Beliefs. In astrology, should we believe in the phenomenon “Mercury retrograde”?

You’ve lost your keys, your laptop isn’t working very well, you’ve missed the bus, you’ve had misunderstandings at home and at the office…. In short, nothing is right. The culprit may be in the stars. It is the planet Mercury which has been retrograding since Wednesday: an astrological phenomenon which occurs three times a year, to which astrologers attribute some upheavals in our daily lives, particularly in our relationships with others. Sophie Ravier, astrologer at the head ofAstro Mama Clubhelps us to see more clearly on this phenomenon.

The retrogradation of a planet, what is it?

All the planets of our solar system are concerned: from the point of view of the Earth, they seem, at the same given moment of their race, to retrograde. That is to say, we have the impression that they reverse their usual movement to move back. “This retrogradation of the planets is an optical illusion seen from our Earth”, underlines the astrologer Sophie Ravier.

“Because of the relative velocities between the two planets around the Sun, from time to time Mercury appears to ‘retreat’ across the sky. It’s an optical effect, due to the geometry of the orbits, but physically nothing special happens. From a scientific point of view, it is not topical,” explains Johan Richard, astronomer at the Lyon observatory, interviewed by Numerama about the retrogradation of Mercury which, due to its location near the Sun and its speed, occurs three times a year.

The ideal scapegoat?

If this optical effect therefore has no consequences on the scientific level, it does however cause a lot of ink to flow in astrology. According to the analyzes of certain astrologers, relayed by our colleagues in the women’s press and social networks, Mercury in retrograde would be a period conducive to great annoyances and upheavals: nothing works anymore, we no longer manage to communicate fluidly. , electronic devices will break down… You should also avoid embarking on new projects or signing important contracts, otherwise everything will be ruined by this astrological bad luck.

“Astrology is booming again, it’s a topic that’s coming back into fashion and a lot of astrologers, especially budding ones, are talking about Mercury retrograde because it’s something you can observe quite easily. Indeed, it can be felt more strongly than that of other planets because it affects daily life. It is one of the retrogrades which is the easiest to explain because it has a very concrete impact”, analyzes the astrologer who recalls that Mercury is so named since the Roman messenger god, making it the planet of communication. . “Mercury in our sky corresponds to how we create links, how we exchange. »

So, do we really have to put everything on hold until the planet resumes its course in its usual direction? “From my point of view, what you have to understand is that it’s an optical illusion that happens three times a year and lasts three weeks each time. Not moving forward on any project during Mercury retrogrades can make life very complicated given the regularity of the phenomenon! “, relativizes Sophie Ravier.

Stop autopilot

The astrologer prefers to take a more positive view of this phenomenon. Rather than providing excuses to justify our daily hassles and misunderstandings, she argues that astrology serves “to make us think” and invites us to take advantage of this period to look in more detail at how we function on a daily basis.

“When things get stuck, you don’t just have to put up with them, you have to ask yourself why it gets stuck. Mercury retrogrades are actually not going to work well if people are doing business as usual. Precisely, let’s stop doing things without asking questions. Mercury retrograde isn’t something to be endured: it’s an opportunity to seize to be even smarter and more creative. You have to understand that when a planet retrogrades, you have to take time. Everything must be done with “re”: we must reconsider, rethink, rewrite, revise… We are asked to stop being on automatic pilot mode and observe a little more, think a little about everything we do automatically, how we communicate, how we set things up…”

So what about the famous files, contracts and other deadlines supposedly threatened by this Mercury retrograde? Sophie Ravier recognizes that this is a time when we suddenly have less clear ideas. She therefore recommends avoiding committing to completely new ideas during this period. Deciding to sell your house during Mercury’s retrograde is therefore not advisable because you may well have changed your mind at the end of the retrograde. “We have to wait to see if this idea really makes sense. On the other hand, if it is a project initiated before, there is no problem”, concludes the astrologer.

Finally, slowing down a bit, taking a step back and giving yourself more time to think does not seem so complicated.