Horoscope fans beware, a distant planetary shift is set to throw every astrological sign into chaos and ruin your ability to communicate and travel for weeks.
Thursday marked the start of Mercury turning retrograde, which astrologer Aliza Kelly noted happens three to four times a year, and has become notorious for its cosmic connection to misunderstandings, technology glitches and travel delays.
From our perspective on Earth, Mercury periodically appears to slow down, stop, and move backward across the sky for about three weeks at a time.
This optical illusion happens because Earth sometimes moves faster in its orbit around the sun than Mercury. As we 'lap' the smaller planet, it appears to reverse direction, even though Mercury is still moving along its orbit normally.
In astrology, this apparent backward motion is thought to disrupt the natural flow of Mercury's energy, affecting communication, technology, travel, and other areas the planet rules.
However, this problematic astrological cycle, lasting from February 26 to March 20, is expected to be one of the worst Mercury in retrogrades the stars can conjure up.
That is because Mercury has gone retrograde within the sign of Pisces, an astrological sign that loves to be misunderstood and is the complete opposite of one of the signs planet Mercury rules over, Virgo.
This convergence could set off an intensely chaotic three weeks, causing many to misinterpret messages from friends, coworkers and loved ones and even build completely incorrect assumptions based on misinformation.
The addition of a lunar eclipse in Mercury's sign of Virgo on March 3 could make things even messier.
Astrologers consider eclipses to be major events tied to fate and destiny, but Mercury's descent into chaos may cause people to make the wrong life-altering changes in their careers or personal lives.
Kelly's best advice to survive this intense Mercury in retrograde was to slow down and think carefully before reacting impulsively to the many issues this event brings to the world, adding that major meetings focused on communication, like a contract signing, should be avoided until the spring.
Mercury completes a full orbit (or one year) around the sun in just 88 days, which is why the planet was named by the ancient Romans for the swift messenger god who controlled financial gain, communication and travelers.
Kelly told New York Magazine: 'This planet is responsible for all things in motion: cognition, analysis, perception, language, systems processing, data exchange, trade, and commuting.'
She added that Pisces will severely impact this retrograde because it is a dreamy, emotional sign that focuses on feelings and symbols rather than clear facts and logic, which clashes with Mercury's natural role in handling detailed plans.
On the traditional astrological chart, Mercury is considered to be in two of the worst and most challenging positions in relation to Pisces, landing in both the sign's 'detriment' and its 'fall.'
In astrology, 'detriment' means a planet is in a sign opposite to one it rules, just as Mercury rules Virgo, which is opposite to Pisces, making the planet's energy feel uncomfortable and weakening its natural strengths.
Meanwhile, the 'fall' refers to when a planet is in its weakest spot in the zodiac, feeling totally incapable of expressing itself normally, which in Mercury's case typically means being quick-witted, adaptable and great at explaining things clearly.
'Miscommunication may stem not only from external errors but from distorted perception - it's going to be hard to distinguish fact from fiction, truth from projection, and intuition from assumption,' Kelly explained.
The astrologer added that workers could start to second-guess themselves, lovers will reread old messages looking for hidden meanings that are not there, and doctors could even reach the wrong diagnoses during this tumultuous time.
While disastrous traffic may appear for no reason and digital devices might break down without warning, Kelly said everyone can still control some of this misfortune.
Importantly, if a decision feels urgent while Mercury is in retrograde, she advised taking a long pause, sleeping on it, and avoiding firing off any reactionary emails or making rash conclusions.
'Document everything. Screenshot important conversations. Confirm meeting times. Reread contracts before signing them - and if you can postpone major agreements until after March 20, even better. Mercury retrograde in Pisces isn't diabolical, but it is slippery.'
The next Mercury retrograde after the current three-week stretch is expected to start on June 29 and last until July 23. This will be the second of three Mercury retrogrades in 2026, with the third following from October 24 to November 13.
