Mercury Retrograde and Pets

by Kathy Biehl

The planet Mercury began its first retrograde of the year today. If you're aware of the concept of Mercury retrograde, you probably associate it with snafus in communication and transportation. Technology misfires; messages get garbled or blocked; travel is delayed. That's not all, though. Anything ruled by Mercury can come up for revisiting or benefit from closer attention under a retrograde. And one of the things that Mercury rules is pets.

The general advice about not making a major purchase during a Mercury retrograde applies to pets. This is not an optimal time to adopt, buy or take in a pet. If you do, something about the pet will probably not be what you think. There's a high risk of a critical piece of information being left out, forgotten, withheld or misunderstood.

On the plus side, this is an ideal time to learn more about and reconnect with an animal that's already with you. Pay close attention to its behavior; if something changes, the cause may not be what it first seems. Make a point to spend more time together, too. The interaction will make you both feel better -- and will counterbalance some of the frustrations that Mercury heaps upon you. When you get home late because traffic was snarled, the loving touch of a pet can help wipe your slate clean.

Mercury will be retrograde from January 11 through February 2. It will happen again from May 6-May 30, September 6-September 29, and December 26 till January 15 of next year.