Mercury is in retrograde, so yes, your phone is probably acting weird

If your texts aren’t sending, your email’s gone missing, or your phone’s just feeling extra cursed lately, no, you’re not imagining it -- Mercury is officially in retrograde. From July 17 through August 11, the universe is (allegedly) hitting shuffle on communication and tech, and yes, we’re all invited.

Mercury retrograde is an optical illusion that happens a few times a year when Mercury appears to move backward in the sky from our point of view on Earth. In astronomy, it’s just the result of how Mercury orbits the Sun faster than Earth does, but in astrology, it’s a whole different story.

Astrologically, Mercury is considered the planet that rules communication, travel, and technology. So when it goes "retrograde," astrologers believe those areas tend to get messy -- things like misunderstandings, travel delays, tech glitches, and general confusion are all part of the reputation.

You could Google it, but T-Mobile already did. In a very on-brand move, the carrier teamed up with astrology heavyweight Susan Miller, founder of Astrology Zone and certified queen of “what the stars say about your inbox”, to break down why everything feels just a little bit broken right now.

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According to Miller, Mercury retrograde isn’t out to destroy your life. It just wants you to slow down, reread that message before you send it, and maybe stop blaming your phone for every typo.

Phones seem to glitch more during Mercury retrograde, or at least people think they do. Miller says that’s because Mercury rules communication and tech.

When it looks like it’s moving backward in the sky, things on Earth feel like they’re sliding sideways. That includes misfires in texts, email fails, autocorrect betrayals, and a general sense that everything digital is slightly haunted.

To survive the chaos, Miller suggests leaning into your device, rather than swearing and tossing it in frustration. Back up your data, install those overdue updates, be the person who actually double-checks attachments before sending. If you’re traveling, charge everything before you go, bring a backup battery, and maybe even print your directions like it’s 2004.

Mercury meditation

While you’re at it, maybe install a meditation app, or five. Miller points out that Mercury retrograde is more than just dropped calls and glitchy calendars. It’s also a time to rethink, revisit, and reorganize. Less "new beginnings" and more "finally sort out that desktop folder named ‘stuff.’"

You might even find something you thought was gone for good, like that job application you forgot to follow up on, or the AirPods case you swore was stolen by your neighbor's kid.

While Mercury retrograde won’t kill your phone, it might test your patience until Mercury wakes back up in mid-August (if you believe in all this of course).

What’s the weirdest tech fail you’ve had during retrograde? Let us know in the comments.

Image Credit: Volodymyr Semeniuk / Dreamstime.com