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Oh Mercury Retrograde, Are You Here Again? by Connie Vines

September 13, 2016 by A Slice of Orange in category Archives tagged as #Rodeo Romance #the writing process, astrology, Connie Vines, Here Today Zombie Tomorrow, Mercury Retrograde, OCC Blog

Oh, Mercury retrograde. You are here, AGAIN. You have arrived on our collective doorsteps in all your messy glory.

If you have no idea what Iâ€™m talking about, here we go. The planets are swinging around at all times, and their movements affect us all in different ways. All planets go retrograde, but Mercuryâ€™s journey seems to impact people much more than any other. (Even people who â€œdonâ€™t believe in astrologyâ€ often â€œbelieveâ€ in the crazy aftershocks of Mercury retrograde!)

Why is that? Itâ€™s because Mercury rules communication, clear thinking, truth and travel, so when the planet goes retrograde â€” which means that it looks like itâ€™s going backwards in the sky â€” all those things go backwards. They start to get ugly and tangle up. Mercury isnâ€™t really going backwards, itâ€™s just hanging out by the sun, but from Earth, that makes it look like itâ€™s in reverse. It typically runs for a couple of weeks, a few times a year.

Check out these dates below and put them in your calendar!

In 2016, Mercury is retrograde fromâ€¦
January 5th to January 25th
April 28th to May 22nd
August 30th to September 22nd
December 19th to January 28th (2017)

Note: We sometimes start to feel the effects of Mercury retrograde a few days early. Itâ€™s nice to give yourself a bit of leeway on either side of the prescribed dates!

WHAT HAPPENS WHEN MERCURY GOES RETROGRADE?

All sorts of things! Itâ€™s like everyone you know has suddenly gone mad! You might find yourself getting into bizarre arguments about nothing at all, being unable to finish sentences or barely even able to form a coherent thought. Your computer and other electronic equipment is more likely to go on the fritz. You could experience travel delays, too. Double-check your flights and take a book with you to keep you occupied while you wait for the train! We donâ€™t tend to get all the information we need at this time, so it can be hard to make big decisions and itâ€™s not always the best time to sign a contract, either.

Expect to hear super-loud complaining from your friends who are Gemini (me!) or Virgo, since both are ruled by Mercury! Mercury also rules a lot of industries like publishing, writing, editing, advertising, sales, public relations and anything to do with transport, like airlines, the post office and cabs! This means it can be particularly rough for Gemini train conductors and Virgo magazine editors, so be kind to any you know!

I often find that Mercury retrograde makes me want to go into hermit mode. I feel like half my brain is missing so Iâ€™m really not that interested in interacting with anyone, plus every conversation seems to go in an unusual, confusing direction. I feel much more irritable and frustrated and things just donâ€™t seem to go how I want them to.

So thatâ€™s the bad news. Mercury retrograde can be a total kick in the teeth for those of us who normally pride ourselves on having our karmic shit together! The GOOD news is that Mercury retrograde provides us with lots of beautiful opportunities if we can just tilt our head and squint.

Mercury retrograde wants us to move back spiritually. It is providing us with a chance to re-examine various areas of our life which may need a little more work, so that we can move forward to a bright new dawn. Now, more than ever, the time is right to look at things with clear eyes.

Itâ€™s also a terrific period in which to tie up loose ends. So many of us have unfinished projectsâ€¦ Maybe that door just needs another lick of paint, or youâ€™ll decide to put away your ex-boyfriendâ€™s love letters once and for all.

One of the best ways to cope with it â€” as with anything, really â€” is to just â€œgo with the flowâ€. When you fight Mercury retrograde, thatâ€™s when life gets really ugly. Just take some time, go slowly, be careful, donâ€™t freak yourself out by expecting to be uber-productive-perfect right now. Be good to yourself and the people around you, now more than ever!

A QUICK GUIDE TO

SURVIVING MERCURY RETROGRADE!

Be sure not to take things too personally. People will often say offensive things they didnâ€™t mean around this time, because their thinking is clouded and their communication skills are on pause! If your best friend suddenly became the most insensitive person in the world, give her the benefit of the doubt.

Back up your data!

Donâ€™t purchase any big ticket items, because they will often have flaws or issues that you werenâ€™t aware of! Of course, life doesnâ€™t stop just because of wacky planetary movement, so if you absolutely have to get that car, computer or iPhone, TRIPLE-check all the paperwork, and make sure you have a warranty!

Take things with a grain of salt. Everyone is a bit confused, and people are much more inclined to change their mind once Mercury goes direct. Mercury can be a bit of a trickster â€” could it be that the next few weeks are a big karmic joke?

Read the small print on any contracts. Ask lots of questions. Again, you canâ€™t put your life on hold just because of some silly planet, but adapt your lifestyle a bit so that things run more smoothly. Communication can be a mess right now, but do your best to get as much information as you can.

Finish things you started a while ago. Home improvement projects? Wardrobe re-organization? Short stories? Love affairs?! This is an excellent time to tie up loose ends and file things away forever.

Get together with old friends, reminisce and laugh!

Double-check any information youâ€™re given, especially as relates to travel arrangements! During one particularly formidable Mercury retrograde, I actually caught a cab to the wrong airport! Check times, delays, baggage allowances, reservationsâ€¦ everything!

Allow Mercury to nudge you in unusual directions. If you seem to find yourself â€œback to the futureâ€, donâ€™t just try to wriggle out of it â€” look at what the universe is trying to show you. What can you learn from this situation? This is a fantastic time to re-examine, accept and move on.

Use the things youâ€™ve discovered in the past to create a dazzling new vision so that youâ€™re ready to blast ahead when Mercury goes direct!

Happy Writing,
Connie

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A Day in the Life of a Writer via Twitter by Jina Bacarr

September 11, 2016 by Jina Bacarr in category Jina’s Book Chat tagged as Confessions of a Podcast Goddess, diary, editing, journal, Journaling, novel, Social Media, tweet, Twitter, writing

A friend recently asked me if I journal.

Wow, a question that struck a cord in me. I haven’t kept a journal in years. I’ve got stacks of journals and diaries from high school, college, etc., but I spend so much writing stories, I stopped writing down my thoughts.

Then I realized I do journal in a way.

I tweet.

I don’t mean the promo tweets or the pretty graphics I love to put together for my books.

I mean the “here’s where I’m at in writing…” tweets.

So this month, I put together my favorite “journal tweets” for you. (I left out the hashtags.) It’s not easy putting your heart and soul into 140 characters, but hey, it’s convenient, like having a cell phone instead of a landline in our digital world.

It works when the power goes out…

———————

Jina’s tweets:

1 — best part abt wearing tight jeans when you’re writing..can’t move so you keep your butt where it belongs..in the chair

2 — Reading aloud edited version of your story is like sex: too slow and you’ll never get there; too fast and you won’t remember it.

3 — how much of a part do our memories play in writing our stories? performing in Italy inspired my Royal Magic story

4 — is imagination the most important tool in the writer’s toolbox — or is craft more important? What do you think?

5 — writing a novel is like watching your roots grow out…painful and oh so slow, but always, always fixable!

6 — Writing sexy romance is like taking off a pair of black silk stockings, inch by inch: the slow reveal is way more sexy

7 — the waiting game with yr m/s…you submit…you wait..kinda like dating It can break your heart…but you do it anyway

8 — I have a secret: I keep telling myself “just one more edit” of m/s — which have now turned into 6. Why is it so hard to let go?

9 — this writer and her m/s have finally parted–re: earlier tweet today, I submitted my story tonight to the publisher!