Editor’s note: Astrology isn’t a religion. We’re not sure it’s a science, either. It’s magic, maybe. But, as with feng shui, say, things affect things. So as long as we don’t go blaming our problems on the stars, as long as we assume responsibility for our own actions…well, hell, a little auspicious coincidence and applicable wisdom can’t hurt. And so, with that grain of salt…enjoy!

Say three cheers: hurray…hurray…hurray because Mercury retrograde is officially over!

My readers are always asking me: “Is there anything good that comes from Mercury retrograde?” Yes. There is a great deal of positive that comes out of this three-week period. It is time to count your blessings because for many of you: Mercury retrograde may have saved your ass!

Don’t forget: there is a real purpose to Mercury retrograde. After all, sometimes, in order to move forward we need to slow down and even move backward. This gives us the opportunity to rethink our ideas and actions and even “fix what might be broken.” By doing this, when we do move forward, we will make better decisions and produce better results.

These three weeks are meant to be a contemplative period where we review past ideas and insights we’ve had, activities we’ve been involved with, projects that we’re working on, communication with others and all the plans we’ve been making.

This was our opportunity to reflect on each of these areas and ask ourselves if we “missed something.” This was an excellent time to review, research, revise, reevaluate and reconsider all our plans, so we could make more successful decisions when Mercury goes direct on February 12^th. So, let us rejoice because there are a lot of benefits we may have received from this past Mercury retrograde.

Six Reasons to Be Grateful

1. You’re so glad you didn’t invest a $100,000 in that Octopus Sausage Fast Food Franchise. Okay admit it, some of you were seriously considering an investment in the octopus sausage business or a doggie goggles multi-level marketing business. Or, perhaps, you were giving serious thought to quitting your seven-figure hedge fund job on Wall Street to join the fun, carefree life of the circus. Now that Mercury is direct, and after careful evaluation, these decisions don’t seem to be the best ones. This is when a person discovers flaws in their thinking. Useful information comes to light causing a person to reconsider their plans. It seems that octopus sausage might be popular in a third-world country, but not so much in the U.S. Once you get over the rejection by the circus HR department, you realize being on your high school gymnastic team might not have been the best qualification for a high wire act with Cirque du Soleil. This was, indeed, a great time to learn useful information and avoid making some “potentially” big mistakes.

2. “Honey, Guess Where I Found Your Diamond Ring?”  The direct period is a great time to find items we’ve lost. We all lose things of value, even when Mercury is not retrograde. However, during the retrograde, when people are especially careless and mistake-prone, there is a higher propensity to lose important items such as money, clothes, rings or other valuables. The direct period is a very fortunate time to find, not only items that we’ve lost during the retrograde, but valuables we’ve lost over the years. Make a list of any items that were lost recently, or even months, or years ago. Think back to when and where they were lost. Mentally, our mind is especially sharp now, allowing us to recall details we had long forgotten. This is when we suddenly think of a new place we’ve never looked before and magically, our lost item will be there (i.e., under a cushion or when we see the glint of metal from underneath the carpet). Or, we may suddenly remember someone we should contact who could help us recover what we’ve lost.

3.  “I’m Sorry I called you a controlling b*tch!”  The direct period is an excellent time to resolve misunderstandings that have occurred. We all make mistakes in the way we communicate with others, saying things we don’t really mean (i.e., with the exception of what you said about your mother-in-law, which you will never take back “retrograde or not!”). Unfortunately, many of our communication snafus occur during the retrograde period. But what separates the men from the boys and the girls from the women are the ways we clean them up after we make them. If we’ve had an argument at work with a colleague or boss, or had a big fight with a loved one, or yelled at our children in a harsh way, Mercury direct is the ideal time to discuss what’s upset us, apologize or forgive someone. Now is when we have the mental clarity to express ourselves appropriately and reach a new understanding that will resolve our upset and create a more harmonious relationship.

4. “Glad I didn’t accept that job promotion with that oil company that just laid off 10,000 employees.”  During the retrograde, we may have had some confusion about whether to accept a promotional opportunity or a new job offer. All the facts we need to know are not clear, so it’s not a good time to accept a new work opportunity or start the new job. However, when Mercury goes direct those doubts will be gone. The fog lifts and our vision is 20/20. We’re now able to evaluate the good, bad and the ugly of any employment opportunity and chose the one that’s right for us. What we find out when Mercury goes direct is often news that will make us happy that we didn’t accept a particular job offer.

5. “What a great surprise to hear from my long-lost ‘rich’ Uncle Mortie!”  All kinds of people from our past may contact us during Mercury retrograde. Even though we may have contacted someone months ago, now is when we’ll finally hear from an old friend or contact. The surprise could be that we hear from an old relationship, that we haven’t heard from in years, wanting to say hello, see how we are (and maybe leave us a large inheritance). During Mercury retrograde, I had an ex-fiancé, who I hadn’t heard from in years, re-contact me to see if I was still single and available.

6.  “Just as I was about to take my car over to the wrecker to be junked, I finally discovered the source of that infernal rattle.”  During Mercury retrograde is when we’ll often discover the source of a problem or a way to fix it. We may have lived with a noise in the house coming from somewhere we could never discover. Mercury retrograde is a great time to solve that mystery, and to find a solution. Any machinery at home or work that is ready to malfunction will often do so during the retrograde. This gives us the opportunity to fix it, once and for all (even if we wait until Mercury is direct to make the final repair).

Under the retrograde, when we slow down our lives and take notice of our behavior, actions and decisions, we learn a lot. The positive events that often occur can make us very grateful that it occurred.

If you want to know if you were born with Mercury Retrograde and where your personal transits are—to see if they are affecting you—go to Free Transit Calculator and enter your birth date. And, if you’re curious to learn more about your personal Horoscope in 2015 and what it says about your love relationships, career, investments and health: Order your customized Report: Your Horoscope & Future in 2015.

Relephant:

25 Ways to Know if You Were Affected by this Mercury Retrograde!

Author: Larry Schwimmer

Editor: Travis May

Photos: Wikipedia