Why Mercury retrograde is more intense this time and how you can protect

Mercury retrograde is in full swing at the moment – and many people have claimed that they are feeling the effects worse than ever this time around.

Roughly four times a year, for a three-week period, Mercury goes into retrograde – which means that it appears to move backwards – and during that time, many people believe that the planet’s movements can make things in their life go amiss.

From getting fired at work to facing problems in their love lives, people are convinced that Mercury going into retrograde can spark a slew of misfortunes.

Some even feel that it affects their mood, their emotions, and how they communicate with others – and according to social media users, the current Mercury retrograde has been even more intense than normal.

Many people have taken to Twitter to share their dismays over the astrological phenomenon, which kicked off on September 9 and will conclude on October 2, with one user asking, ‘Is it just me or Mercury retrograde has been retrograding more than usual? Wtf.’ 

Mercury retrograde is in full swing at the moment – and many people have claimed that they are feeling the effects worse than ever this time around

Four times a year, for three weeks, Mercury goes into retrograde – meaning it appears to move backwards – and many believe the planet’s movements can make things in their life go amiss

Her post got more than 1,000 retweet and hundreds of replies from people who agreed with her – and shared all the bad things that have happened to them in recent weeks. 

Astrologer Yasmin Boland has weighed in on the event exclusively to DailyMail.com

But does the planet’s motion really have such a large impact on our lives? What exactly is the science behind it? Why is this one worse than the others? And what can you do to help ease the effects?

Astrologer Yasmin Boland has weighed in on the event exclusively to DailyMail.com, explaining that because it’s occurring during the Zodiac sign Virgo this time around – which is one of its two ‘home signs’ – it acts as a ‘double whammy’ and will have a ‘more intense’ effect than the ‘average Mercury retrograde.’

From how it works to why it happens, here’s what you need to know about Mercury retrograde. 

What exactly is mercury retrograde?

It takes only 88 days for Mercury to orbit around the sun (while it takes Earth 365 days), which means a few times a year, the planet laps us

Mercury is the smallest planet in the Solar System and the closest one to the sun, which means it also moves the fastest.

It takes only 88 days for Mercury to orbit one full time around the sun (while it takes Earth 365 days), which means a few times a year, the planet laps us.

While all the planets in the solar system move in the same direction around the sun, when Mercury passes Earth – which happens every four months or so – it appears to reverse course and go in the opposite direction.

‘Due of the way the planets orbit the Sun, there are times when, from our vantage point here on earth, it looks like Mercury is retrograding or reversing through the zodiac,’ explained Boland.

When Mercury passes Earth, it appears to go in the opposite direction, but its all an optical…