From August 23 to September 14, a unique astronomical and astrological phenomenon occurs: the planet Mercury is in retrograde. Planetary retrograde refers to the illusion where a planet appears to be moving in the opposite direction relative to Earth due to distance and orbital speed.

As Mercury is the Roman deity of communication, it is believed that people can have more difficulty in this area during Mercury retrograde. Many attribute misunderstandings with others, issues with scheduling and other mishaps to Mercury retrograde. However, others are more skeptical. 

“Looking at it logically, I don’t think that a planet could, but I can understand why someone would because maybe there’s a greater force out there that we don’t know about,” senior Sophia Guinea said. 

Over time, apps such as Costar and other horoscope websites have become more popular, allowing for more students to learn about astrology. Thus, students have become more familiar with the traits of different zodiac signs and can recognize these traits amongst their peers. 

“I don’t think that they’re accurate 100 percent of the time, but I see certain signs in people when they match up with their zodiac sign,” junior Chaiwey Chen said. 

In regards to Mercury retrograde, it is believed that it can impact anyone’s life, regardless of their zodiac sign. Thus, in order to avoid conflict with others or any inconveniences, astrologers recommend being careful with your words, being open to change and connecting with your thoughts and feelings.

Although many do not necessarily believe that Mercury retrograde can have an effect on day-to-day events, superstitions still exist. 

“Maybe there’s like a placebo effect,” Chen said, who has learned about the phenomenon from social media platforms like TikTok. “I don’t really want to take the chance, so whatever they tell me to do, I’ll do it.” 

Astrology provides insight into future events and people’s behavior, making it enjoyable for students to learn about. 

“It’s fun to look into. I feel like that’s why so many people are into it because it’s nice to know that what your thinking is validated by something that could be seen as a science, but we should take it with a grain of salt,” Guinea said.