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What does this mean for your personality?
By Emily Francos — Last updated on Jul 30, 2022
According to astrology, everyone has a Mercury sign placement in their natal chart. Since Mercury goes retrograde between three and four times a year, it's likely that you or someone you know was born during Mercury retrograde.
People often associate Mercury retrograde with chaos, which can make being born under Mercury retrograde a little disconcerting.
However, don’t for one second think that birth chart placement means you're pre-destined for bad luck.
What It Means If You Were Born During Mercury Retrograde
People who are born while Mercury is in retrograde can be some of the most innovative and creative people. They may feel misunderstood, which causes them to feel like an outsider, sometimes leading to a loss of self-worth.
How to Know if You Were Born During Mercury Retrograde
When you were born, Mercury was either retrograde or direct.
Of course, there’s a higher chance of being born when this planet is direct, as Mercury only goes retrograde three or four times a year, for a 21-day span of time; this planet is in retrograde 19 percent of the time, so that’s about a 1 in 5 chance.
To determine if you were born during Mercury retrograde, calculate your natal chart using your day, place, and time of birth. If your birth chart shows an R or Rx next to Mercury, it was retrograde when you were born.
Alternatively, you can cross-reference your birthday with this list of all the dates and times Mercury was retrograde from 1900 to 2000.
Unique Traits of People Born During Mercury Retrograde
1. You're a deep thinker.
You may have noticed that you think much deeper than everyone else and are more skeptical. Just like Mercury appears to move backward, you see things the same way; for any idea or argument presented, you look at it from all sides — backwards, forwards, and sideways.
2. You feel a bit like a loner.
While there’s nothing wrong with being a loner, you may have felt that, throughout your life, people don’t quite understand you. But you simply think much differently than others and have an alternate approach to refining your skills.
3. You’re an innovator.
When Mercury enters retrograde, those born in this 21-day period find that they experience a boost of energy and intelligence. Because of your unique mind, you find that you’re good at speaking (Mercury is the planet of communication, after all) and have stimulating conversations.
4. You have a particular sense of humor.
Because you perceive things differently and think internally, your sense of humor borders on absurdity. But that silliness makes you stand out from the rest and gives you an even more unique personality.
Emily Francos is a writer who covers astrology, pop culture and relationship topics. To read more of her work, follow her on Facebook.