Eleditor’s note: Astrology isn’t a religion. We’re not sure it’s a science, either. It’s magic, maybe. But, as with feng shui, say, things affect things. So as long as we don’t go blaming our problems on the stars, as long as we assume responsibility for our own actions…well, hell, a little auspicious coincidence and applicable wisdom can’t hurt. And so, with that grain of salt…enjoy!

~

Take This Mercury Retrograde Test

Finally, Mercury went direct on October 25th. But for the past three weeks, Mercury has been retrograde and wreaking havoc in the lives of many people. Have you noticed that the world has been a bit crazy with unusual communication problems, and equipment failures of all types? Were you affected?

When Mercury is retrograde people have a tendency to make mistakes and not think clearly. The way they communicate becomes unreliable and filled with misinformation. Important data is missing or misunderstood during normal daily interactions. It’s as if the passage of information from one person to the other becomes unintentionally cloudy or confused in some way.

This makes sense when you consider that Mercury rules the mind, mental clarity, talking, and overall communication. In the public domain, it rules commerce, transportation, air travel, computers and telephones. When Mercury goes retrograde, a person’s mental and communication processes become less acute which leads to problems and breakdowns of all kinds occurring far more often than usual.

Finally a Chance to Create Your Own Proof

Many people realize that their life and activities are affected during the three-week period of the retrograde. Others are still not sure if Mercury retrograde is a fantasy or a reality? To help you find the answer for yourself, I’ve created an empirical test to help you determine, to what extent, you’ve been affected by Mercury retrograde. Here’s a list of 25 of the typical problems you may have experienced during these past three weeks from October 4 to 25.

To take this test: write Yes or No, next to each situation, below.

1. You had many more arguments and miscommunications than usual with co-workers, loved ones or children.
2. You accepted a promotion or took a new job and it’s not what you thought it would be.
3. You bought a car and it’s a “lemon.”
4. Even though you’re normally careful, you had a serious accident.
5. Even though you’re normally healthy, you got sick.
6. Your computer crashed or computer networks went down more than usual.
7. There was a glitch in your software when you installed it.
8. Your phones suddenly stopped working properly.
9. You unexpectedly had equipment breakdowns (car, office equipment, home appliances).
10. You had major delays and headaches in your travels.
11. Your vacation was filled with delays, miscommunications and problems that you don’t normally encounter in a vacation.
12. You lost your luggage.
13. You lost something valuable.
14. You bought clothing that you now realize you don’t like or doesn’t fit.
15. Merchandise you ordered was lost.
16. You changed your appearance and now you hate it (wardrobe, hairstyle, hair-color, make-up).
17. You had cosmetic surgery that didn’t come out the way you thought it would.
18. You selected a new roommate who is different than you imagined.
19. You signed an agreement or document and now realize that you missed some important details.
20. An unusual number of the work requests you made were misunderstood or “botched.”
21. The new project you introduced failed to work or win the approval of others.
22. You changed accounts or suppliers and have had problems with since.
23. You changed professional advisors (doctor, lawyer, accountant) and wish you didn’t.
24. Someone you expected to do business with, surprisingly changed his/her mind.
25. You bought a home or moved to a new residence and discovered something you wished you had known before you made this decision.

Evaluate Your Test Results

If you scored 6 Yeses or more, you got off lucky. Perhaps you took precautions because you’ve been through other retrograde periods.

If you scored 12 Yeses or more, you were significantly affected. Make sure to be better prepared for the next retrograde.

If you scored 16 Yeses or more, you were definitely “retrograded,” and need to get help preparing for the next retrograde and bring down your score.

Be Ready for the Next Retrograde

Review your “yeses” from this test, and make mental note of the communication problems or breakdowns you’ve just had. Mark your calendar and get mentally prepared for the next retrograde which will be from January 21 to February 11, 2015.

If you want to know if you were born with Mercury Retrograde; and, where your personal transits are—to see if they are affecting you, go to the Free Transit Calculator and enter your birth date. Then, read about how each transit is affecting your life in other Elephant Journal articles by Larry Schwimmer.  Also, order a Report on Your Future in 2015.

Relephant:

Mercury in Retrograde is not a good excuse for you to be an asshole to me.

Hurray! Mercury Retrograde is Over: 10 Things To Do Immediately.

Love elephant and want to go steady?

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Editor: Renée Picard

Photo: Alex/Flickr