What does Mercury retrograde mean? Mercury retrograde does not mean Mercury is moving backwards.

Have you often heard people talking about Mercury retrograde these days? So what does Mercury retrograde mean? What exactly is Mercury retrograde? Let’s take a look together.

What does Mercury retrograde mean: an astronomical perspective

It’s almost the end of the year, and Mercury’s last retrograde of the year is approaching. From an astronomical perspective, Mercury retrograde does not mean that Mercury is "moving backwards", but is a relative celestial phenomenon. That is, the trajectory and speed of Mercury are in a relative state with the Earth. Mercury retrograde gives us on Earth a visual difference that Mercury is moving backwards, causing us to believe that Mercury is moving retrograde. Additionally, Mercury goes retrograde about three times a year, and in 2016 it went retrograde four times.

Mercury Retrograde: An Astrological Perspective

From the perspective of astrology, Mercury rules the mind, communication, order, transportation, and communication, etc. During Mercury retrograde, the main impact on us is poor communication, travel delays, changes in plans, electronic equipment failures, lost items, omissions in contract details, rekindled old relationships, and so on. The last Mercury retrograde of the year will mainly pass through Capricorn, during which it will conjunct Pluto again. At the same time, during this period, we will also encounter Jupiter sextile Saturn opposition Uranus, Mars conjunct Neptune, and Uranus' direct motion at the end of the year.

Mercury Retrograde Effects

1. During Mercury retrograde, the most important impact is communication. During Mercury retrograde, it is easy for communication costs to increase, leading to misunderstandings, criticisms, concealment, etc.
2. During Mercury retrograde, electronic products are prone to malfunction, so try to avoid purchasing electronic products at this time. In addition, since it is in a period of maintenance, it is recommended to back up important data in a timely manner.
3. During Mercury retrograde, you should pay attention to traffic. When driving, you should follow traffic rules and be safe, because transportation is prone to malfunctions during this time, and airline flights may also be delayed, rescheduled, canceled, etc.
4. During Mercury retrograde, breakups and reunions are common. Some people will remember each other's good points and get back together or reconnect. Others will magnify each other's bad points and break up because they feel they are incompatible or say harsh words in anger.