The First Mercury Retro in 2011

Mercury moving in front of the sun

On March 30, at 4:48 PM EDT, Mercury turns retrograde for the first time in 2011. This retrograde occurs in fire sign Aries and it lasts until April 23.

Mercury is the planet that governs communication, travel, contracts and sales, commerce, and transportation. These areas are the most heavily impacted. The last retro was December 10-30, 2010. That one impacted airline travel in a major way when snowstorms grounded thousands of flights and stranded tens of thousands of passengers.

If you’re traveling, your itinerary may change suddenly and unexpectedly, your luggage may take a detour to China, and you may not make that 10 AM appointment in Manhattan. It’s best to regard the trip as an adventure and remain as flexible and even-tempered as possible.

It’s wise not to sign contracts during this period – unless you don’t mind revisiting the contract at a future date. Some years ago, we signed a two-year contract during a Mercury retro and for the entire two years of the contract, we encountered one snafu after another – delayed checks, new editors, changes in the original contract.

During the 2000 presidential election, Al Gore had been announced the winner when Mercury, which had been retrograde, went direct. About 30 minutes later, Tom Brokaw said the announcement had been premature, there  was some sort of problem in Florida. And we all know what happened after that. It went straight to the Supreme Court.

Before the retro begins, be sure to back up your computer data on a flash drive or external hard drive or both! Computer crashes are common, but usually more common when Mercury turns retro in Gemini or Virgo, the signs it rules.  Appliances often go haywire. During one retro, we had to purchase a new clothes dryer and water heater. In the end, the installation of the water heater cost more than the heater itself – then failed city inspection because it had been installed incorrectly. The company that installed it had to do so again.

The best way to navigate your way through a Mercury retro is by following the three Rs: revise, rethink, reconsider. Try not to start anything new. Don’t start a blog or publish a website during this period.

Some good things do happen – old friends resurface (but so do former lovers and spouses!) and you have a chance to tackle issues you’ve buried.

 

 

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16 Responses to The First Mercury Retro in 2011

  1. LoveAbbeyRoad says:

    Hmmm… now I understand why our computer systems were completely out of whack all day yesterday. A cruel April Fool’s Day prank. Mercury’s a brat!

  2. Natalie says:

    I have had some lovely old friends resurface in the last 3 days. 🙂
    Also having computer and phone probs today. :/

    Communication? Let’s not even go there. BLERGH.

  3. Hey Cuz, I already have my ‘Shalimar Light’ within reach!! Now if there were just someone interesting to wander closeby and get a drift of its delicious fragrance! Yep….gotta be the hubby…..ah well. What can I say? Anybody notice old Merc turns direct on the 23rd? There’s the 23 again! Shall we all gather together tomorrow and find some place to hide til then? Guess it’ll be here in MU!!

    • friend of nica says:

      cj – the shalimar trail cannot help but lead wanderers through the dark and into the light!

      and dare we even think of merc direct on the 23! on that one, i already hear my big ole bed calling my name for the day – with a stack of good books!

  4. friend of nica says:

    oh, yeah! and it always seems to begin early for me – now, what i’ve done to anger the retro gods i know not – but last time, it began early and went late – this time, last tuesday i mailed an envelope by priority mail to a place that i can drive in 24 hours – the priority envelope did not arrive until the 7th day! i’ve been trying for 2 days now to do a simple blogging task – adding an audio bar – however, no matter what instructions etc, still unable to get it to work – now, if i could just spend the next 3 weeks or so without anything electrical, without travel, without communications, without…..

    oh, but resurfacing lovers??? hmmmm…….now, where’s my parfum!!!

    • rob and trish says:

      get out that parfum!!

      • friend of nica says:

        you’re right, trish – i’m all splashed now – and i hear the soft strains of a violin –

        v – shall we dance? again?

        • rob and trish says:

          Just as Mercury Retrograde sets in NASA has released photos of the planet’s surface taken by the Messenger spacecraft. The aptly named vessel found a heavily pock-marked planet with numerous secondary craters created by the debris kicked up by the cosmic collisions. Some of the secondary craters are as wide as 15 miles. Mercury sent back 224 photos on its first day of transmission.
          Reply

  5. Oh dear. Am scheduled for two surgeries during this time frame, and cannot change the surgery dates. One is next Tuesday, April 5. Second is Tuesday, April 19. Surely hope no “re-do” will be involved! During the last Merc Retro our vehicles went berserk and it seemed everything electrical and/or mechanical we own that has pumps of any kind went kaput. I like the idea of old friends returning, though, and even old lovers. That would be nice. (Maybe………….)

  6. karena says:

    Thanks for the heads up on this. I think it might already be creating havoc for me…washing machine, computer are acting up.

  7. Nancy says:

    Oh no! We were in Hawaii for the holidays the last retro and had one issue after another – especially with health. I think I will just stay home for the next 23 days.

  8. Thanks for the info, good to be pre-warned. Wouldn’t mind if a few old friends resurface (though maybe not the loving kind!)

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