Who's Likely to Experience Mercury Retrograde?

There are four groups of people who are relatively likely to experience transits to Mercury's current retrograde period. The last group (#4) includes all of us.

To see whether you also fall in any of the other groups (#1, 2, and/or #3), look at your particular natal chart.

NOTE: If you do not have a copy of your chart, go to www.astro.com, click on "Free Horoscopes" at the top of the screen, and then, under the heading "Horoscope Chart Drawings," click on "Chart Drawings, Ascendant."

Group #1

This group includes those people with natal planets triggered by Mercury three times between February and April, due to Mercury passing through he same part of the zodiac repeatedly while in retrograde and direct motion.

If your chart contains planets between 5 degrees 37 minutes and 16 degrees 52 minutes of the mutable signs (i.e., Gemini, Virgo, Sagittarius, and/or Pisces), then you're extremely likely to experience some sort of manifestation during the Mercury retro period. Such natal planets are aspected not once but three times between February and April.

In my next blog entry, I'll go into detail about applying Mercury retro in your case. 

Group #2

This group includes those people with natal planets triggered by Mercury turning stationary retrograde while in close aspect to them.

If your chart contains planets between between 16 degrees 52 minutes and 17 degrees 52 minutes of the mutable signs (i.e., Gemini, Virgo, Sagittarius, and/or Pisces)  then you're extremely likely to experience some sort of manifestation between about February 14 and March 4. 

If you have planets outside of this range but still between about 17 degrees 52 minutes and 21 degrees 52 minutes of these same signs, then you are more likely than other people to experience Mercury turning stationary retrograde during the same time period. 

Group #3

This group includes those people with natal planets triggered by Mercury turning station direct while in close aspect to them. 

If your chart contains planets between about 4 degrees 37 minutes and 5 degrees 37 minutes of the mutable signs (i.e., Gemini, Virgo, Sagittarius, and/or Pisces), then you're extremely likely to experience some sort of manifestation of Mercury turning stationary direct between roughly March 8 and March 25.

If you have planets outside of this range, but still between about 29 degrees 37 minutes and 30 degrees of the fixed signs (i.e., Taurus, Leo, Scorpio, and/or Aquarius), then you're more likely than other people to experience Mercury turning stationary retrograde during the same time period. 

The same is true if you have planets between about 0 degrees and 4 degrees 37 minutes of the mutable signs (i.e., Gemini, Virgo, Sagittarius, and/or Pisces).

Group #4

Even if you're not in Group #1, or Group #2, or Group #3 (see above), you would still do well to consider general guidelines for activities to avoid and for activities to emphasize while Mercury is retrograde. 

In my next blog entry, I'll go into detail about how those people who are Group #1 can apply Mercury retro in their particular cases.