"If you have any interest in astrology at all, know an astrologer, or simply travel through astrology sites on the web, you know what a Mercury retrograde is! We hear so much about it…we worry about when it is coming, how long it will last, and what in the world will happen to us this time! First hand experience and awareness through the years can only serve to testify to the power of this little fast moving planet and his affects for us here on Earth.

Planets, of course, orbit the sun just like we learned in elementary school. Every planet has a regular orbital period depending on how far away it is from the sun. Astrologers aren’t arguing otherwise. However, since we’re here on earth, and astrology is about how planets and stars relate to earthly events, astrologers also use astronomical data from a geocentric (earth-centered) perspective. As we stand on the surface of the earth and look outward, the planets appear, from our view, to sometimes come to a stop, and then move backward.

A statistical analysis about retrograde movement over time. See how often are planets moving retrograde in time.

The subject involving Karma and Astrology together generates a critical interest particularly for people with Indian mindset. The Law of Karma being one of the prime precepts of Sanatan Dharma (popularly and erroneously called 'Hindu Dharma) has been imbibed in the psyche of our people through ages. However, we have, for almost all practical purposes, deformed the concept of Karma. On the other hand, we also believe strongly in 'Fate'.

"Sir Isaac Newton’s Third Law of Motion states: “For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction”. This statement can also be said to represent the Law of Karma. Symbolically speaking, we can say that the manifested universe is ruled by Libra: what you sow, you shall reap. This is as true from our moment to moment reality as it is from lifetime to lifetime. Karma is not limited to the affairs of the Twelfth House as many astrological writers and thinkers would have us believe.