even more so with a Venus Retrograde, because Venus affects relationships too,” she says.

Venus in retrograde urges people to introspect on their relationships. Image: Unsplash

Venus in retrograde urges people to introspect on their relationships. Image: Unsplash

Planets in retrograde aren’t just weapons of mass contemplation, but affect people on an individual level too. Image: Unsplash

Planets in retrograde aren’t just weapons of mass contemplation, but affect people on an individual level too. Image: Unsplash

However, on a collective scale, the repercussions are more generic and are hinged to the signs a planet retrogrades through. So now that Saturn has been stationed in Pisces since 7 March 2023, subsequently having entered a retrograde on 17 June that will last till 4 November, one can expect the disciplinarian planet floating through the dreamy zodiac to stir up some conflicting emotions like never before. “Saturn is a strict guy and can swing either way. Its effect can either be very rewarding or very debilitating, depending on how you mine its energies personally, because it’s the planet of karma or justice. It affects areas of work, achievements, growth and values. Pisces, on the other hand, is a sign that likes the slow life. It’s elusive and can often be quite non-committal, so Saturn is out of its element when in Pisces, making it an uncomfortable spot for it to be in,” says Maitrei. So what happens when such incompatible entities are, in fact, weathering a retrograde together? “There’s a lot of confusion, feelings of uncertainty and just generally a sense of disquiet when Saturn is retrograde in Pisces. Expect things to calm down a little once that phase ends,” she says.

While the planets go about performing their astrological duties, forcing us to pull the brakes on different parts of our lives every now and then, maybe it’s never a bad idea to slow down and take it easy once in a while—whether or not one believes in the stars.

Retrograde calendar for 2023

Mercury (Rules day-to-day expressions, technology, contracts, relationships):

- Retrograde in Capricorn: 29 December 2022 - 18 January 2023

- Retrograde in Taurus: 21 April 2023 - 14 May 2023

- Retrograde in Virgo: 23 August 2023 - 15 September 2023

- Retrograde in Capricorn: 13 December 2023 - 1 January 2024

Venus (Rules love, sex, beauty, money): 22 July 2023 - 3 September 2023

Mars (Rules movement, energy, passion, action): 3 September 2022 - 12 January 2023

Jupiter (Rules growth, fortune): 4 September 2023 - 3 December 2023

Saturn (Rules karma, discipline, career, justice, ethics): 17 June 2023 - 4 November 2023

Uranus (Rules sudden changes, belief systems): 28 August 2023 - 27 January 2024

Neptune (Rules ideals, intuition, spirituality): 30 June 2023 - 6 December 2023

Pluto (Rules reinvention, transformation, taboos, the subconscious): 1 May 2023 - 11 October 2023

Also Read: Here’s how the upcoming Venus retrograde might affect you

Also Read: Here’s what the stars have in store for you in August

Also Read: Here’s what the stars have in store for you in July

Arshia Dhar profile imageArshia Dhar
Arshia Dhar is a writer-editor whose work lies at the intersection of art, culture, politics, gender and environment. She currently heads the print magazine at The Hollywood Reporter India, and has worked at The Established, Architectural Digest, Firstpost, Outlook and NDTV in the past.

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