Oh Mercury...He is cruel

Have things been weird for you lately? A little off?

Has your weight been going up and down for no apparent reason?

Tempers been short? Frustrated??

About to kill your kids?

Not been able to sleep??

This has been a hot topic in my subdivision. Things have just been off- for everyone. My friend P even wrote her blog about it the other day- a bit more humorous then mine will be I am sure.

Then my friend K had a revelation.

The planet Mercury is currently in retrograde.

"What does this mean?" you may ask.

Well 3-4 times a year the planet Mercury decides to slow itself down- to the point where it looks like it is going backwards. Yeah really. I am not making this stuff up. It is an optical illusion but the truth non the less. All planets go into retrograde but for some reason Mercury tends to mess us up more than the others.

It is supposed to give us time to slow down, reflect. Something from the past returns in a different form. Yadda yadda.

It is also a time where you should err on the side of caution. Put off signing a contract, forming partnerships etc but in reality who has time for that? We are a fast paced society. Someone needs to tell Mercury to get with the current times and SPEED up, not slow down.

Mercury is the messenger, and in this time, legend has it that mail vanishes en route. Some people find that their computers go on the fritz or phone lines go down, printers dont work. If you're at all jittery about it, go ahead and back up your important files. That's always a good idea anyway, right?

Also it affects specific people who work with their minds or their wits:  writers and orators, consultants, commentators and critics, gossips and spin doctors, salespeople, teachers, travellers, tricksters and thieves.So fair warning to you. And thankfully you may not get pick pocketed during this time.

The key issue here is one of focus. Mercury's retro phase tends to bring unforeseen changes and blockages, but the aggravation and frustration that many of us experience during these periods is often due to our own inability to roll with the punches. Is this due to our ego-fixation? Have you found like you cant complete a sentence, cant have a coherent thought? Gone into hermit mode? Blame Mercury.

If you have friends who are Gemini and Virgo stay away from them during these periods  have more patience with them these periods because those signs are ruled by Mercury.

Right now we are in retrograde until August 7th. The next retrograde is Nov 6th to Nov 26th. So be prepared people. Have your mace and your rope handy for fending off all the crazys out there! And can you just imagine the psych ward? They must be crawling the walls!

Mercury messing with me has been very evident these past couple weeks. Kids are driving me nuts. I just cant focus. Kids are up at all times of the night to the point I feel like I have newborns.

AND

Mercury messing with my weight.

You heard me right.

Remember how I was down to 175 a couple days ago.

Then for whatever reason yesterday I was up to 177 when I didnt really change a thing?

Well today I was back down to 174.5. I didnt do anything different. I did 30 DS and went for a walk. Had some wine, ate normally. So WTF? Talk about messing with your mind!

So thankfully I dont put much stock into what the scale says anymore.

This morning because my mind was all a whack from the up down of the scale, I tried on my favorite pair of jeans. The ones I couldnt fit into after the tornado and I gained weight back. The ones I got from my skinny sister and when I got them I could do them up but had muffin top galore.

Today they slid up just peachy with just a slight hint of muffin over the tops of them.

That made me feel so good. What a great NSV. I couldnt fit into those jeans until I was in the low 160s. This must mean that muscle is adding to the weight. I am cool with that. Toning is what I want.

So I keep at it. I have already done 30 DS today. And for the first time, I was able to keep up with jumping lunges. Not that I didnt want to curse out Jillian the whole time for it- but I did it.

And today I am going to laugh in the face of Mercury and do something I have wanted for a long time. Get another piercing. I am very excited. I saved my birthday money when I didnt buy anything at the Wyandotte street fair.

And tonight means zumba and dancing in the streets with my Mercury friends and of course Feta Bread Friday!

So burn those extra calories and indulge in something. We can just blame some of the weight gain on Mercury.

Tip of the Day: 
From http://galadarling.com/article/how-to-survive-mercury-retrograde

A quick & dirty guide to
surviving Mercury retrograde!

(Print it off & stick it in your diary or on your wall!)

Be sure not to take things too personally. People will often say offensive things they didn’t mean around this time, because their thinking is clouded & their communication skills are on pause! If your best friend suddenly became the most insensitive person in the world, give her the benefit of the doubt.

Back up your data!

Don’t purchase any big ticket items, because they will often have flaws or issues that you weren’t aware of! Of course, life doesn’t stop just because of wacky planetary movement, so if you absolutely have to get that car, computer or iPhone, TRIPLE-check all the paperwork, & make sure you have a warranty!

Take things with a grain of salt. Everyone is a bit confused, & people are much more inclined to change their mind once Mercury goes direct. Mercury can be a bit of a trickster — could it be that the next few weeks are a big karmic joke?!

Read the small print on any contracts. Ask lots of questions. Again, you can’t put your life on hold just because of some silly planet, but adapt your lifestyle a bit so that things run more smoothly. Communication can be a mess right now, but do your best to get as much information as you can.

Finish things you started a while ago. Home improvement projects? Wardrobe re-organisations? Short stories? Love affairs?! This is an excellent time to tie up loose ends & file things away forever.

Get together with old friends, reminisce & laugh!

Double-check any information you’re given, especially as relates to travel arrangements! During one particularly formidable Mercury retrograde, I actually caught a cab to the wrong airport! Check times, delays, baggage allowances, reservations… everything!

Allow Mercury to nudge you in unusual directions. If you seem to find yourself “back to the future”, don’t just try to wriggle out of it — look at what the universe is trying to show you. What can you learn from this situation? This is a fantastic time to re-examine, accept & move on.

Use the things you’ve discovered in the past to create a dazzling new vision so that you’re ready to blast ahead when Mercury goes direct!