Mercury’s retrograde forebodes national ills

opinion@dailylobo.com

Mercury entered retrograde motion on Election Day, and if you’re an astrology freak like me, you understand the significance.

I dread these periods because it means sluggishness, slow progress, even setbacks. Despite the fact that I subscribe to this pseudoscience, I prefer logic, right and wrong. Retrograde muddies all those clean, clear answers and routines, especially where communication is concerned. Expect troubles with mechanics, electronics, transportation — all the delightful devices of the 21st century upon which we’ve come to rely. You can only expect the unexpected, so it is difficult to plan accordingly.

As aggravating as this sounds, retrograde periods aren’t all bad.

Mercury retrograde calls for self-reflection and reorganization. It is not a good time to start anything new, but to consider what you might shoot for once Mercury returns to direct motion on Nov. 26.

Because it went retrograde on Election Day, I was sure there would be some kind of error that would throw off the process. I am relieved President Obama beat Mitt Romney, but I was disappointed Gary Johnson didn’t get the 5 percent he needed for the third-party Libertarians to become legitimate for the next presidential election. Yet again, there will be two parties represented at the debates and in the media, and few Americans will be satisfied with either candidate. As evidenced by the debates, candidates in either party will say what they must to win their party’s favor, to ensure the votes of their party’s followers. Politicians with fresh ideas will hide those views to maintain favorable positions within the Democratic or Republican parties, or they will opt to represent a third party.

In addition to calling for reflection, retrograde Mercury is an opportunity to think outside the box. With everything in a jumble, it is useless to attempt an orderly approach. The results of this election, in conjunction with this retrograde period, make me think that now is the time for all unsatisfied citizens to think of a way to change the situation to their liking.

It is very frustrating to hear so many complaints about the two-party system forcing people to choose the lesser of two evils when Gary Johnson received less than 5 percent of the vote. I spoke with write-in candidate for U.S. House of Representatives Jeanne Pahls and she told me the write-in candidates were basically shut out of the pre-election discussion. They were not involved in the debates and the media barely covered them. I saw more about the write-in candidates in letters to the editor than anywhere else.

The bottom line is that citizens have these options outside the two-party system, but many are locked into a frame of mind that leaves them ignorant, complacent and frustrated.

I say the cosmos are giving the disgruntled public a chance to make the system work for them, rather than acquiescing to the perceived limitations of what’s established. We have social media to unite us, we have access to our politicians’ contact information and we have a solid portion of the population ready for something that works for them. The politicians are there to work for us, but if we silently submit, who can blame them for doing whatever they want? Let’s not be the pouty partner waiting for our significant other to read our mind. Instead of sitting around your homes waiting for something to happen, make it happen.

P.S. If you don’t believe in the merits of astrology, I strongly suggest you do a web search for a free natal chart calculator, and have your place, date and time of birth handy. Astrology is much more nuanced than the popular 12-sign daily horoscopes. So if your interest has yet to be piqued, or if you aren’t convinced there may be something to it, check your natal chart and read all about yourself. I’ve made many skeptics curious, and while I don’t believe astrology is absolute truth, you’ll likely find there is something to it.