Within the past month, have you felt down and you can’t quite figure out why? Nothing is going your way? Do you have strange and unexplainable things happened to you? Old friends or even a significant other returned to your life unexpectedly? Bad dreams? This could have been caused by Mercury being in retrograde, which involves concepts in astrology, zodiac signs, and horoscopes. 

Scientifically, Mercury retrograde is an optical illusion in which the planet Mercury appears to move backward from our view on Earth. The most recent Mercury retrograde ended just a few days ago, beginning Thursday, August 3rd until Saturday, September 30th. This retrograde can happen up to 4 times in a year, typically from December to January, April to May, and August to September. 

In astrology, Mercury in retrograde is associated with confusion, frustration, irritability, conflict, anxiety, and depression. Technology, travel, and communication are also heavily affected. Mercury retrograde could even affect the way humans learn, process, speak, think, and act. 

What should you do when Mercury is in retrograde? Remain calm, collected, and patient with events that might be occurring in your life. Think twice before making risky decisions, be extra cautious, and avoid traveling. If the opportunity to reconnect with something from the past arises, take your feelings and goals into consideration before acting. However, the past is not always a bad thing. You can relearn an old hobby or spend time with an old friend. Most importantly, be attentive to your actions and surroundings as it is important not to let this time of retrograde be an excuse for bad behavior. Instead, use this as an opportunity to learn something new about yourself and your experience in life!