Micah Marie F. Naadat
Astrology has been around for centuries and traces its roots in ancient Mesopotamia. Recently, its rise across social media platforms has made people more aware of certain astrological terms such as “Saturn Return,” “Natal Chart,” “Sun, Moon, Rising,” and the ever infamous, “Mercury Retrograde.”
But what is this so-called “Mercury Retrograde,” anyway? Time Magazine has covered the topic, dating as far back as 2018, and it has been associated with negative connotations. As discussed in the article penned by Wilder Davies, “Because Mercury is the planet said to rule communication, those who are astrologically, those who are astrologically inclined expect frequent misunderstandings, scheduling problems, and disagreements with friends during this period.” However, it is not only the “astrologically-inclined” who are now familiar with this term. Memes have been shared about stating, “Is Mercury in Gatorade or whatever?” and even global pop superstar, Miss Americana Taylor Swift, just tweeted recently about one mishap occurring from the Eras Tour, calling the incident, “Mercury in Retrograde Coded.”
As a student of the law, a field of study that operates on sound logic, concrete evidence, and factual arguments, I am well aware (and as I am often reminded by my more skeptical peers) of why it is difficult to believe in things like Mercury, a planet in the solar system, moving backwards on its axis, a.k.a. going in retrograde.
However, my interest in this unconventional field has taught me a few lessons about life that I cannot be highlighted on my codals and books: faith, trust, and surrender. Before, I used to be a person who plans things down to a T. But life has been “Mercury in Retrograde Coded” recently, and I needed to learn how to surrender the things I cannot control. I learned that no matter how much I organize my timeline, fortuitous events can still occur.
Without a doubt, these delays are frustrating. It makes us question when our turn will be, if the sacrifices we are making are worth it, or if we even deserve the things we aspiring for. But it is in these moments of uncertainty, detours, and anxiety where faith, trust, and surrender can do their work. And no matter how “Mercury in Retrograde Coded” life may seem, our destiny is still ours to take and make, we just have to trust the process.
After all, delays are not equivalent to denials. As they like to say in the State of Kansas, Per Aspera Ad Astra—“through hardships to the stars.”
The Barrister 