NIGHTMARE WEEK? BLAME IT ON MERCURY

Want to move house, get married, change jobs? Well, check the ‘trickster planet’ first, say those who believe that when Mercury is retrograde (and it will be from Saturday!), things start going wrong. Eimear O’hagan investigates

For most brides-to-be, the perfect dress and a magical venue are the most important details of the big day. Lilly Sabir, however, was more concerned with planetary positions than seating plans as she prepared for her own wedding. ‘I got married in August 2009 and before committing to the date, I made sure to check it wasn’t one of the periods of the year when Mercury is in retrograde. It was one of my key considerations. To marry in a retrograde would not be good because it affects communication and is known to create misunderstandings.’

Once a term uttered only in devout astrology circles, ‘Mercury retrograde’ is now a regular explanation for all manner of mishaps (and a few triumphs too). Almost half a million posts on Instagram use the hashtag #mercuryretrograde and even celebrities such as Taylor Swift have spoken about its perceived effects.

Yasmin Boland, co-author of The Mercury Retrograde Book, explains that retrogrades are seen, from our vantage point on Earth, as the result of the relative positions of faster- and slower-moving planets orbiting the sun. ‘Mercury retrograde is an astrological phenomenon that happens up to four times a year. Mercury is the fastest-moving planet in our solar system [making its way around the sun every 88 earth days]. During retrogrades, it appears to be slowing, then stopping, then going backwards in the sky,’ she explains.

While all planets experience periods of retrograde, it happens to Mercury most frequently. Being the planet associated with communication, technology, travel and the mind, a perceived planetary slowdown can result – say the astrologers – in a stalling or interruption in those areas of our lives. Furthermore, Mercury is often viewed as the ‘trickster planet’, supercharging its ability to cause chaos during a retrograde phase.

‘Modes of communication can go haywire or get lost, people say things they wish they could take back, written agreements may have to be renegotiated,’ explains Yasmin. ‘Whatever you do when Mercury is in retrograde, you may have to redo.’

While it can be puzzling for astrology sceptics to understand how this planetary quirk can command such a fearful reputation, believers plan every aspect of their lives around it. Lilly, 39, who lives in