Almost trashed this article, because mercury is in retrograde.

Have the past few weeks been frustrating? Were you involved in a car accident, switched majors with haste, failed an exam or just been having a rough few days? Well, blame Mercury.

Mercury is in retrograde Sept. 17 – Oct. 9. For those of you who have no clue what that means, Mercury being in retrograde means total chaos. Okay, maybe not total chaos, but it does typically play a role in the countless mishaps in people’s lives during this period.

Astrologically, the phenomenon referred to as Mercury Retrograde is when the planet Mercury appears to be moving backwards but it’s really just speeding past Earth. It happens three times a year for about three weeks.

Mercury rules communication, therefore, there are always setbacks with travel, mail and important decisions especially if you are a Gemini or Virgo. Since Mercury rules these two signs, they are affected the most during Mercury’s retrograde.

I knew something wasn’t right when I began to let minuscule things get under my skin last week. A few days into the week, I was involved in a hit-and-run where the other driver t-boned my car. Thankfully I am alive, but I just couldn’t fathom that so many horrible things were happening at once when my days, usually, are pretty good.

I was scrolling down my Twitter feed when I saw someone mention Mercury being in retrograde, so of course, I had to know. I googled Mercury Retrograde and to no surprise, it was that time of year again! The last time Mercury was in retrograde, I almost dropped out of school. Yeah, talk about bad decisions.

For some odd reason, this phenomenon influences our decisions. The littlest things will frustrate us. Anyone dealing with a Virgo or Gemini friend, especially, cut us some slack these few weeks. We may get a little crazy, but it will pass until the next Mercury Retrograde.

Although most of the time this period may seem chaotic, we can definitely use it to our advantage. During Mercury Retrograde, instead of becoming frustrated with things we cannot control, it’s healthy to reflect, breathe, and learn so when the next retrograde comes around, you’ll be mentally prepared for what the universe has to throw at you. Control what you are able to control, and let time control the things you cannot.