Depending on one’s perspective, Mercury in retrograde is either a monumental phenomenon with drastic repercussions for humanity or a simple, inconsequential optical illusion. The interpretation all hinges on whether a person is more of an astrologer or an astronomer at heart. Let’s start first with the more scientific viewpoint rather than looking at how celestial bodies and star signs may impact the lives of earthly beings.
Mercury [ ˈmɝkjərɪ ] n. 水星 retrograde [ ˈrɛtəˌgred ] a. 倒退的，後退的 repercussion [ ˌripɚˈkʌʃən ] n.（尤指壞的）影響 optical ˈɑptɪkl̩ ] a. 視覺的，光學的 astrologer [ əˈstrɑlədʒɚ ] n. 占星學家 astronomer [ əˈstrɑnəmɚ ] n. 天文學家
The simplest explanation of Mercury in retrograde is the most factual. Simply put, it is an illusory trick of the senses where the smallest planet in our solar system appears to move backwards in its orbit. That is, when viewed from the perspective of the Earth, the planet closest to the Sun appears to move in the sky from east to west rather than west to east. The reason for this illusion is that Mercury’s orbit around the Sun is much faster than Earth’s—about four times as fast, to be more precise. What happens is that when the smaller planet overtakes the Earth in revolving around the Sun, it appears to move in reverse. The effect has been likened to a situation where two cars are traveling on the highway and the faster one passes the slower one. To the driver of the speedier vehicle, the slower car looks like it is moving backwards.
factual [ ˈfæktʃʊəl ] a. 基於事實的 illusory [ ɪˈlusərɪ ] a. 虛假的 orbit [ ˈɔrbɪt ] n.（天體等的）運行軌道 be in orbit在軌道中 to be (more) precise（更）精確地說
Interestingly, it’s not just Mercury that appears to have a retrograde movement: all planets have this characteristic, with planets further from the sun displaying more pronounced retrograde patterns. Yet, for various non-scientific reasons, Mercury’s apparent backward path has attracted all the attention. Astrologers see Mercury in retrograde as an ominous sign, foretelling all sorts of terrible events, none of which are supported by scientific analysis.
