Your Ruling Planet Mercury will be retrograde until April 15. “Retrograde” refers to an apparent backwards motion when it looks as though a planet has reversed direction in the sky. Obviously Mercury doesn’t really do this because if it did then we would all be in a lot of trouble. The whole thing is an optical illusion based on the relative orbital progress of the planet as seen from the earth’s point of view. When a planet is retrograde then it acts contrary to its typical nature. Mercury is the planet of communication, which is why there is a rise in misunderstandings, Freudian slips, and people working at cross purposes during the time that it is backwards in the sky. Astrologers also warn against making any big purchases, signing contracts and leases, or launching a new business because there’s bound to be some kind of problem with it. It’s also a good idea to back up your computer (Mercury rules technology) and to double-check travel plans (Mercury rules short journeys).

On April 1 retrograde Mercury will conjoin the Sun in Aries. This is a time of revelations and disclosures. If there are any recent decisions or judgments that left you baffled then this is when they will be explained. You may not like what comes out in the wash, but it will bring closure of a sorts. It won’t excuse what happened, but at least you’ll understand why things went down the way they did. Another thing to watch out for is the very strong possibility that you’ll be contacted by a seller or employer you recently did business with. Evidently the person who outbid you for an item can’t pay for it or the rival who beat you out for the corner office won’t be able to move into it. In any case that transaction has come undone and you now have an opportunity to seal the deal.

How good are you are at making amends? Mercury in Aries tends to be a big bridge burner but its retrograde square to Mars on April 4 shows that you’ll be needing to cross back over one of them soon. This means reaching out to someone you alienated recently. You might have had good reason for saying the things you said at the time, but times change and words spoken then are doing you more harm than good now. You may not be able to take back what you said, but you can apologize and offer an olive branch. It’s a risky move, but the fact that you’re doing something this daring will win him/her over to your side. Aries rewards feats of bravery and Aries is a Mars ruled sign after all.

Mercury retrogrades are also famous for do-overs and the retrograde Mercury/Saturn square on April  5 shows that you may be given a second chance at an opportunity due to some administrative blunder or technical flub – like not signing or dating a document. It’s a strange sort of last minute save, but any sort of eleventh hour rescue will do. You may also find that this second chance brings a better outcome or result than if things had gone off without a hitch the first time.

That said, your Ruling Planet Mercury comes out of retrograde on April 15. Be sure to check back here then to see what that means for you.