It’s that time again, ladies. No, I’m not talking about it being time to slowly phase out shaving your legs since the fall will be approaching soon. I’m talking about Mercury in retrograde. For those who don’t know, our bodies and emotions are all pulled or controlled by the alignment of the planets, whether or not you choose to believe it. We are creatures of light and habit, and our motivations as well as our actions are controlled by the currents up in the sky. So, if you’d like to learn what makes us turn into psychos during the two week retrograde, keep on reading.

But first - what does it mean that mercury is in retrograde? It means that if you study the planet during this period it will appear to be moving backwards. However, it is actually just moving past Earth in a different speed that ends up making it appear to move backwards. This happens typically about four times a year. This change causes disruption to its orbit, which we feel inside ourselves.

No matter if you check your horoscope on the daily or barely know what your moon sign is, the mercury retrograde affects us all. Why, you may ask? The quote “as above, so below” comes to mind. This means that as it is happening above us (how the world works above Earth) will be mirrored below it (will be mirrored down on Earth). When the world is faced with chaos, it is usually a result of the chaotic mess going on upstairs, so to speak.

Each person may react differently to the retrograde because of their individual location when they were born, but here’s a crash course of what you’ll (most likely) be facing in the next two weeks:

Closure is not key. Mercury is known to make people believe that they should try to get closure with their past experiences. BIG MISTAKE. This is like, the worst time to do that. Mercury makes your emotions weak, which means you'll face a ton of hurt and not a lot of healing.

Communication will be weak. Mercury is the ruling plane of our Communication skills. This means in your daily life and daily relationships, you might be finding it hard to communicate how you feel in different settings and situations.

Technology will be on the fritz. As mercury is a metallic planet and substance, it will be interacting negatively with a lot of technological or electronic items here on Earth.

Mercury rules the mind, so you are going to experience some brain fog this retrograde. Maybe you're having trouble coming up with article ideas, maybe your boss is waiting to hear the next biggest idea you've got and you have nothing. When retrograde passes, your mind will clear up.

Conflicts are going to escalate. This retrograde means that emotions are raw and it will be super hard to see eye to eye. So, if you can't resolve it immediately, it's best to wait and let both parties simmer until the retrograde is done.

Your judgment is down. It happens, okay? Mercury being in retrograde is compared to by many in the astrological/metaphysical realm as Mercury taking a nap, so it’s normal for your judgment or ambition to be lower than usual.

Feeling stuck is another commonly reported thing during the retrograde. Stuck in a depression or a constant state of anxiety is normal during this time because again, emotions are high, and with mental clarity not available it makes it hard to recover.

Agreements will change. Just be prepared for it, and do not sign any contracts or agreements during this period. Retrograde will cause confusion, and both parties will be harmed in the end.

Good Luck! And remember, reality is always plural and mutable, according to Robert Anton Wilson.