Mercury Retrograde 2016: Fourth and final of the year will have an extra kick because of close alignment with Pluto

Communication lines are expected to get a little misaligned in the next few days as the last Mercury Retrograde 2016 is scheduled to begin soon . The astrological event is expected to be further made special by a close alignment with Pluto.

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What is Mercury Retrograde?

Mercury Retrograde is when the planet closest to the sun appears to slow down during its orbit. At the same time, it also seems to move backwards for a short while. However, it will eventually reverse itself and will move forward again. There are plenty of superstitions about this three week period -- from what it means to humanity in general and how it can be handled -- because the route change is believed to make other changes.

Some people recognise the event as the time of the year when there is a delay in communication and a wrongful dependency on technology. Various individuals believe that the cause for the misconnection between people, gadgets and software is the retrograde.

When is Mercury Retrograde 2016 scheduled?

The next event, which is the fourth and final of the year, is scheduled to begin on Dec. 19, and it is estimated to end on Jan. 8, 2017 1:43AM PT (8:43PM ACT). The cycle starts at 15 degrees Capricorn and ends at 28 degrees Sagittarius.

What will happen during Mercury Retrograde and how to prepare for it?

As Astrology Zone previously reported, Mercury Retrograde is generally found most fascinating out of all astrological events because it seems to affect the public in a uniform way. To take advantage of this short time period, people need to be aware in order to increase productivity and avoid any repercussions. Those who follow astrology attest to this, and those who do not are said to see the correlation if they pay attention.

Mercury Retrograde is said not to be the best time to start anything new, whether this means a relationship, a job or anything that will have long term effects on an individual. It is also suggested by Moon Links that any jobs revolving machinery or automobiles be saved until after the time -- unless it is an emergency. Furthermore, communication delays are expected, as it is not uncommon to experience slow connections. Patience is the best tool to have at this point, and backing up important data is vital.

Mercury Retrograde is also said to be the best time to rethink life and reassess one’s priorities. Paying debts, as well as literally and figuratively cleaning out one’s life are common practices during this period as well. More than anything, especially because it falls in the latter part of the year and carries onto the new year, it is taken as the best time to reflect on life, plan what needs to be done and how to begin once the retrograde is finished.

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Is Mercury Retrograde real?

According to Vice.Com , Mercury does not actually move backwards. It is, instead, an optical illusion that is caused by Earth and another planet moving at different speeds. The publication illustrated that the same happens when one is on a plane and another zooms past it -- the same illusion is created of moving backwards. However, this does not mean that the same actually does move backwards. In this same way, other plants retrograde as well. Nevertheless, it is still considered one of the best times to reassess, rethink and replan.