NEWS

Three times a year, Earth speeds up in its orbit around the Sun and catches up with the usually faster planet, Mercury. When this occurs, it seems that Mercury is falling behind or going retrograde. When Mercury is retrograde, starting new projects will attract difficulties, communication will go awry, and traveling and transportation can be problematic. It's not a good time to buy anything with moveable parts, set up appointments, or believe any gossip that you hear. In fact, it's too bad that we all don't just take a break during Mercury retrograde, but for must of us that's impossible. We just have to do the best we can under trying circumstances. This little column will focus on mercury retrograde stories that I've found in the media, experiences that I or my friends and acquaintances have had during this annoying period. Mercury is retrograde from the 18th of this month until February 8th. But there is always about a week before and several days after that we can experience these retrograde snafus. If we shouldn't buy much of anything, start new projects, take too seriously what people say, or make appointments and expect them to be kept, what can we do during this 30 day period? We can spend more spiritual time-- this is inner work time, and we can re-visit old projects or ideas.

Psychics Vera and Chuck's copier and printer both go on the blink. During Mercury retrograde, machines break down.

Kenneth Lay does not show up to testify in front of Congress as planned. Appointments are cancelled during Mercury retrograde.

A man with fertilizer on his shoes sets off alarms at San Francisco Airport, tying up thousands of people, and disappears in the crowd. Things are not what they seem during Mercury Retrograde.

A masked marauder invades the Bohemian Grove only to find two guards and no Bohos. Plans often go array during Mercury Retrograde.

Chinese leader Jiang Zemin is infuriated that a Boeing 767 made in the US for his own use contained more than 20 bugs (spying devices). Sometimes under Mercury retrograde you don't get what you paid for and mechanical devices are defective.

Bush chokes on a pretzel, faints, and bashes face on floor. Weird accidents can happen during Mercury retrograde.

A plaque manufactured in Texas to honor the actor, James Earl Jones, at a celebration last Saturday for Martin Luther King was inscribed with the following: Thank you James Earl Ray for keeping the dream alive. Earl Ray was, of course, convicted of the assassination of Martin Luther King. City Commissioner of Fort Lauderdale Florida, Margaret Bates, said this about the distressing snafu,"It's a real outrage...To confuse James Earl Ray with James Earl Jones. Just think of the significance."

A friend of mine has been having trouble with his telephone for a couple of weeks (sometimes mercury retrograde really seems to hit early). His first request for help went unheeded (the phone company said they sent someone out, however, no one was there. My friend says he was at home the entire time). His second request also was to no avail (the phone company just didn't respond). Finally on his third try, his phone line was repaired, but when he went shopping to find a new battery for his cordless phone, he couldn't find the right type anywhere.

At the grocery store this evening the clerk announced that it was taking a long time for the ATM cards to clear. When she said, "I don't know why," Psychic Chuck and I almost said in unison,"It's Mercury retrograde". One customer had to wait as much as fifteen minutes, most had to wait at least ten. Psychic Chuck told her we wouldn't have to wait at all. And we didn't.

If you have any mercury retrograde stories, address them to Psychic Vera at aquila@aquilaink.com and we'll publish them.