Curious what all this Mercury Retrograde buzz is about? We were too, so we did a little digging...

According to astrology, Mercury Retrograde is when the planet Mercury appears from Earth to move backwards in its orbit.  (This is an optical illusion and happens three times a year.)  The Farmer's Almanac best explains why this happens: "The outer planets — Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune — all take longer to orbit the Sun than the Earth does, because their orbits are larger. Because of this, the Earth often laps these planets in its journey around the Sun. When the Earth overtakes an outer planet, that planet appears to travel backward, as compared to the stars, for a time."

Mercury the planet, was named after the Greek god of transport and communication. Since Mercury is believed to influence communication, astrologers say that this is a time for misunderstandings, muddled thinking and typos.  The advice- don’t get back with your ex, sign any big contracts, make rash decisions and let your words fly too loosely during this time period. They also advise to leave extra time for travel (which really is good advice anytime of the year.) 

According to the Farmer's Almanac the Mercury Retrograde dates for 2020 are the following

• February 16 – March 9
• June 18 – July 12
• October 13 – November 13

Whether you believe the influence of Mercury Retrograde or not, it can be useful to consider this a time to be extra mindful of your decision and thoughtful with the way you communicate.  If hearing "Mercury Retrograde" is giving you serious pause on a major decision, like choosing a roommate or considering a new job, it may be that you are looking for reasons to delay or reconsider.  Listen to that intuition, it may not be the solar system telling you to think twice.  Use the time to consider all options and listen to your gut.