Mercury retrograde is back again and this astrologer thinks it’s here to help

Now might be a good time to invest in a new protective case for your iPhone, or add insurance on your summer vacation plane tickets. Mercury retrograde season is officially upon us. Mercury will be retrograding in Cancer and Leo from July 7th - July 31st 2019.

Individuals who have Cancer and Leo personalities may feel more slowed down and distracted at this time than others — but don’t get too excited — Mercury retrograde can still affect us all in various ways.

It has become increasingly more #trendy to blame the annoying little problems and mishaps that occur in our lives on the dreaded Mercury retrograde — even Taylor Swift is on board — but what does Mercury retrograde even mean?

Astrologer Chris Love sat down with Yahoo Lifestyle to help us get to the bottom of the troubling astrological phenomenon.

Love explains that when a planet enters retrograde, it means that, from our vantage point, it appears to be moving backwards in orbit. Love notes that planets don’t actually move backwards, but due to the speed in which they orbit, they can sometimes appear to.

Love offers an example: Imagine you speed up to pass a fast car on the highway. As you catch up to it, the other car can briefly appear to be moving backwards rather than forwards. This is called retrograde motion, and mimics what happens after Mercury whizzes past Earth as we begin to catch up to it.

So what does this mean for us? Well, Love reminds us, as the popular astrology saying goes, “As above, so too below.”

Love explains that being the fastest moving planet, Mercury influences fast travel and communication for us Earthlings. “Planes, cars, buses, you name it,” he says. It also has a strong affect on technology. “Anything that lets us communicate quickly, that’s what Mercury controls.”

When Mercury enters retrograde, these aspects of life can start feeling quite chaotic. Some common occurrences during Mercury retrograde are:

• flight delays

• poor communication

• broken phones

• car trouble

• computers crashing

• lost packages

• chaotic emotions

• stress at work

Just to name a few.

Love offers a fresh perspective in saying, “You might feel like Mercury retrograde is ruining your life, but it’s only doing so for your greater good.”

He notes that while Mercury retrograde seems to cause issues that stop us in our tracks — sometimes literally — it also offers us an opportunity to pause and consider if what we’re doing is aligned with who we are. “Every little thing that Mercury retrograde puts in our path is all in an effort to get us to stop and reflect on what it is that we actually need to be doing,” he explains.

Some advice if you often feel your life in disarray during the shake up of Mercury retrograde: Love suggests trying to embrace the challenges it brings and do some soul-searching.

And if you have doubts about Mercury retrograde because it never seems to get you down, Love adds, “Well, give yourself a little pat on the back because it might be a little affirmation from the universe that you’re doing things pretty okay.”

As for the rest of us — it’s going to be a long July. Come August you’ll be in the clear until Mercury enters retrograde again for the final time this year, from October 31st - November 20th 2019.

For more Popstrology, check out Chris Love’s take on what’s in the stars for Khloe Kardashian’s complicated love life:

Read more from Yahoo Lifestyle:

• 11 Ways Mercury Retrograde Seriously Messes With Your Relationships

• Your Mercury in Leo Horoscope, Or How to Spend Your Last Hurrah Before Retrograde

• Meghan Markle and Prince Harry's royal baby is probably going to be stubborn, astrologer says