Mercury, the planet of communication, intellect, messages and crossroads has been acting out lately. He does it about three times a year for nearly three weeks. Here on earth we call these periods Mercury Retrograde. This retrograde motion above is reflected inw: computer glitches, misunderstanding, issues with machines, mail, banks, delays in deliveries, lost objects, theft, and confusion. I wanted to dedicate this email to dear old Mercury and demonstrate how the above and the below are connected by invisible cords.

Since this time round, Mercury is retrograde in Gemini, it manifests even stronger because Gemini is the sign ruled by Mercury. Below is a story of my own mercury mishaps. I am sure you will find just as many examples in your own life.

I am pretty good overall, that is when Mercury’s motion is direct, in reading those metal contracts displayed on posts around town, detailing the times which one can or cannot park. I get street sweeping and 2 hour parking between 8am-6pm, but last week I got four tickets. 4!!! Each time I tried to look at the brighter side and lower my level of anger by convincing myself that the city of Los Angeles is in dire need of new palm trees. However, after I felt I had planted enough trees and got pissed off at myself, the city, and the its landscaping!

Every morning I go to Intelligentsia, which is considered the best café in Los Angeles. Coffee is very Mercurian. It affects the nervous system. As they say, mathematicians and writers are machines that run on coffee and produce formulas and books. I usually take a risk and park really close but in a very red zone. I think it’s a combination of not having my coffee yet and an Aries need for taking chances and risks. I have done this every morning for the last year and was always lucky, but I would not be writing about this incident if my luck would have extended to Mercury Retro in Gemini. Right before I ordered a messenger stormed into the café screaming “Whoever has a grey Prius, come out, they are writing a ticket!” I ran outside and managed to save my car just before the ticket was issued. I was lucky to find a legal spot very close and once again stood in line. But then the same messenger, as if happy to bear bad news, jumped at me again and said, “your spot is expired, you have to get a ticket from the machine.” What machine? Then I find out (and I still haven’t had my coffee!) that they installed new little parking machines resembling the Buddhist vision of the hungry ghosts – greedy creatures with tiny mouths and big bellies which makes it impossible for them to be full.

So I ran to the machine, entered my parking spot’s number and fed it money. At that moment the meter maid ran to me screaming “Stop!” I looked at her bewildered, ready to receive my fine for trying to work against the fates, only to hear her say in a soft voice...