Mercury goes backwards three to four times a year. Retrograde phases of Mercury influence all zodiac signs, same as New and Full Moon do. Depending on your individual horoscope it can influence different areas of life, but it can also go unnoticed. But when we pay attention to the phases of Mercury we may spare us some trouble or eventually be more effective in out everyday tasks.
This Mercury phase is a good time to dwell on personal issues and to look inside oneself. It is also a good time for reviewing recent decisions and strategies to make sure they will really work for us. In this time it is advisable to watch your contracts and agreements and give yourself and others time to reconsider. Misunderstandings might occur, so make sure that you understand the others and that they understand you. Be flexible if travel schedules conflict and double check your calendar. The periods of retrograde Mercury often coincide with delays in schedule or in communication, or with the breakdown of computers, cars or electric appliances.
Retrograde Mercury periods in 2017:
19. December 2016 - 8. January 2017; 10. April - 3. May; 13. August - 5. September; 3. December - 23. December;
"There was one who was famed for the number of things
He forgot when he entered the ship:
His umbrella, his watch, all his jewels and rings,
And the clothes he had bought for the trip.
He had forty-two boxes, all carefully packed,
With his name painted clearly on each:
But, since he omitted to mention the fact,
They were all left behind on the beach.
The loss of his clothes hardly mattered, because
He had seven coats on when he came,
With three pairs of boots—but the worst of it was,
He had wholly forgotten his name."
From “The Hunting for the Snark”, Lewis Carol
;-)