It is rather apt that I have introduced Tales of Mercury Retrograde to my website during the current retrograde cycle, May 2009.

I do invite all who have had a memorable Mercury Retro experience to share your story with us - just email me to be part of our ongoing awareness of the up and downsides of working with its energy and how we can turn the negatives into positives.

Personal stories

Kathryn's story which follows inspired me to start the ball rolling. Thank you Kathryn!

How’s this for Mercury Retrograde . . . For ‘some unknown reason’ my phone line goes blank Monday night and my computer obviously crashes. Tuesday night after phoning Faults and Christchurch Chorus Call Centre for the Technicians I’m told I’m back with a working phone… But after everyone ‘trying’ to phone me, I can phone out; I have acquired my poor neighbour’s phone number - one of this neighbour’s mates tried to phone and got me – said I’d better be careful as neighbour’s wife gone away for week and will probably get me on the phone instead of her husband!! After another six phone calls to Telecom Faults I’m told I’m back on line again today, being Thursday – only to find out I’ve been allocated another person’s phone number!! Once again I’m talking to Telecom, saying "this is ridiculous - I’m having an identity crisis here – who am I this time???" As of 5.30pm tonight I’m back with my original phone number and computer email/internet working!! Good old Mercury Retrograde hey….

Utilising Mercury retrograde to your advantage – being aware is being half-way there!

Many years ago when I was first involved in editing the Journal of the Seasons (published by the Astrological Society of New Zealand Inc) I began to be aware that there were certain times when preparations for the journal seemed to go particularly well; time seemed to slow down and miraculously in my ordinarily busy schedule, I seemed to have the space to get stuck into the production of the journal. These periods corresponded with the times when Mercury turned retrograde. It wasn’t long before I realised that it would be rather a smart move if I planned my journals around these retrograde periods, and more recently as editor of the New Zealand Journal of Astrology (published by the Astrology Foundation Inc) I continue with this routine to this day.

But I don’t press my luck with Mercury – I check and double-check instructions with the printers (lots of tales could be told about misdirected files and machinery breakdowns during these times!) and I make sure that I wait until he is well and truly Direct before posting and distributing the journals!
Carol Squires

Stories from the newspapers:

Mercury rules commerce - so not a good time to open a business for the first time. And be on the look out for misleading advertisements - not necessarily intentionally misleading, but misleading from the point of view of giving incorrect contact phone numbers or address for instance. I remember one particular series of advertisements for a huge festival being held on the North Shore in Auckland - it gave the dates loud and clear but no-one knew where to go. The advertisements didn’t say where the festival was being held! To add to the confusion, there were absolutely no contact details given either - the local paper was consequently inundated with irate members of the public wanting this information.


From my editorial in The AFI Journal, Issue #29, 2005

I'm sure we all have our favourite Mercury retrograde stories. But this one with a topical Christmas theme made me smile. The local North Shore Times newspaper reported on a much anticipated annual Santa Parade held on 4th December (the day Mercury turned direct) — the only hitch was that Santa failed to show. Turns out he'd forgotten to circle his calendar!


From my editorial in The AFI Journal, Issue #27, 2005

If ever there was a well-publicised event showing the frustrating effects of Mercury Retrograde, it would be hard to top the recent marriage of Prince Charles and his life-time love Camilla Parker-Bowles. Beset by frustrations from the start, these included a change of venue due to a mix-up over marriage licences and — more importantly — the ceremony taking place a whole day later than planned due to Prince Charles' attendance at the funeral of Pope John Paul II on Friday, 8 April. That there was a solar eclipse to boot no doubt intensified the effect of the retrograde Mercury. Mercury's tricks don't stop there — in the following Monday's New Zealand Herald the wedding date is given as 10 April. The civil ceremony took place at 12.30 pm, Saturday 9 April at Windsor Guildhall.

Carol Squires