Understanding the True Nature of Mercury Retrograde

Life may have felt more chaotic than usual over the past few weeks. According to astrology followers, this could be due to the pesky planet, Mercury. The general belief is that when Mercury is in “retrograde,” things may not go as planned, with missed connections, delays and cancellations becoming more common.

While astrologers and astronomers may not agree on the relationship between Mercury’s motion and daily human events on Earth, they do agree on what it means for Mercury to be in retrograde.

“When we say that a planet is in retrograde it means that from the perspective of Earth, a planet’s motion across the sky goes backwards night after night compared to its usual direction for a period of time,” explains Kate Howells for the Planetary Society, a space science organization.

In astronomical terms, the term is referred to as “apparent retrograde motion” because Mercury doesn’t change its direction of motion. Rather, it overtakes the slower-moving Earth due to the planets racing around the sun. Therefore, Mercury appears to reverse its motion across the sky due to the different planets’ positions. Its orbit being only 88 days compared to Earth’s 365 days means that it appears to be in apparent retrograde motion three to four times a year.

Although the phrase “retrograde” usually means planetary bodies moving in the opposite direction of other bodies, this isn’t the case with Mercury. There is no scientific evidence that Mercury’s apparent retrograde motion affects life on Earth. The current apparent retrograde phase for Mercury started on April 21 and will continue until May 14. Farmer’s Almanac suggests reflection during Mercury’s retrograde phase and recommends remaining flexible, patient, and understanding. Taking this advice into account, regardless of the apparent motion of any particular planets, is always a good idea.