Your smartphone could break, you could be accidentally billed twice by the cable company or an old friend or ex could even resurface in some capacity. If you’re planning a vacation, you may experience issues while away. If you’re expecting a raise or promotion, it could take longer to get the paperwork in motion. This means that we can expect meltdowns, false gossip, miscommunications, technology fails (which is why it’s best to back up files and contacts before the retrograde), issues in travel, missed connections and delays in hearing pertinent information. Mercury rules communication, travel, news, information, gossip and technology. The reality is that the train is just moving faster than the cars. It isn't true but it’s the way our brains and eyes assume it's happening.

When this happens, it looks like the cars (Mercury) are moving backward as the train is speeding up. Think of a train (Earth in this hypothetical) speeding past moving cars. (Mercury usually moves 88 days around the sun versus the 365 days that Earth does.) This creates an optical illusion in which we think that Mercury is moving backward. But when Mercury is retrograde, it is moving slower than Earth around the sun. Mercury normally moves faster than Earth around the sun. Unlike what it sounds like, the planet Mercury isn’t actually moving backward it’s just slowing down.

If used correctly, we can reshape our lives for the better. Contrary to popular belief, retrogrades can also be a time of reflection - not necessarily the doom and gloom many think. So we will be experiencing major cosmic shifts, changes and somewhat erratic activity throughout the year.

This year, 2022, brings not just three, but four Mercury retrogrades. While you may want to hide underneath a rock during the weeks of Mercury retrograde, you’ll find that no one can avoid it - even if we try. For us earthlings, it means that life gets more tense and activity isn’t moving as fast as it once was. Every few months, the planet of communication, Mercury, begins to slow down.