Bernie Ashman's Mercury Retrograde Page

Mercury Retrograde

What is the Mercury retrograde cycle? No planet in reality is really traveling backward. It is the apparent movement from our observation from the earth that makes a planet appear to be moving backward. Mercury does move backward or retrograde through an Astrological sign three times a year.

The meaning of Mercury retrograde is easy to understand if you think in terms of Mercury's symbolism. The winged messenger rules communication and is connected to travel. So we need to be careful with the details if trying to conduct important business negotiations or make major decisions under this cycle. Also, be extra careful in clarifying your travel plans during this planet's retrograde cycles. The length of a Mercury retrograde cycle can vary from 20 to 24 days from start to finish. It can be a great time to follow up on old business. It might even be useful in editing the final details of a presentation or written document. It normally isn't wise to start a brand new project under this cycle as it may require quite a bit of repeating what you have already done. There are times when we have no choice but to move ahead under one of the Mercury retrograde time periods. Be sure to move ahead patiently and consciously! Dot those I's and cross those T's as best as possible to avoid twenty-twenty hindsight embarrassment.

What follows are the dates and starting times (Eastern Standard Time is listed) for future Mercury retrogrades:

1/28/08 at 3:32 PM (EST) --Retrograde
2/18/08 at 9:58 PM (EST)--Direct

5/26/08 at 9:49 AM (EDT) --Retrograde
6/19/08 at 8:32 AM (EDT)--Direct

9/24/08 at 1:18 AM (EDT) --Retrograde
10/15/08 at 2:07 PM (EST) --Direct

1/11/09 at 11:45 AM (EST) --Retrograde
2/1/09 at 1:12 AM (EST)--Direct

5/6/09 at 11:01 PM (EDT) --Retrograde
5/30/09 at 7:23 PM (EDT)--Direct

9/6/09 at 10:46 PM (EDT) --Retrograde
9/29/09 at 7:15 AM (EST) --Direct

Happy Navigating!!