Mercury goes Direct on February 18 at 9:57pm EST. (Shadow period until March 10.)

[I Have A Dream]

Mercury goes Direct at 8'22 Aquarius on February 18 at 9:57 p.m. EST. The Shadow period is from February 18 to March 10.

:woohoo:

[Sanity Claws]

1. Yippee!!

Could you explain what the shadow period is and what its effects are?

[I Have A Dream]

3. I'm not an expert, but this is what I got from an article...

Here's a visual representation of what happened during this particular Mercury Retrograde (Rx) period:

Mercury is Retrograde in Aquarius from January 28 to February 18, 2008.

13 Jan 2008 04:58 am 08°19' Enters Rx Zone

28 Jan 2008 03:29 pm 23°53'Rx Stationary Retrograde

18 Feb 2008 09:50 pm 08°19' Stationary Direct

10 Mar 2008 03:15 am 23°53' Leaves Rx Zone

http://www.cafeastrology.com/retrogrades.html

A retrograde period is best seen as a cycle, beginning when the planet begins to slow to a halt before travelling backwards through the zodiac and ending when the planet returns to the point where it first paused. However, during the cycle, the planet's energy is most powerful (and more likely to generate critical events of universal importance) when the planet makes a station: appearing motionless in the sky.

These stationary periods occur near the beginning of the cycle (when the planet first halts as it prepares to move backwards) and midway through the cycle when the retrograde planet slows to a stop before moving forward again. The "direct station" (when the planet halts before moving forward again) is the most powerful and can be used for maximum benefit.

Some astrologers consider that the "Mercury Shadow" begins some three weeks before the actual retro station (when Mercury passes the point of direct station for the first time). This has some justification, but I am more inclined to think that the really noticeable peculiarities begin when Mercury slows significantly, a few days before the retro station. This period of "Mercury Shadow" extends to the Return date, some three weeks after the direct station. Bear this in mind, because experience shows that the effects of the retro period are still marked during the "shadow" phase. Some of the most characteristic annoyances often occur just after Mercury makes the direct station, while he is crawling forward before picking up speed.

http://www.astrologycom.com/mercret.html

Maybe someone who really understands astrology will pop in and explain it further.

[MorningGlow]

2. Ohhh thank the gods!

I've been editing a friend's novel in the thick of Merc Ret and have been having one HELL of a time. It's not very good, and I'm trying to clean it up and streamline it as best I can, but he's clinging to every ... single ... word as if they were spun gold. Every change is a mini tug of war. I will even take the shadow period--I don't care! Just get the direct here ASAP! :crazy:

[elleng]

4. MorningGlow,

BEST OF LUCK!

[BlueIris]

5. Ouch. It's tough when they dig in their heels like that, isn't it?

[BuelahWitch]

6. Mercury Rx ended yesterday, today my car won't start

Due to the Shadow, perhaps?