Mercury Retrograde Is Over, But It Can Still Mess With Your Phone For This Annoying Reason

If you felt the effects of a grueling three-week stretch of mercury retrograde, you're probably counting your blessings now that it has finally come to an end. The period when the closest planet to the sun appears to move backwards has long been linked to lapses in communication and movement. It also has been known to affect the function of technology. But, don't let your guard down just yet; the period just following mercury retrograde known as the retroSHADE (or the shadow period) has just begun. So how will April 2018's mercury retrograde post-shadow period affect technology? The truth is, it may result in some comparable undesirable effects on how you make your way through the world, with a particular influence on technology.

Before diving into the concept of mercury retroshade, let's do a little refresher on the effects of mercury retrograde. Mercury is the closest planet to the sun. Planets generally revolve around the sun from east to west. But a few times during the calendar year, Earth passes Mercury in its orbit, creating an illusion that the planet is circling from west to east (the prefix "retro" is is rooted in the Latin work for "back").

Mercury is widely regarded by astrologers as the planet that rules communication and movement, according to Astrostyle. But, these two areas encompass a multitude of different things you deal with on a daily basis. It spans everything from one-on-one, direct communication with other people to the function of everyone's electronics. Not to mention its ties to travel, cell towers, and even the internet. When mercury enters a period of retrograde and as a result appears to move backwards, it is said to affect the aspects of life to which it is most closely linked. This last period of mercury retrograde took place between March 22 and April 15.

If you assume everything goes back to normal now, I have some less-than-stellar news for you. The two-week period of time that immediately follows mercury retrograde may also have some surprises in store. Between Apr. 16 and May 4, you may find yourself feeling so out of wack, it is as if the retrograde period never even ended. It is during this period mercury transitions out of its reversal, back into its normal trajectory.

Many of the effects of mercury retroshade are comparable to those caused by the retrograde period. AstroStyle advises you to "...take the necessary Mercury retrograde precautions, moving ahead at a gentle clip and not rushing into anything binding," until retrograde concludes. Though it should be noted, retroshade is NOT associated with the feelings of confusion or brain fog said to come with traditional retrograde period. So, you will at least be able to gain a little bit of mental clarity.

Basically, just because mercury retrograde has finished does not necessarily mean you are going to feel completely normal again right away. A lesser-known yet related phenomena called mercury restroshade immediately follows mercury retrograde, and can cause similar discrepancies in technology and other aspects of life. Overall, things may still seem unsteady, but you're lively to have a better grasp on why things are happening. In any case, you only have to make it through two more weeks before life is really, really back to normal.

In the meantime, take extra care to avoid any life-altering decisions during the next two weeks. Anticipate technological issues by staying equipped with more archaic ways to remain organized (bring extra headphones or even a book on the subway; carry a pad of paper and a pen to avoid being so dependent on your phone). Before you know it, retroshade will have concluded, and you won't be ably to use the planets as an excuse for why your life falling apart (whether this is a blessing or a curse is up to you).