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What’s up with Mercury Retrograde? Is it okay for you to make big decisions? Will your computer suddenly stop working?

Are the horror stories true? Will Mercury Retrograde cause you big problems?

In the past ten years, Mercury Retrograde has become a common topic of discussion among people who don’t usually talk about astrology.

Why is everyone paying so much attention to this tiny planet when it appears to move backwards in the sky four times a year?

Allegedly it will wreak havoc with technology, relationships, new contracts – you name it, and Mercury Retrograde will ruin it, according to many astrologers and articles on the topic.

Are you scared of what might happen to you during Mercury Retrograde? You’re not alone. An entire industry has formed around your concerns. Your fear is big business. Enterprising astrologers will tell you that you need to buy things to stay safe.

I couldn’t believe my eyes when I saw this Pinterest posting for a Mercury Retrograde Protection Kit. How sad that someone might actually spend $10 on something so utterly misguided (though the gems do look pretty and may have their own healing properties, at least!) Maybe Snopes.com will get on this…

Bottom line is that “Mercury Retrograde” is a big misunderstanding that’s gotten more popular over time.

Here’s how it may have happened.

For starters, many people believe that some elements of Western Astrology were derived from Vedic Astrology, though this is a hotly debated topic. (For more details about the two systems, read my article about the difference between Western Astrology and Vedic Astrology). 

One of the pieces that may have gotten lost in translation is an element of Prasna, the art of divination that is based on a chart created for a question being asked in the moment.

In Prasna, retrograde planets can often indicate that you won’t get whatever you are asking about. (Great if you are asking if you will get a tax audit, not so great if you are asking if you will win the lottery).

Somewhere along the way, it’s possible that Western astrologers took that principle and incorrectly applied it to birth chart analysis, declaring Retrograde planets to be ‘weak’ and unfavorable.

In fact, retrograde planets are considered strong in Vedic Astrology.

Whether or not that’s a good thing or a bad thing depends entirely on your own chart, and is contextual, depending on what you’re talking about.

It’s not an across-the-board thing, where everyone will be affected the same way when a planet goes retrograde. (To know how Mercury is affecting your chart, the best thing to do is get a reading.)

I’m not sure why Mercury got scapegoated, in this instance, but when things like technology and relationships go wrong, it’s probably because of another factor in the chart, and not just what’s happening in the sky.

That’s the other thing – what’s happening in the sky is like the icing-on-the-cake to birth chart interpretation. It’s important, but only as an add-on factor, after evaluating the birth chart itself.

Over the years, everyone has been talking about Mercury Retrograde and concluding that it must be what’s causing their lives to get wonky every few months (this is called a “Confirmation Bias.”)  But it’s not the case, and is certainly not part of the tradition of Astrology.

If we’re going to start a false rumor about Astrology, can we please at least make it a good one?

How about every time the moon is waxing, we all suddenly feel compelled to perform random acts of kindness? Or anytime the Sun and Mercury are in the same house, we feel ultra-intelligent? And then we can all find ways to prove that it’s true.

It’s just an idea. It seems more appealing than buying protective gems, sprays, and books, and then hiding out four times a year.

So go ahead – sign that contract, get into that new relationship, make that big decision – as long as it’s truly in alignment for you, now is as good a time as any.

Want a much more effective way to navigate your fears and doubts? Click here and I’ll send you my free guide: 5 Steps To Discover Your Divine Plan When You’re Caught In A Web Of Doubt.

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[Thanks to Hank Friedman for showing me how Prasna was the source of the Mercury Retrograde misattribution].

Tara Eleanor Divina, Vedic Astrologer and former Vice President at the Warner Music Group, went from working with the world’s biggest pop stars to reading the actual stars. Using Vedic Astrology, an ancient, sacred art of self-understanding and divination, she brings her clients clarity and peace by answering their deepest questions about their lives. She also weaves in her own techniques that empower people to connect with their higher guidance so they can move toward what’s most divinely aligned for them. 

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You may have learned about areas of your life where you naturally thrive, but the reading also illuminates blind spots and patterns that some part of you does not really want to hear (i.e. your identity/ego).  These are the parts of the reading you are most likely, if not guaranteed, to forget.

Often, after we receive any kind of advice or feedback, we remember everything that agrees with our current reality and level of awareness and forget everything that challenges our core beliefs. The gold is in the stuff we naturally forget.

The trick is to remind yourself of the important bits, of the key areas where you can apply yourself to make real, tangible changes toward the results you’re moving toward. There will be at least one or two big things that you can work on right now, if you choose to, by putting in a little effort each day to bring awareness to your thoughts, words and actions.

Immediately after the reading, write down what these specific things are (I offer my clients a recording of their session so that it’s easier to retain this information). Then, put a calendar reminder in your computer or phone; write a sticky note and put it on your monitor, your bathroom mirror, your fridge; add a line item to your daily to do list – these are all easy ways to keep the rich lessons of your reading alive in your awareness.

In time, you’ll see results.

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In short, Western Astrology can be especially useful for deeply examining your psychological profile and the qualities of your personality, whereas Vedic Astrology shines by showing you the karmic unfolding of your life and the identification and timing of important events, past, present and future.

This is, in part, due to the following fundamental differences in approach between the two. These are three of the main ones:

The Zodiac

Vedic Astrology uses the Sidereal zodiac, which measures planetary positions in relation to fixed constellations. Western Astrology is based on the Tropical zodiac, based on the four seasons. Thousands of years ago, these two zodiacs lined up perfectly, but they are now about 23 degrees apart.

The Planets

Vedic Astrology uses the seven visible planets and the two nodes (Mars, Venus, Mercury, Jupiter, Saturn, Sun, Moon, Rahu, Ketu) whereas Western Astrology also includes planets and asteroids that can only be viewed with a telescope (Neptune, Pluto, Uranus, and more).

Timing

Vedic Astrology uses a planetary timing sequence, combined with transits, that shows which parts of the chart will be activated and when. Western Astrology looks mainly to transits in the sky for this information.

In the same way that there are different schools of thought and systems for all healing arts, spiritual paths and approaches to life in general, there are many different forms of Astrology. There are even many different lineages of Vedic and Western Astrology, each with their own ways of doing things. One is not superior to another, but different Astrologers may favor a particular system because it works best for them, and for their clients.

At the moment, I primarily use Vedic Astrology but I am also studying other systems may integrate them into readings one day.

Want to know how to use Vedic Astrology to have more success in every area of your life? Click here and I’ll send you my free report: Key Planetary Transits in Vedic Astrology 2016: What you Need To Know Before You Plan Your Year.

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