Whether it’s science or magic, if it’s of fun benefit, enjoy! ~ Ed 

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From December 19th to January 8th, 2017, the planetary cosmos may affect our lives in crazy ways.

It could even bring confusion to the question, “Who is the rightful President of the United States?”

This cosmic event is called Mercury Retrograde.

This particular Mercury Retrograde may bring chaos and upset to the U.S. Presidency because on December 19th, the presidential electors meet in their respective states to cast their vote for the President (and Vice President) of the United States.

These electors may be concerned with Russian hackers and voting with their conscience.

Consider this news story: At 10:45 p.m. on December 9, 2016, the Washington Post broke an explosive story alleging that Russians had interfered with the 2016 presidential election in order to assist Donald Trump in a victory over democratic candidate Hillary Clinton. The story reveals that a CIA assessment detailing this conclusion had been presented to President Obama and top congressional leaders last week. This recent news event could put the Trump presidency in question. Here is why…

The Founding Fathers were also concerned with the people electing a demagogue, which many see Donald Trump to be. So, the framers built a fail-safe into the Constitution. It’s called the Electoral College. As a Founding Father, Alexander Hamilton was explicit: this mechanism was designed to ensure that “the office of president will never fall to the lot of any man who is not in an eminent degree endowed with the requisite qualifications.”

So, whether it is because evidence shows that Russia has tampered with the U.S. presidential election to ensure that Trump won or because Trump is perceived as unqualified because of his demagoguery, these electors may feel unbound to vote for Trump.

What could happen? It is very possible, that on December 19, a small group of Republican electors will be persuaded to vote their conscience and not vote for Trump, which would throw the U.S. presidency into confusion. It’ll be interesting at least to watch what happens on that date.

What about us?

Even if you’re skeptical, it’s interesting to just pay attention and keep an open mind to the life experiences we have over the next three weeks.

Here’s how the planet Mercury may affect us.

Mercury rules our intelligence, mind, memory and all types of communication, ranging from talking and texting to writing. It also affects our self-expression and communication style.

In a more public sense, it rules commerce, computers, telephones, transportation and air travel. How Mercury functions in our birth chart explains a great deal about how we formulate ideas and how we share them. It indicates how we make sense of the everyday world we live in. During these three weeks, our mental faculties may not be functioning well—in fact they might seem to “go on vacation.”

Under this planetary influence (which occurs three times this year), communications of all types can seem to go haywire. We can experience misunderstandings and communication failures in such abundance that we may find ourselves looking up at the sky and stars and saying, “What the hell is going on?”

My answer: Mercury is in Retrograde.

Here is just a sampling of some of the things that may go wrong in our lives at this time.

Nine things I’d advise against, as an astrologer, during Mercury Retrograde:

1. Buying things:

That is—unless you enjoy making purchases that you’ll later regret because you discover that something was wrong with the purchase. I once bought an expensive suit during the retrograde, only to find that two weeks later (when Mercury went direct), the same suit was on sale at 40 percent off.

But if you’re going to buy, do it mindfully.

2. Purchasing computers or beginning installations:

This is when you may discover that you bought the computer from hell. You might also regret not buying the three-year warranty the salesperson suggested. And, when you install your new software, you could expect glitches. Hard drives fail, so make sure to back them up ahead of time.

3. Repairing your car:

Unless you absolutely have to. If you have to repair it, make sure to triple-check the work that was done. You may find out when Mercury goes direct that the repair wasn’t properly done and will have to be done again.

4. Selecting or moving in with a roommate:

I have a good friend who invariably finds himself looking for a roommate during the retrograde. Recently, he chose a person he was sure was the perfect roommate. Their credit checked out. They seemed nice enough and said all the right things at their “lets get to know each other” meeting. But once Mercury went direct, he found out that his new roommate was a slob, loved to play music loudly and watched TV into the wee hours of the morning because he was an insomniac.

5. Traveling a lot:

If you can’t put certain trips on hold, just be aware that you can expect an unusual amount of last-minute flight cancellations, meeting postponements and long delays. Allow extra time when traveling; make sure your bags are secure. Re-confirm your reservations, appointments and addresses for your meetings, as delays and cancellations can be expected. (Which is always good advice, any time really!)

6. Accepting or starting a job:

I had one client who did just this, after I advised against it. By the time she started the month after, when Mercury went direct, the company had changed her job so much that it no longer resembled the one that she had accepted. Her reporting relationship had also totally shifted from the great guy she was going to work for to the loudmouth, chauvinistic boss from hell! During Mercury retrograde, things may not be as they seem.

7. Making agreements:

Whether it be negotiating contracts, agreements or signing any legal documents—be mindful of whatever you put into writing, because it may require serious revision when Mercury goes direct. You may miss something in the details, so if you’re going to go ahead, be sure to check twice. (Also generally good advice!) And, there may be something you’re not aware of that you will only discover when Mercury goes direct.

I had a friend who got married during the Mercury retrograde. Three weeks later, her new husband decided to tell her about the two children he had out of wedlock.

8. Initiating new projects:

From an astrological point of view, I’d be wary of launching new projects or making that big presentation at this time. People may either not understand it or oppose it. (Which can still happen outside of retrograde, sure.) You may find out later that you left out a vitally important detail that you didn’t think of. If your project is adopted, it may either fail or have to be totally restructured at a later date to succeed.

9. Scheduling meetings: 

Avoid (or minimize) scheduling meetings and events during Mercury retrograde, because you may be more likely to experience confusion, mistakes and cancellations. I once had a client whose business was offering public seminars. He had a ridiculously high number of cancellations and no shows for his seminars during the four times a year of Mercury retrograde. I told him to stop booking his seminars during those dates. That advice solved his problem.

The best advice I can give you as an Astrologer:

To avoid these problems, maybe wait until Mercury goes direct to make important decisions.

When that happens, astrologically speaking, clearer communication will return and necessary information will be more easily conveyed. We will once again be able to rely on our own judgement, as well as important data, and see matters with 20/20 vision.

Best of all, we’ll be in a better position to make our efforts successful starting January 8, 2017, when Mercury goes direct.

Bonus:

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If you want to know if you were born with Mercury Retrograde or more about how the planets may be bringing changes to your life, go to the Free Transit Calculator and enter your birth date. (Please make sure to scroll down to the end of the page to see where Mercury is in your Horoscope.)

If you want to know about the planets in your personal horoscope, go to the Free Horoscope Calculator and enter your birth date. If you’re curious to learn what your Horoscope says about your love relationships, and marriage prospects, as well as career, investments and health, order your customized personal report.

If you’re in love and want to find out if you’re really compatible for marriage (or partnership) with another person, go to the Free Love Compatibility Calculator and enter your birth date and theirs. And, if you want a customized report on your compatibility together, order your Love Compatibility Report.

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Author: Larry Schwimmer

Image: fallenZeraphine/ DeviantArt

Editor: Khara-Jade Warren