Mercury Retrograde: Is it all bullshit? Or is IT bullshit?

So Mercury is in retrograde right now until the 5th September. Say what now?

I’m not sure if this is something that you are into or not, but it’s definitely something I have become way more aware of over the past few years. Maybe it’s now trendy like hygge? Or charging your crystals under the full moon? Or burning sage? In any case, it’s always been there and maybe just more popular than before.

So what does it all mean?

Susan Miller tells me “Because Mercury is the planet situated closest to the Sun, its orbit is much shorter than Earth’s. About three or four times a year, Mercury speeds past Earth, and that is when we experience a Mercury retrograde period. If you were in a car and another car passed you, you could tell it was going faster than you. But if it slowed down and you then passed it, it would appear that that car was actually going backward. Then when the other car speeds up and passes you again, it kicks up all of the dust in the road. As Mercury speeds by, it is like a train flying past, creating a powerful, turbulent gust of “wind” in its wake. The turbulence and disruption Mercury creates when it retrogrades can affect what we feel on Earth in our everyday lives.”

While all that goes on up there, shit can get real down here. Mercury rules communication (listening, learning, reading, researching, selling & buying etc) & formal contracts so that kind of stuff can go haywire. It can effect computer codes, travel & transport. While it’s recommended to NOT do these kind of things during these periods that happen every so often (we are due another in December) it’s pretty hard to stop normal life. But! I have noticed during these periods that shit does go wrong.

Or does it? Is it just life and a good excuse to blame a planet for stuff going wrong for a while? I don’t know the answer on that one but I do know this:

+ we have smashed an iPhone and an iPad this week
+ I had to wait at the doctors for 1 hour at 10am for an appointment and if we weren’t sick before we went in there, after the 27 degree furnace of sickness and human bluergh, we will be soon.
+ people can get NASTY and pernickety online in particular when this shit goes down. Every time!
+ I have spoken to family & friends and stuff seems HARD and full on right now.
+ It’s been hard to nail down work plans. So many emails and no decisions being made.
+ Everyone is tired, like really tired. Or is that just life? Who knows.
+ There are mis-communications with friends and partners a go go
+ Partition puzzles in year 5 maths are REALLY hard to get done.

Ok, that last one was just in our house.

But you get the picture. I have spoken to a couple of friends this week and stuff just seems overwhelming and scary and grown up and a little shite. Are you feeling that way too? The introspection that comes with these times (for me) can be filled with negative self hurt and sabotage, the voices in our heads making everything seem a little worse than it is.

So all THAT aside, I was wondering if you guys are feeling any of this too? And if so, let’s blame Mercury together and wait for a few more weeks until it’s done.

And all THAT aside, I wanted to take a minute to tell you, yes you, right now, that you are doing a good job. This grown up shit is HARD. Term 3 is bullshit. It’s the end of winter, there has been SO much sickness. So many carbs and cold nights and while your pants may seem tighter, longer days are coming. There are bills now (so many bills or is that just me?) there will be money that will flow in again too. While you may not know what to do about this or that, you will figure it out, even if you make some mistakes along the way. That screaming baby with colic will grow out of it. That toddler that all of a sudden forgot how to sleep through the night will figure it out again. That surly tween will talk to you again. That weird tension with your partner when things are just slightly off kilter, it will right itself again.

It just will. Mercury or not.

Being a grown up is HARD. Being a parent is HARD. It’s ok to feel shit about it and have a cry, but we’ve got a tomorrow and that’s something. While all the stuff you do may seem like no body notices, they do.

You are doing a bloody good job. You are!

I just wanted to give you a little pep talk about that. Charged crystals or not.

So tell me, do you buy into this retrograde business?
Is it bullshit?
Or is IT total bullshit?

In any case, let’s be nice to each other along the way. Ok?

I was unable to find a source for that illustration that I found on Pinterest. Sozza.

Comments

  1. It is like you’ve read my mind. So feeling this. Nice to know I can blame bloody Mercury instead of everyone else! ?

  2. I don’t know about the whole ‘Retrograde’ business but boy is the end of Term 3 hard work. Those last few weeks where it is all such a grind……… Bring on the school holidays I say, September can’t come fast enough for me.

  3. I hear you Beth. Boys were horrors at the hairdressers yesterday and then I take my eyes of the two year old and he knocked over & smashed a vase. The hairdresser was lovely about it, but I could tell she was sad. Then driving home a cyclist crossed directly in front of me and I had to slam on the breaks to miss him. It was such a close call that other cars stopped to make sure everyone was ok. Put the vase into perspective!! Got home, put the tv on for the kiss and sat on the back steps willing my husband to come home stat!!

  4. I love your pep talks Beth, I feel like they always come when I’m feeling like the shittest mum around. Me & my biggest, almost finished high school, kid are having serious retrograde problems right now. I might just stop blaming myself & blame fucking mercury. Thanks Beth x

  5. Love your word ‘pernickety’ – it created an immediate character in my head – they were female, wore a dust coat around the house as she did her chores and gossiped mercilessly about people and lived in the 1950’s.

    & I think I’m off kilter – my retrograde was about 3-4 weeks ago – am feeling great at present.

  6. Dunno about mercury or retrograde or any of that stuff, but I’m tired and life feels real hard right now. Thanks for the pep talk and I really hope you took your own advice and realised you too are doing a fabulous job.

  7. The sickness oh, the sickness, but I did manage to smash out a whole day book week author visit on the toddlers second only day of day care. I hate you winter, is all I have to say, mercury or not.

  8. Yes, yes, and yes especially to bloody Mathletics partition puzzles. Give me strength!

  9. What is it about Term 3…and Mercury!? Roll on September! Thank you 🙂

  10. I had a real mercury retrograde moment today. My toddler was playing with my parking ticket inside the car park after grocery shopping and I thought, “I must take that off her so I can get out. That would be bad if she lost it!” So I said “Okay give that to Mummy” and can actually remember taking it off her. Got to the parking gate, didn’t have my ticket. Searched everywhere I could have possibly put it while the cars backed up behind me. Had to get all said cars to reverse, reverse myself and park again, then return to my original spot where the ticket was on the ground. Seriously?! Have no idea what I did between grabbing it and it ending up on the ground. But that’s a perfect example of things that happen to me during this period!

  11. Mercury Retrograde IS hard! The best thing to do during this time is to go back to projects that you put on the back burner. It’s a crap time to start anything new but it is a great time to revisit, rejuvenate, recharge, and redo anything that’s fallen by the wayside.

  12. I never put a name to things in life going to shit. You have given me a name now thank you. While all my kids are adults I still have shitty times. I don’t have kids to the doctors, I have pets to the vet. All 3 for weeks now. Money goes out, boy does it go out. If only it came in as fast as it goes out lol. My husband is driving me nuts but I will tolerate it. Tomorrow is a new day and I guess we are lucky that we get that new day. So many don’t. I love your pep talks. It always works its magic on me. Not long now to school holidays. X

  13. Thanks Beth, I needed to hear this from you today.
    Huz had a minor accident and I have lost my job, all in one week.
    Had no idea the job loss would be a greiving process, teary, sad, unmotivated, cooking dinner is like shovelling shiz uphill
    Yes, there is serious shiz going on, damn you retrograde, be off with you ! Lol
    Prue x

  14. Mine are grown and I’m on the way to being a grandma, but remember it all clearly… this time a couple of years ago wasn’t it Whooping Cough all round? Take a breath and count your blessings… then take another breath and have a G&T everything will fall into place as it’s meant to be. Sometime the g&t breathe is better first in order to appreciate the blessings though…

  15. Lauren @fairview_farmhouse says

    Yes to all this! I was only thinking to myself, this is a particularly shitty time right now, wonder what’s going on? ?
    I’m have been sick, children x 5 sick, then husband sick, coordinating uncooperative tradesman, kitchen sink blocks for 3 days, dyson vacuum blows up (dear god the CRUMBS), washing machine playing up, washing up the wazoo, our beloved old bulldog Lenny passes away, same night have baby at ED with what turns out to be croup, back to the doctors twice for steroids and that’s just the last two weeks.

    *HOLD ME* ????? Just off to google “when does mercury retrograde end?” ??

  16. Thank you Beth ?!!! Since the evening, before the full on eclipse, I am in physical condition that is unbalanced…. dizzy headed and puked for a couple days, now continuing dizzy headed and irritated!!! Is it the shifting planet?? Whichever it is, I wish for my balance regained!!! I want to drink Prosecco and enjoy crackers and cheese… instead it is tea and dry toast and resting with endless tv and I want to get on with it all!!!!?

  17. Sonia South says

    God I wish I could write like you! Once again you have made me laugh out loud and nod with agreement. Can’t say I agree with the whole Mercury business but this year has been particularly horrible. So over all this sickness, household things breaking and constantly no money but shit, life goes on and I put on my “smile and wave boys” face and drink too much wine! Happy Friday beautiful lady.

  18. Ohhhhhhh Beth. I LOVE everything you write. But every so often, you write THESE kinds of posts, which I always adore, they put a little water in my eyes, and I breathe a sigh of relief. Thank YOU for these reminders. They are needed and so very appreciated. YOU are doing a bloody awesome job too, allllllright?! xxx

  19. I read this yesterdayand thought that explains my week so far. Having just been grocery shopping and I noticed I’m not the only one feeling it in town!!! Think it might be safer to go back to bed, pull the covers up and stay there.

  20. I read this yesterdayand thought that explains why the week has been so bad. Having just been grocery shopping I’ve realised its not just me feeling the effects. Think I should go back to bed, pull the covers up and stay there!!!

  21. Susan, Mum to Molly says

    100% agree with you Beth – the whole world feels a bit shit right now. Not least because of the plebishite and CRAPLAN, as we have kids in Grade 3, 6 & 9 and a gay grandparent. The whole country seems to be going to the dogs (sorry dogs!). As for Term 3 – I am certain that in terms of “too much on” it is worse than Term 4… Thank you for your post and making us all feel like we’re among kindred spirits.

  22. I am still a bit ignorant about the whole Mercury in retrograde thing, but I started to notice it was kind of a thing about a year ago and I really can’t rule it out as a factor in shit going wrong! Must remind my mum – her phone has been on the blink haha.
    I hope that we do not succumb to it this time around. There’s been enough bullshit and we’re finally in a good place! x

Trackbacks

  1. […] else sighing with relief that the Mercury retrograde is over? Me too. I always seem to break stuff, or things seem to break on me during that time so it […]

Leave a Reply to Kate Cancel reply

*