camelintheloop

[camelintheloop]

Mercury Retrograde, 2023

So Mercury in an apparent retrograde motion has just ended this January 18, and while this astrological or astronomical phenomenon has been a hit to most people because of its "bad omen" here are my takes on this.

Mercury retrograde has been usually associated with bad luck. During this phenomenon, I guess it's already part of our culture (or it's something about being human) that we start blame our mishaps and screwups to something that we do not really understand and treat it a bad omen.

Sometimes when we do not want to take responsibility there is a real human emotion and a real human need for people to reach for things outside of their bubble to bring some kind of meaning out of their misfortunes.

You know, aside from my course, which is Chemical Engineering, I've been personally studying astronomy over the years. I know it's far from what I am really taking up in college, but from all the stresses and pressures I get form studying engineering, Astronomy is like a comfort subject for me to learn about and it's what I lean on to whenever I have the urge to learn something outside of engineering.  

And as a student engineer and an astronomy enthusiast, I am duty bound and obligated to share what the objective truths are during these kinds of phenomena. And I wanted to say that a mercury in retrograde is not real. A planet does not physically start moving backwards in its orbit after moving in one direction for some time.

Mercury Retrograde is an astronomical apparent illusion because of earth and mercury's relative speeds around the sun. Mercury appears to be going back because it revolves around the sun much faster than we are. The backward movement is an illusion. Think about this. If you are inside a moving train, and there is another train beside you that is much slower. The train alongside you appears to be moving backward but in reality, it is just moving slowly than you are.

In the realm of astrology Mercury Retrograde is only considered as bad luck because it originates from the fact that Mercury or the Greek God Hermes is the God of communication. He served as a messenger for all other gods. And when the planet retrogrades, those who are inclined in astrology expect a misunderstanding when it comes to communication and disagreements in relationships. What a way to pass the blame.  But as Shakespeare always said, the fault is not in our stars, but in ourselves. The Universe doesn't care about.

A thing that I like about astronomy is that it keeps me in my place. It always tells me that the Universe doesn't care about me. And while that seems depressing and negative to some people, especially for an  essentialist, existentialist, and those who take an optimistic or enthusiastic view about life, As a nihilist, It's a perfect ground of foundation for people who lives in the lens of nihilism. It teaches me that I am a speck of dust and a mere thinking part of the universe that will eventually die and there is nothing wrong about that.

I understand that there is a human need to find meaning and a reason   for our misfortunes to provide ourselves comfort and to persuade ourselves for motivation and I respect that. But what I mean, by my own perspective and belief, is that my life doesn't depend on the universe. My life doesn't depend on any astrological being or phenomena, it doesn't depend on any constellation or zodiac, and it doesn't depend on whether the mercury is on retrograde or prograde. But that's just for me.