How Mercury Retrograde affects humans
People who believe in the negative effects of Mercury retrograde limit themselves to traveling during this period, postpone important things for later, and even try to leave home less. Meanwhile, the influence of the planets of the Solar System on humans has not been proven by science. For what reasons exactly Mercury retrograde inspires fear in earthlings and why, after all, one should not be afraid of an astronomical phenomenon — in the material of Izvestia.
Mercury Retrograde Periods
Retrograde motion of planets is a process when the planets in the sky move from east to west, that is, in the direction opposite to the Sun, says Egor Zadeba, associate professor at the National Research Nuclear University MEPhI, senior researcher at the Experimental Complex NEVOD.
—Thanks to Copernicus, we know that planets follow elliptical orbits around the Sun,— the expert comments. — Depending on which side of our sun we and other planets are located on, their movement in the sky may have different directions for an observer from Earth.
For thousands of years, people mistakenly believed that the Earth was the center of rotation, so the movement of the planets caused a lot of speculation and controversy. They were looking for some kind of relationship between the location of celestial bodies and the events that occur in life.
And earthlings began to attribute the ability to influence minds and destinies to the periods of retrograde movement of individual planets. Thanks to science, new knowledge has emerged and there is no need to endow some phenomena with unique properties.
— Mercury's retrograde motion, for example, means that the planet is on the same side of the Sun as us. And if we imagine where Mercury is located and where the Earth is, can we say that this location has any influence on our fate? — the physicist argues.
No connection has been found between the position of the planets and events on the globe by scientific methods.
"If we had the opportunity to observe some statistically significant correlation (dependence) of the position of the planets in relation to some events or personal qualities of people, then this would become a tool in people's lives,— says Egor Zadeba.
According to the scientist, one can only imagine exactly how such technologies would be applied in practice: in business, medicine and industry.
—But to date, no such connection has been found, and astrology remains more of an entertainment, a method of psychological relief, and sometimes a tool of fraudsters," the expert concludes.
The physicist recalls the famous awards named after illusionists Harry Houdini (1 million rubles) and James Randi ($ 1 million), which were promised to those who, under the supervision of scientists, demonstrate a result confirming supernatural phenomena. But these rewards have not yet been awarded to anyone.
Why Mercury?
Amateur astronomer Dmitry Plyasov notes that retrograde motion is an optical effect in which only the visible, and not at all the physical movement of planets against the background of stars changes from forward to backward. If you mark the position of the planets during retrograde motion on the celestial sphere relative to other stars, it looks as if they describe loops. But that's why people are afraid of Mercury retrograde — this is primarily due to the frequency of the phenomenon.
— Mercury's retrograde motion can be observed up to four times a year, and this surpasses the giant planets (Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune), whose motion becomes retrograde only once a year. And if we compare it with Venus, Mercury is retrograde 5-6 times more often, and compared with Mars, this figure is even higher — 7-9 times, — explains Dmitry Plyasov.
The second reason is that Mercury has long been credited with influencing financial matters. And when it comes to money, people tend to avoid even imaginary danger.
— The business factor also plays a role: four consultations a year with astrologers, even about imaginary danger, is better than, say, two - the money for them is paid for by real ones, — says Plyasov.
Psychiatrist and psychotherapist Alexey Vilkov considers a special attitude towards Mercury retrograde to be one of the many variants of superstition.
— So in psychiatry there is no such thing as Mercury retrograde and its effect on people. This phenomenon belongs to the sphere of influence of astrology. That's where this term came from, which later acquired such a character — more everyday, either humorous or esoteric," the doctor comments.
According to Vilkov, many people really sincerely believe that some kind of magical Mercury has a negative impact on their lives, work, relationships and health. But, from the point of view of psychiatry, all this does not correspond to reality, so you can not associate your experiences with the movement of celestial bodies.
— These are just prejudices, misconceptions, a manifestation of the so—called magical neurotic thinking, - says the expert.
It is noteworthy that even astrologers themselves do not believe that Mercury retrograde is the cause of serious difficulties in a person's life. Such a period is seen as an opportunity to return to a certain situation, rethink it and solve your pressing problem, says astrologer and psychologist Anna Guseva.
From the point of view of astrology, Mercury is responsible for thinking, communication, and the ability to interact. During retrograde, according to Anna Guseva, all these areas in a person's life are vulnerable and can be reversed. And astrologers liken the directional movement of the planet (when it moves in the usual direction, along its trajectory) to the beginning of life.
— A person is born with a set of certain biological data, surrounded by a certain society. Over time, under the influence of various reasons, he develops habits, character, and temperament that affect his development. And if we haven't learned something, haven't done it on time, or haven't fulfilled some promise, it's comparable to the retrograde motion of a celestial body," explains Anna Guseva.
According to the astrologer, if an adult complains about the influence of Mercury retrograde, it means that he is plunging into that period of life or that state when he cheated somewhere, deceived someone, bypassed the situation without gaining the necessary skills and certain experience.
For example, at the age of three, a child should be able to lace up shoes. Psychologists consider this skill important, emphasizing that speech and intelligence are hidden in the fingers. And if you don't have such a skill, then at a certain age you may come across the fact that other, more global things are no longer as easy as they could be. And then Mercury retrograde will be a difficult period for him, the astrologer warns.
"We can say that in a global sense, Mercury brings us back during the retrograde period so that we close the mistakes of the past," the expert suggests. — Someone, for example, will need to simply re-read a school textbook and repeat what was missed, misunderstood or forgotten.
The force of gravity
If we talk about the influence of celestial bodies directly on the Earth, and not on the fate of people, then it makes more sense to remember gravity — the force of attraction between any objects with mass.
— Under the influence of the gravitational forces of the Moon and the Sun, tides occur on Earth. The moon rotates around the Earth, and when it is directly above us or exactly on the other side of the planet, the ground rises several meters under our feet. But we don't feel it, because at the same time everything we see rises to the horizon," says Egor Zadeba.
This fall, when the sun was at its peak, Russians often observed auroras unusual for some latitudes. This is also a consequence of the powerful disturbances of the magnetic field inside the Sun, the physicist notes. Other planets also affect the Earth, but to a much lesser extent than the sun.
— Nevertheless, even over a long distance, such an impact can be very significant. For example, Jupiter and Venus noticeably affect the orbit of our planet, cyclically changing its length, which significantly affects our climate with a frequency of about once every 400 thousand years. years,— explains Egor Zadeba.
But at the moment it is difficult to notice, the scientist notes. When Jupiter and Saturn are as close to our planet as possible, they are also capable of causing tides, that is, they can slightly change the shape of the Earth within a few hours. But the degree of this influence is very insignificant, it is difficult to feel it even with the help of precise equipment.
Who is affected by Mercury retrograde
Scientific discussions about whether such a phenomenon as magnetic storms affects earthlings are still ongoing. It is believed that during such periods, the health of weather-dependent people worsens, in particular, more heart attacks are recorded, blood pressure jumps, and blood viscosity changes.
—Magnetic storms occur when large clouds of plasma arrive at the Earth from the Sun,— explains Egor Zadeba. — It is possible that people with weakened health can actually feel these fluctuations in the magnetic field.
Ksenia Fedorova, a therapist at the National Research Medical Center "Medical Rehabilitation Center" of the Russian Ministry of Health, based on her medical experience, notes that almost all patients with chronic diseases "worsen" against the background of changing weather conditions.
— There are many times more calls and hospital admissions. Magnetic storms can affect people's health, but these effects are individual and not always obvious," comments Ksenia Fedorova.
The doctor draws attention to the fact that physiotherapeutic factors (magnetic therapy, electrotherapy, ozone and cold treatment) are used in medicine to treat patients with certain preset parameters.
— And if these methods help, it means that the human body is still susceptible to this effect and reacts to it. However, it should be noted that the parameters of magnetic storms are somewhat different," comments Fedorova.
Misconceptions about the influence of Mercury retrograde
People who are concerned about their health are diligently preparing for possible disasters, strengthening the immune system, avoiding heavy physical exertion and trying to get enough sleep. It makes sense. But the physicist strongly advises only people with a high level of self—irony to escape from the influence of an external electromagnetic field using foil, a thin metal paper made from aluminum.
By the way, the foil hat was invented by biologist Julian Huxley. Now she is firmly embedded in memes and jokes. It is believed that such a cap creates the effect of old buildings with a lot of iron fittings, which supposedly weakens the effects of electromagnetic waves.
— Indeed, when we are inside a room protected by metal, we are shielded from an external magnetic field. Scientists and engineers use the so—called Faraday cage, which blocks electromagnetic radiation, for the purity of experiments, the expert explains.
The simplest example where equipment is affected by the Earth's magnetic field is a compass in which the arrow points to the magnetic pole. Similarly, in scientific equipment there is a slight orientation of ions and streams of charged particles due to the presence of the Earth's magnetic field and its various disturbances, the influence of which must be eliminated.
— From the point of view of electrical engineering, a hat is not a very effective tool, let's just say. Foil will not save you from the radiation of a conventional Wi-Fi router, even if you fold it into several layers," comments Egor Zadeba.
Psychiatrist Vilkov associates belief in the protective properties of a foil cap with a low level of education and a high level of misconceptions, as well as a tendency to perceive all information without critical reflection. In rare cases, such behavior is a manifestation of a mental disorder. This is the so-called delusion of exposure, that is, the delusional belief that a cap or other device helps protect against an imaginary threat.
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