IMAGINE THAT YOU ARE an early (900 B.C. or so) astronomer with a true love of planet surfing (which is a lot like channel surfing only your television set is a long tube with a warped piece of glass on the end of it).

Now imagine your astonishment when you realize that one of the planets you’ve been watching, the planet you call Mercury, stops moving in its predictable path. The little guy starts to slow down and before you know it—about a week after your first observation—you realize that Mercury is moving backwards—back through the path from whence it came!

The hair on your body (and it’s likely everywhere on your body—eww) is standing straight up. You begin to get dizzy as your mind races to help you decide if this is a good thing or a bad thing. The thought occurs to you that this appears to be a great opportunity to “clean up” the past. You are so excited by your revelation that you jump to write your announcement and knock over the candle that was lighting your way. But the resulting fire was horrible and you realize that you must have been wrong. Now you feel that it is your responsibility to send messages of fear and terror throughout the villages. “Mercury moving backwards is a bad thing and we must seek to make this Messenger God happy. Sacrifice something—stop having fun, stop living if you have to, at least until Mercury decides to move forward again.” And so began the birth of the ill-fated retrograde.

Thousands of years later, we discover that Mercury wasn’t moving backwards at all. Three times a year, the Earth just passes Mercury in such a way that it—appears—to be moving backwards but it’s not. Unfortunately, in spite of our awareness, the terror struck by that early astronomer is still felt by many of you and you cower in dread every time it is announced that Mercury is moving Retrograde. Even though more than 50 percent of the top Fortune 500 businesses were launched under a Mercury Retrograde, and even though we have strong evidence to suggest that the God Mercury may be a myth, we still tend to heed our ancestors call to sacrifice in the hopes that the angry God will leave us unscathed this time around.

If you happen to be someone who broke out of that fear cycle and feel supported by a loving, Divine grace, then you’re likely to have a lot more fun during this retrograde. And while your friends are cowering, you get to be first in line for the great bargains and remarkable opportunities that often befall us during each retrograde. Here is a mini calendar to help you time your good fortune during this August 2010 phenomenon:

• August 20: At 12:59 p.m. Pacific Time, Mercury stops moving forward and begins its retrograde motion. Psychic awareness is increased exponentially.
• September 3: The halfway point of the retrograde, good fortune may occur.
• September 12: The last day of the retrograde, you may feel a little tired or unfocused as Mercury “stops” in order to gain forward motion.

In conclusion:  the backward appearance of Mercury is one of those times when you can break the general trend of the culture and lead the way to lightheartedness and joy. We’ve learned to hide our heads in fear during the Mercury Retrogrades and I’m sorry for that. This August Retrograde is in Virgo and it is asking for you to be conscientious. Go the extra step to be of service and put fear in its place. Discard everything that isn’t aligned with your values (including articles and friends that spread fear and ask you to forget that you’re a part of a Divine loving light).

So make a pact with a friend to find the gifts that are brought to you during this retrograde and don’t veer from your commitment. Support astrologers and sites that help you reduce your fear and remember the truth of who you are. Cut your Virgo and Gemini friends some slack during this cycle, Mercury is their ruler and sometimes they just feel like they’re out-of-sync. Reassure them to stay true to themselves—they always benefit after a retrograde and if you don’t get a bit too hard, you’ll be a deeply appreciated friend for being patient.

Mark S. Husson is a man with a lifelong interest in the inner workings of the mind. Mark’s astrological classes and workshops enabled psychotherapists, psychiatrists, psychologists, and lay persons to become aware of astrology’s ability to empower themselves and their clients. Visit:www.12house.com.