So, how are things going lately? Having problems with your computer? Phone calls getting dropped? Redoing things you thought were done?

An astrologer would tell you it’s all because Mercury is in retrograde.

What’s it all about? Well, I’m certainly no expert. In fact, I know very little about astrology. But here’s the way I understand it:

Three or four times a year, the planet Mercury turns “retrograde.” What that means is that the planet (when viewed from Earth) looks as if it has stopped, then temporarily reverses its movement through the sky. When that happens, the planet is said to be in retrograde, i.e, moving backwards. After a certain amount of time, the planet appears to stop again, then finally moves forward (“direct”). (A scientific PS: planets don’t ever really move backwards, nor are they ever stationary. They just seem that way due to the orbital rotation of the earth with relation to the other planets.)

Mercury is named for the Roman god of communications, commerce and everyday routines. See what I’m getting at here? When Mercury is in retrograde, there are those who believe these things that get messed up.

In general, Mercury affects thinking and perception, processing and disseminating information, and all means of communication, commerce, education and transportation. It also affects people working in these areas (including writers). Mercury retrograde can cause personal misunderstandings, disrupted communications, or mixed up negotiations and trade as well as glitches with phones, cars, and computers.

Astrologers say it isn’t smart to make decisions when Mercury is in retrograde. They say you should also avoid signing legal documents and avoid finishing projects that involve communications (too late, my book went to my editor on Saturday!). In addition, allow extra time when you travel and avoid installing new software. On the other hand, Mercury retrograde periods are a good time to do follow-up with projects that have already been started, research a new project, catch up on paperwork, hold meetings.

You won’t need to worry about this for much longer, Mercury goes direct on October 31.

Do I believe it? Well, I have noticed friends complaining about mechanical type problems. One friend’s home phones were dead for eight days. Another had to have workers come back and redo some home maintenance projects. A buddy out in California had her TV blow up last week. I can say from personal experience that it’s probably not a good idea to try to warp a loom during Mercury retrograde (what a mess!). I can also attest to the fact that I tried five times to print out the information to write this blog. I kept getting a “no paper” error even though there was plenty of paper in my printer. Mercury at work? Your guess is as good as mine!