THE ‘RETROGRADE’ IS A BOON IN DISGUISE: a chance for you to level up
Jaya Saxena, the author of “Crystal Clear: Reflections on Extraordinary Talismans for Everyday Life,” says, “From an astronomical perspective, Mercury retrograde is an optical illusion. Mercury’s orbit around the sun is shorter than the Earth’s, which means that when Earth passes Mercury in orbit, there is a moment when it appears to move backwards.”
But when it comes to the astrological significance of Mercury retrograde, Saxena explains, “It’s a different story. According to modern, Western astrological traditions, Mercury is the planet that represents communication of all kinds. When it goes retrograde, the theory is that our communications get thrown out of whack.”………..“Perhaps you worded something sloppily and now your friend is mad at you, or you forgot to make a point in a meeting you wish you had, or you just feel generally flustered and misunderstood,” Saxena says. She also warns that Mercury retrograde can influence the way we communicate with ourselves, “so you may have a harder time being in touch with your own feelings and motivations.”
If it sounds like Mercury retrograde can and will make everything that could possibly go wrong actually go wrong, well … yes. “Basically,” Saxena says, “anything that involves you having to communicate, which is unfortunately just about everything, can be affected.” (link to this write- up https://us.cnn.com/2021/09/27/cnn-underscored/mercury-retrograde-2021/index.html )
Before I begin explaining the headline, I would like to draw your attention to the fact that someone may believe in manifestation ‘techniques’ yet believe in the Universe, God, Nature, tarot cards, energy cleansing, inner child issues and the like. There is nothing wrong in believing in a certain element if it works for you. I believe in a Supreme Power and manifest at the same time. It has been wonderful and exciting as far as conscious creation is concerned. Like all other things that exist, I do not judge someone if they believe in retrogrades or planetary movements dictating the events of their life. What manifestation does is, it helps you move from a powerless state of mind to actively pushing your energy towards complete surrendering. That means, you do not hold on to an object of desire like it would run off if the moment you let go of it.
Retrogrades do not affect me. I do read about them, maybe a post or two on Instagram and use them to understand why people or I, for that matter, happen to lose connect with myself for a while. As I type this, I can feel every bone of my body shouting out loud because it has been a week of extreme meltdowns. I manifest a more patient version of myself every day because there are people counting on me and feel extremely blessed for that. There was a time when I wanted to be a go- to person. You could say being a superhuman was one of the desires I had harbored. I am taken aback at times when I find myself stronger in tricky situations because it seemed tougher inside my head. But, that is what manifesting did to me. I find a way out in despair and disappointing circumstances. As much as I believe in EIYPO, I do believe that energy sometimes gets contaminated. We live in a society/ world/ environment where we interact with several people and their vibes may or may not match with ours at a certain point. Mental stability could get disrupted for various reasons and as we know that ‘like attracts like’, we have similar experiences like our peers or colleagues.
Initially when I did acknowledge retrogrades and lunar cycles, they helped me deal with myriad emotional challenges. I had no idea why I felt the way I felt and kept fighting my demons. One day, when a certain ‘retrograde’ made me lose my calm, I had a long conversation with myself:
“Anjashi Sarkar, you of all people get the chance to make a difference in someone’s life everyday. Your anger and disappointments are justified; you are human. You will have some bad days and some worse. Should be measuring your worth by days or experiences? Think. Are you scared that you will end up with nothing at the end of it all? Do not forget that you survived the pandemic alone, you ran a business well enough and you receive fifty text messages about your work having a soothing effect when one is having a rough day. You’re angry at people. Fine. They do not conform to what you want them to, that is okay. Eventually they will. You know how the Universe works, you know how God has been kind to you during crises, are these circumstances more powerful than you are? No. Not in a million years, neither in those infinite realities where you are already a rockstar. Not feeling good even now? You are the reason why someone believes in love. Remember how you wanted to redefine love when you started the clientele? Remember how excited it made you when you thought of two lovers coming together? Remember how happy your parents were when you told them about your Podcast being heard in a hundred countries? Remember when your blog touched a ten thousand reads? Remember how you earned that first ten thousand? Remember your books being cited in the works of those who are from different fields of study? 79, are you kidding? Do you think all that is a mere coincidence? No. You made things happen then, you can do it again. If you were to compare this one bad day with the other better ones, you are probably being stupid because Ted Talks do not sound interesting if everything looks fine. I mean, they are more thrilling when someone speaks of ceilings being shattered and walls being broken. You’re still breathing which means you can try again tomorrow. Your hard work and efforts are being watched. One day when you shall look back, and maybe write that autobiography, the words that will be laid down are, “I never gave up. Every challenge that I overcame became medals of strength, courage, perseverance and faith.” But for that autobiography to touch a million hearts, you need material to fill it up with. Rosy days may appear appealing, but someone will buy your book just to know how you did it. Therefore, survive this storm. Give it your all. There is power in patience.”
That one retrograde made me level up so hard that I was surprised by the way how calm I was during similar situations. Let me now come to the issue about the soul- shattering meltdowns. We, as humans, more than often function from ego, i.e., ‘why these things happen to me?’, ‘why do I feel this way?’, ‘why is something not working out?’, ‘why is everyone rude to me?’ these questions are based on what you see on the outside rather than ‘going on the inside’ and understanding that this is a subconscious manifestation created by a random thought some time ago. We do not credit ourselves enough for not quitting, we become harsh towards ourselves because ‘nothing is working out’ and lose connection with our authentic selves. There is nothing to change on the outside but inside.
What to do when you lose patience? First of all, you should know that the Universe is always taking care of you. It sends you messages, signs, etc. through various mediums. You will not be able to pick them up if your brain is clogged with self- doubt, victimhood and lack of faith. In such situations, it is recommended that you meditate, pray and read good material. Self- motivation is something that I truly believe in. How do you start? By self- love and self- appreciation. Appreciate yourself for all that you have managed to overcome so far. Be it 18 or 80 years of your life on Earth, be thankful that you have this life. On good days, be grateful. On bad days, be patient.
The reason why I say retrogrades are a boon is because you discover a trait of yourself every time. Maybe you never thought you could survive a mental challenge, retrogrades could be treated as examinations in this regard. You learn to be a little more patient and have faith as the days progress.
