By Rob Moore

I have seen it time and time again: fragile new connections that undergo a shift during some part of a Mercury retrograde phase. Mark, Sandy, Travis and a position at an animation studio that was almost in my lap each disintegrated just as the communication planet turned either retrograde or direct. But then along came James, Zack, Ethan and a freelance opportunity that served, once and for all, to reverse my own thinking about Mercury retrograde.

Just under 20 years ago, while I was gathering enough evidence to feel confident in astrology, I became very astute about the regularly recurring Mercury retrograde. Back then, this transit was most often interpreted by astrologers as something of a horror. I’m certainly glad to no longer be that guy who, for all intents and purposes, hid under the bed for a month. I’m also elated that in more recent times our astrology consciousness has expanded significantly beyond such fear.

As we enter the last week of this year’s second Mercury retrograde, it is the effects on opportunities to join that I’m focusing on at today. If you’re looking for an article with more steam this weekend, I would recommend Eric’s feature article Mercury and Mars Retrograde: The Underlying Question that went out to subscribers Thursday. In addition to some pertinent sexual food for thought, Eric makes a valuable point about retrograde planets by stating, “There is the retrieval of something that was previously disowned or taken away.”

In my earlier years, however, I wasn’t trying to consciously apply Mercury retrograde. I was trying to go unnoticed by it. But it was only for a few years that I tried desperately not to do or — for this hoof-in-mouth Sagg — say anything at all for over three weeks straight. It was rapidly demonstrated that any attempts at completely shutting down were futile. Besides, like clockwork, I have regularly been bombarded with relationship and creative opportunities when Mercury performs its reversal illusion.

Still, I resisted. Hard. One of my deep dreads in this life is having nothing come of what I’ve given my all. The very idea that under Mercury retrograde I would accept the world’s greatest job and relocate (if merely across town), only to have them change their minds once Mercury went direct, is an idea that has never sat well with me.

A few weeks back I related the story of my relationship with Travis, which arose under Mercury retrograde and rapidly went south, albeit by my own heavy-handedness. This was my first conscious awareness that, like career opportunities, if Mercury was apparently moving backwards, the suitors will come a-knockin’. And as events with Travis seemed to demonstrate, such opportunities were better off left at the door.

So what is a diligent subscriber to astrology to do? Well, with each passing retrograde, I began to look deeper… for the exceptions. Among my most striking discoveries was that General Motors was founded during Mercury retrograde. Indeed, they have been through numerous changes — not the least of which involves heavy cutbacks in recent years — but hardly a company whose long history could be described as a failure.

There would, however, be a far more riveting discovery for me. Once I delved deep enough into astrology to have my natal chart drawn up, I learned that I was born under Mercury retrograde. Possessing cherished writing and communication ambitions, this really set me in a tailspin. I already had a history of having my intentions misunderstood by people. Mercury, I concluded, was the reason and that was the end of that.

My hope was soon restored, however, upon learning that Mercury retrograde was in the natal chart of arguably the world’s best-known astrologer, Jonathan Cainer, whose passing took us by surprise last week. I was quick to recognize that he had not only successfully brought a higher form of writing to astrology, but millions hinged on what he was obviously communicating quite clearly every day.

As the evidence piled up that my life assignment was to work with Mercury retrograde instead of run from it, I began to experiment. The greatest opportunities generally arose in the romantic and sexual departments. I basically took a deep breath and decided to dive headfirst into relationship situations I figured could be snatched away as soon as Mercury turned direct or be a nightmare or not be what they seemed — or all the above.

One pattern I have been faced with again and again involves those whom I feel an attraction toward despite the fact that they rarely give me the time of day. Mark was one such guy. After not seeing him for weeks, we began to run into each other during one particular Mercury retrograde. This time around he began to show an interest in me. He demonstratively wanted to get closer. He seemed deeply interested in the person he was at last getting to know.

Having decided to go with the flow of Mercury retrograde developments, Mark and I spent the retrograde period establishing our very basic mutual interest in each other. When plans were finally made to do something together, it fell on a date when Mercury would be direct again. By the time that day rolled around, Mark had lost interest again and the whole thing poofed into thin air. Except for the anger I was left to work through. Anger mostly at myself for giving Mercury retrograde a chance.

I could go on and on with tales of individuals who did an about face when Mercury turned retrograde. With each experience, however, I found myself able to get more philosophical about the whole thing. I began to look at what had transpired that somehow gave me vital insight into other areas of life.

As each retrograde suitor has come along, I have therefore offered the situation to my guidance and left the door open to whatever resulted. As I have stuck with it — both partnership interests and career opportunities — I have noticed another frequent pattern. Many times, the same exact people and opportunities return under each successive retrograde.

For the longest time, I still viewed this as a less-than-desirable set of circumstances. Desirable or not, for years and years now my most cherished opportunities have re-presented themselves during Mercury retrograde. So my next move was to determine how this could result in a flow of events that worked in the best interests of all involved.

Once in this frame of mind, the pattern I have noticed is actually rather encouraging. As time has marched on (or is it my consciousness?), key situations seem to have shifted to envelope the length of the entire retrograde phase. Connections and opportunities that have begun to solidify when Mercury is direct often enter some notable new chapter on the first day of Mercury’s shadow phase. This may be a planned event that falls on that first shadow day or an unforeseen convergence of factors.

In this set of circumstances, with Mercury still direct yet slowing, this leaves a great span of time for things to concretely develop. Once Mercury turns retrograde, it’s usually only small details that need to be ironed out. Maybe twice, even. Still, the big picture stays solidly intact.

But there’s more going on here than the effects seen during retrograde. A shift has taken place in how I approach and appreciate relationships. A shift that would not have happened if I had not decided to give myself to the experience of Mercury retrograde.

I have been surprised, relieved and a little humbled in the last year or so by some Mercury retrograde newcomers on my scene — James, Zack and Ethan — whose integrity has not been dented during the length of these recurring transits.

Unlike the pattern in the past wherein such new connections rip off the mask (or slide one on) as soon as Mercury seemingly turns backwards, my heart has skipped a few beats to find that James has no mask. And that Zack’s personality has remained steady. And that mutual respect continues to grow between Ethan and me.

In terms of career opportunities that show up during Mercury retrograde, it’s a major overhaul of my own outlook and my own expectations that has resulted. Some while back I concluded that being a free agent is the most gratifying path for me. I have also seen through the years that I regularly need to pull back and refuel my creative stores. Therefore, if the big projects only come through around Mercury retrograde, I am beginning to see how that may be exactly what the doctor ordered. I believe there’s a reason things happen as they do. I would like very much once and for all to settle into that idea.

In all likelihood, many more Mercury retrogrades lie ahead of me. I have no delusions that no more masks will ever be involved, nor that a situation will never again do an about face. Today, however, I realize there are heartfelt connections that have their roots well outside Mercury retrograde; even if that’s when they appear to touch ground. Today, I am confident it’s worth finding out if that’s true. That has everything to do with deciding to give the oft misunderstood astrological transit-of-misunderstandings a chance to show me what it really means.