Uh-oh: The final Mercury retrograde of 2024 is here. Expect delays, technical issues.
Mercury will be in retrograde until Dec. 15, the last of four times it appears to move backward in the sky this year.
For at least a portion of 2024, nearly every planet in our solar system has been in retrograde. It's when a planet appears to move in the opposite direction of other planets.
According to astrology, it's time to have patience as we enter this retrograde during this holiday season. Try to be a little more understanding and adaptable during Mercury's retrograde. You should also give yourself more time to travel and avoid signing any new contracts you aren't sure about. Before you go, check in with your reservations and proofread your email responses. Before making decisions, give plans and projects some thought, according to the Almanac.
What is retrograde?
"Retrograde" comes from the Latin word "retrogradus," which combines the words "retro," which means "backward," and "gradus," which means "step." The word "anapodizō," which means "to step or go back," was used by the ancient Greeks.
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When Mercury is in retrograde, what does it mean?
Because Mercury takes about 88 days to complete its orbit, we usually see three or four Mercury retrogrades a year.
Astrologers say Mercury regulates travel, business, technology and communication, as well as the mind. That's why Mercury can be blamed for travel delays, technology problems and people from your past coming back into the picture, they say.
What planets will experience retrograde in December
All of our solar system's planets, including Pluto, the dwarf planet, have retrograded this year. Earth's not included in that, because the planets are retrograding from Earth's point of view.
Planets that will retrograde into December are Mercury, Mars, Jupiter, Uranus and Neptune.
Retrograde calendar for 2024 and 2025
Mercury is in retrograde now through Dec. 15, the last for 2024.
Facts about Mercury
Mercury is the first planet in our solar system, closest to the sun, so its daytime temperatures can rise to 800 degrees Fahrenheit. It has no atmosphere, so nighttime temperatures can drop as low as minus 290 degrees, according to NASA.
- It's the tiniest planet in our system, just a little larger than Earth's moon.
- It's fast, too: Mercury can orbit the sun in just 88 Earth days. Earth takes 365 days, 6 hours and 9 minutes to circle the sun.
- Mercury was created about 4.5 billion years ago as gravity drew spinning gas and dust together.
Ancient history of noting retrogrades
Claudius Ptolemy, an ancient Greek astronomer, had one of the first written records of explaining retrograde motion in the second century A.D. The Ptolemaic model depicted planets moving around Earth in a big circle, known as a deferent, then going around a smaller circle while retrograding, called an epicycle.
Though ancient astronomers didn't fully understand the solar system's movements, astrologers assigned meaning to the planets and how they moved through the skies, including their speed and direction.
In about the same era as Ptolemy, Hellenistic astrologer Vettius Valens wrote "The Anthology," the longest, most detailed treatise on astrology from that time period. Valens wrote, "If the star is setting or proceeding with a retrograde motion, it will be harmful and hazardous."
Abraham ben Meir Ibn Ezra, a medieval astrologer, wrote "The Beginning of Wisdom" in 1148 A.D. as a basic introduction to astrology. In it he wrote, "A planet about to turn retrograde is like a frightened person, fearing adversities that are coming to him."
Modern astrologers have a more benign approach to describing planetary retrogrades, calling them "an internalization of that planetary function." Because Mercury rules the mind and communication, Mercury's retrograde can be a time for reflection.
This page was updated with new information.
SOURCE The Planetary Society, Sacramento State University, Astrology.com, astro-see.com and Paste BN research