How Your Sign Survives Mercury Retrograde

Mercury, everyone's favorite agent of chaos, is retrograde. But, before you bury your head in the sand until it turns direct on March 28, you might not be in for all the inconveniences we're always warned about. According Leslie McGuirk, astrologer and author of The Power Of Mercury, every sign copes with Mercury retrograde differently — and, we promise, all 12 of them stand a chance at survival.

"Can you imagine if every time it rained, everyone freaked out?" McGuirk says, alluding to the fact that Mercury retrograde is a perfectly natural cosmic pattern. "All it means is you have the chance to just be a little bit more careful and little bit slower," she adds. In other words, it isn't inherently good or bad, but some signs handle these periods with a little more, er, grace than others.

One way to tell how a sign will cope with Mercury retrograde is to consider its symbol, McGuirk says. For example, Sagittarius, represented by the Archer or the Centaur, is heavily associated with forward movement. Mercury appears to be moving backward when it enters retrograde, so this sign may struggle with the sensation of delayed — or even reversed — movement. By that same token, a sign like Pisces, which is symbolized by the Fish, may have an easier time, since fish can swim in all directions, McGuirk explains.

Regardless of your sign, "look at this time as a blessing," McGuirk says. Even if you have to work through some initial frustrations — or a uniquely retrograde-induced trash fire in your personal life — having to slow down can be a good thing. Take it as an opportunity to unplug and perform the self-care you always think you're too busy to do. And, if nothing else, keep in mind that Mercury retrograde periods only last about three weeks.

Ahead, McGuirk explains what each of the signs can expect from Mercury's latest backspin.