Snaufus from Mercury’s Retrograde

Sometimes when I mention Mercury retrograde – and describe its effects – I get odd looks that scream, Yeah, sure. So here are some examples of the kinds of snafus the trickster planet has stirred up. Unfortunately, we’ve experienced most of them when we didn’t follow the advice for these retrogrades:

– Don’t start anything new. Instead, revise, reconsider, review.

– Don’t sign a contract.

Don’t submit anything – ideas, products, a manuscript or screenplay, a query or synopsis.

Don’t buy a car or anything else with moving parts – including computers and electronics.

Don’t make irrevocable decisions.

Don’t have surgery.

Don’t take anything for granted – appointments, guarantees. Communicate clearly.

Don’t make travel plans during a retrograde unless you don’t mind changing the plans later.

If you travel somewhere during a Mercury retrograde, it’s likely that you’ll return to that place.

Old friends show up.

Here are some examples.

A friend told me her husband was due to have cataract surgery. When she told me the date – during a retrograde – I advised her against it. “If he has the surgery then, he may have to have it redone.” But his date was set and he didn’t want to change it. Sure enough, something got botched and the surgery had to be redone.

When Rob and I were writing the Sydney Omarr series of astrology books, I signed a contract during a Mercury retrograde – a big no-no since Mercury rules contracts. Sure enough, everything that could go wrong, did go wrong for the year that contract was in effect. The project started with one editor, then she was replaced with another and by the end of the contract, we were on our third editor. Payments got screwed up. Galleys were filled with errors.

We once bought a used car during a Mercury retrograde. One of the Do Nots for these retros is not to buy anything with moving parts – a car, computer, a merry-go-round! You get the idea. This car was a disaster right from the beginning, a lemon with multiple mechanical problems. I sometimes felt like I was driving Christine, you know, from the Stephen King book by the same name. It seemed to have a consciousness all its own. We got rid of it less than a year later.

Recently, a friend’s dog – Abby, an American bulldog- was limping and Lloyd took her to the vet. Turned out she had an ACL tear and surgery was recommended to repair it. The surgery was scheduled a week or so before the retrograde but was postponed when several of the vets were out with Covid. It was rescheduled for the day before Mercury turned retro. That made me uneasy. But later that day, Lloyd texted and said she’d come through the surgery fine. Then, the next day, with Mercury now retro, Lloyd texted to say the surgeon had operated on the wrong leg.

Our daughter, Megan, is buying a house and it’s supposed to close during this current Mercury retro. The woman who owned the house where she was living was unwilling to extend her contracts by two weeks so she could move directly into the new place when she closed. Instead, we moved her out of her place the weekend Mercury turned retro and she’ll be staying with us. The move was a nightmare. Now we’re in a Mercury retro holding pattern, waiting to find out if her loan has been approved.

Some years ago, Phyllis Vega, my co-author for Power Tarot, and I attended a book festival in northern Florida where our book was going to be featured. Mercury was retrograde. Shortly after we checked into our room, a bee stung Phyllis on the hand and we knew it meant we were going to get stung. Sure enough, copies of our book hadn’t arrived and never showed up during the entire book festival. It meant no signings, no PR, no sales.
Mercury is a trickster even under the best conditions. But when it’s retro, the trickster has a blast and delights in messing up things that should otherwise be simple and straightforward.

Don’t take my word for it, though. If you’re skeptical, test it on your own. The next Mercury retro beings on May 10 7:47 a.m.ET and 4:47 a.m PT. It ends on June 3 at 4 a.m. EST and 1 a.m. PT. Let me know how your little experiment unfolds!