Mercury Retrograde and Lent

There is an astrological event that happens a couple of times a year.  It’s called Mercury Retrograde and I dread when it comes around.  In the realm of the zodiac and sun signs and all other things astrological, Mercury is the ruler of communication and transportation…for the most.  So when Mercury appears to be doing the moon-walk in the Heavens, communication and transportation tends to go haywire.  Mercury doesn’t really move backwards; it just appears to do so for about three weeks.  And when I say communication I mean computers (email or Internet going down), letters getting lost in the mail, or misunderstanding what someone says to you and bickering ensues.  Don’t sign contracts doing this time either. One big example of this was the 2000 Presidential election.  Computers and communication screwed up.  Last week an event took place that screamed “Mercury retrograde!!!” — the Mediterranean, the Middle East and parts of South Asia lost Internet for a day. 

Personally, there are times when I don’t feel the effect of Mercury Retrograde at all.  I guess it depends on the planets placing at the time and the planets in your chart; i.e., gemini in the ninth house.  All things I just don’t have the energy to research and learn.  This time around Mercury has bitten me in the bippy in my House of Hair.  On impulse (never something to do when Merc is acting up), I decided to get my hair cut.  I know better.  I really do.  When I make my appointment I’m disheartened to learn my regular stylist has quit!!  I just found her a year ago!  What do I do?  I throw caution to the wind and allow the teenager on the phone select a stylist to do my hair.  And OH! she just happens to have a slot for me after work.  I agree to it.  Stupid. Stupid. Stupid.

Result: my hair looked like a helmut when I got home.  I was weepy.  I hadn’t been weepy over hair since my mother used me as her guinea pig when she was in cosmotolgy school.  My husband wasn’t sure what to make but he said everything right and didn’t add to the situation.  I thought once I washed it this morning, the world would be right.  Wrong.  Still looks like crap.  So I will wait for it to grow out and do a better, more caution-filled search for a stylist.

If you Google Mercury Retrograde, there is always a blurb saying this is time for reflection.  Yeah. Okay. Whatever.  I reflect on too much as it is.  What’s for dinner? Am I ovulating? Will I have a job tomorrow? Plus, too much reflection right now and the mirror will crack.  No, no; my goal is to tuck in and press on until Mercury rights itself and I may go confidently into friendly conversations again and not hold my breath when logging on to the internet (I pray this blog gets posted without mishap).

 So today with my new hair that everyone said was “cute” and “not as bad as you think”, which is a sure sign I look dreadful, someone out of the blue asked me what I was giving up for Lent.  I’m a New Age pagan.  I’ve never really done Lent.  I tried once when I was in Catholic school but nothing came of it.  I think I went 6 hours without chocolate.  This year I think I shall easily participate in Lent. 

I have given up a flattering hairstyle for Lent.  Tongue firmly set in cheek, of course.

Signing Out

Tags: Lent, Mercury Retrograde