If you're the type of person who breathlessly follows your horoscope – and we most definitely are – then you might have noticed that the planet Mercury is in retrograde right now, sending astrology followers into a veritable star-crossed tizzy. What does it mean that Mercury is in retrograde? The backwards motion of the planet -- which happens about four times a year -- is characterized by a general sense of poor communication, stress and general crappiness. And today, September 17, is supposed to be the worst of the worst for the retrograde-challenged.
We wanted to get the Mercury story from someone who truly knew the deal, so we called up Gary Goldschneider, author of "Everyday Astrology."
Lemondrop: So what exactly is "Mercury in retrograde"?
Gary: When we look in the sky we see the planets moving in their apparent motion. When we say that Mercury is moving in retrograde, it seems to be moving backwards from our point of view. Most of the time it appears to be moving forwards.
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But I want to emphasize, the planets are not just planets -- they are really symbols. Pluto symbolizes death. Uranus is the breaker. It's what they represent in us. We're really talking about types of people.
L: What's "Mercury in retrograde" all about? Why is it such a big deal right now?
G: Actually it's no big event that Mercury is going in retrograde. That happens about four times a year. People always say, "I can't communicate," but in fact retrograde can be a good thing because your mind is more logical and you can't get into your feeling zone. I don't think of Mercury in retrograde as a catastrophe.
L: So what are we up against right now?
G: It's compounded by Saturn and Uranus. They're the heavy planets and they're in opposite positions. Saturn is in Virgo and Uranus is in Pisces. Saturn is at the planet of responsibility and it's being upset by Uranus. It means we can't depend on anything. Add Mercury in retrograde on top of that, and it's a bad week for everybody. There's massive interference and disturbance. Plus, there's something else going on.
L: Uh oh.
G: You've heard Mayan end of the world? They say it's happening in 2012. Pluto is passing over the Sagittarius-Capricorn cusp and hanging over there for a long time. It's almost like a truck backing over you. I think it's going to happen not in 2012, but rather in 2010. From 2009 until 2011, when Pluto finally passes this. Right now we live in dark times, but they will continue so everybody will need to become more aware of their environment. Don't throw away everything -- including your money. Enjoy your life.
Thursday is not a disaster day. It's the times that we're in that are casting a shadow.
L: So who is most affected by the current planetary configuration?
G: Generally speaking, the water signs get it the worst -- Cancer, Scorpio, Pisces and Virgo – that is where Saturn and Uranus are getting it the worst. And Cancer, because Mars is in Cancer.
L: How should we respond to the current planetary scenario?
G: Like everything else in life, we have to wait. We can't fight these huge forces. Not making any sudden moves. Not making any desperate moves. Learn lessons. Mercury in retrograde and heavy planet configurations and heavy planets are learning times. These are things you cannot get around.
We have to come through this difficult Khyber Pass situation. I prefer we go through as a collective. Let's go through helping each other.
Gary Goldschneider is the author of "Everyday Astrology" and runs the website My Personology.
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Thursday 17 September
By adawehiusd
This article made me want to cut myself.
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Thursday 17 September
By Paige
haha right.
Thursday 17 September
By Julie
Who follows their horoscope? This is a joke, but unfortunately, one that's too boring to read all the way through.
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Friday 18 September
By smartgirlll
as ockward this artical is about how were going to die it has some good points, Im not so positive i belive the statement about the world ending in 2010. Hopefully our government isnt keeping that much information hiddin from us. Youd think we would start getting warnings on possible ways to survive? But i do agree it will happen some day. That is scarey to concider and i hate to think that i wont get to see my family grow up. For the other commenters, . Keep a hold of that iggnorance someday it MIGHT work for you. "cut your wrist" really? that is lame :)
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Tuesday 22 September
By C Meta
2012 is not the end of "the world" - it is the center of a transition point wherein the "world" will rapidly become unlike anything we have known. It is "the end of the world as we know it" but those who prepare and adapt will survive it and transcend. The revoluttions in nanotech, computer intelligence, networking, medical science, and understanding of quantum mechanics are converging. Gaia is awakening. It's what Ray Kurzweil has perceived as what he calls the "singularity" - only years sooner than he predicts. Metaphysics will lose the "meta" and become part of physics. Computers will gain sentience. Human immortality (for those that can afford it and don't get accidentally hit by high-speed buses) will become more than fantasy. The majority of our paradigms of reality will shift. Horrible wars will be fought. Many will die of pointless war, starvation, accidental pestilences due to irresponsible use of genetic engineering and nanotech, and climate change. The ultra-rich will hide in their bunkers and their souls will turn dark and gray from atrophy, and they will go mad. Many will suicide, many will try to take their paranoidally-delusioned "enemies" out with them. The rest of us who survive those fates by cooperating, loving, intelligently choosing what to do and what not to do, will evolve. It WILL be the end of the world as humankind has known it, but not the end of meta-human life. The written word was Gaia's first neuron. Increases in communications technology represent the growth of more of her neurons and dendrites. The internet is the last pre-partum development where we, her neurons, have increasing order and magnitude of dendritic interconnection. Computers now, in the lab (and to an extent, at consumer level) can read base emotions and intentional thoughts. Even using the conservative estimate of Moore's law (which will be left in the dust with the accelerating pace of information/networking technology) it is staggering to think what will happen in a few short years. At the highest levels, Moore's law is a flat tire compared to an Indy-car tire and pit crew. And we are not informed of what is happening at the highest levels now, due to corporate and governmental secrecy. The theory of self-organization of systems out of chaos is superceding individuals', corporations', and governments' designs. The morphogenetic wave is passing through all at once and bringing the destined change.
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