Hello Friends
On August fourth (next week), the planet Mercury goes retrograde. Now what the heck does that mean?
If you're someone who accepts astrology's messages, Mercury Retrograde means:
hold on to your hat, we're in for a bumpy ride!
If you're someone who'd rather pay attention to astronomy, it means:
huh, that's weird, Mercury is going backwards.
Yeah, But What is it?
In a physical sense, planets in our solar system go retrograde from time to time. It happens to Mercury three times a year and lasts for three to fourth weeks. During retrograde, if you were to follow Mercury every night in the sky, you would notice that it appears to move backwards in relation to the stars. Then, after a few weeks, when it goes direct, it moves forward again.
This is pretty much like passing a car that is ahead of you. As you approach the car you are going to pass, you observe it moving forward (but slowing down). As you pull up next to it, it appears stationary. And when you pass and pull away, it goes backwards away from you. If the driver didn't appreciate you passing them, they might speed up and pass you after a while. The car once again looks like it's moving forward in relation to you. All the planets do this. Such is life in a heliocentric solar system.
Laughter is the Best Medicine
In astrology, Mercury is the planet of communication, transportation, and mechanical things. When Mercury enters a time of retrograde, things involving transmission go backwards. Cars break down, people experience communication lapses, computers mysteriously stop working, only to work mysteriously again when Mercury goes direct.
I had a streak of about six years in the 1990s when I was more tuned into astrology than I am now. Each time Mercury went retrograde, I swear I over-drafted my bank checking account. I also refused to sign any important documents or start a new job. To Astrologers, this is no joke.
Most events in astrology involve learning a life lesson. What is Mercury Retrograde supposed to teach us? Mercury is the prankster. If it can cause trouble, it will. So, when Mercury acts up, the response should be to laugh it off. In those times, Mercury is reminding you to be light-hearted and that life is a journey to be enjoyed. Slow down, double-check everything, pay attention, and have patience. Obviously, unexpected events, like a flat tire or an over-drawn bank account, can be extremely frustrating and disruptive. But Mercury reminds us that these things are simply a part of life. The message is to roll with it, as you will eventually wind up where you're supposed to be.
Digging a little deeper, astrological retrogrades (any planet's retrograde) are times to turn inward—to ponder life's possibilities, to self-evaluate, to do research, and to plan. Then, when a planet goes direct, you can take more informed action. Personally, I see these times of Mercury retrograde as times when people inherently become self-absorbed, distracted, and pay less attention to the outside world. Everyone is in their own mind. I don't take it personally. I just do me and give people a wide berth.
Yeah, But What About the Science?
Throughout my life, I have collected a significant amount of observational experience from astrology. I've noticed people act like their birth signs suggest they might or perceive stressful times during difficult planet transits. Even though I am an engineer and consider myself to be a man of science, I enjoy living in a reality where there is space for things such as astrology. I like considering multiple metaphors for describing our human condition.
More than once, I have contemplated if it is possible to verify that the occurrences which seem consistent with an astrological explanation possess any scientific basis.
Recently, I came upon an article in Space.com where a bunch of geologists discovered we experience a gravitational force from Mars on Earth. Mars is a little planet (smaller than Earth). With this, I wonder that since we feel wee Mars, perhaps we can feel gravity from the other outer, larger planets.
And check this out. Apparently, the Sun's gravitational force is stronger than we thought. We've known about gravity since Sir Isaac Newton caught that apple with his noggin, but we still don't completely appreciate it.
I'm not saying I believe that gravity gives astrology credence—that would be crazy talk. Gravity is the weakest of the physical forces—behind electromagnetism and the weak and strong nuclear forces. But I do want to suggest that we don't know for sure.
Consider quantum entanglement, an observation of two particles linked so completely that their interaction violates the speed of light. And nothing is supposed to do that. We not only see this happen, but we count on it in the development of quantum computers. Yet, we don't know why or how.
For all we do know, we're a little thin on explanations. It's almost like magic (or astrology).
Who Knows?
I'm suggesting that in a universe where we observe stuff that we can't explain, why rule out anything? We already know that atoms are composed of mostly empty space, meaning we and everything around us are mostly empty space. Yet, we are awash in energetic fields. Literally, our universe is held together by energy—a weird magical force. So, why not believe in astrology or numerology or tarot cards or talking cats?
And, even if these things are not real (except the talking cats), we can all benefit from remembering Mercury's lessons: slow down, have patience, and make time to look inward every once in a while for a fresh perspective. And, truly, Mercury Retrograde or not, we can all benefit from laughing off frustrations and giving other people a little more room.
Over the next few weeks, try to pay attention. Let me know how you do (I'm hoping I don't bounce any checks—remember checks?).
One More Thing
From earlier emails about artificial intelligence, I found this web page, a pretty decent tutorial on AI. It's not long and might be worth a quick glance.
Happy reading and happy writing. If Mercury gets you, remember, you're on the path to where you're supposed to be.
And…
If you feel so inclined, share this newsletter. I would appreciate it.