This Month’s Blue Moon Is Happening During Mercury Retrograde — Here’s What That Means For You

If there was ever a time to pay close attention to your astrological sign, it would be this March. The month is full of activity, all of which can have an effect on your horoscope in a different way. March 2018 started with a full moon, the first of the month, and is ending with yet another full moon on Mar. 31 — when there are two full moons in one month, the second is considered a blue moon. On top of that, Mercury is going into retrograde on Mar. 22, and staying that way until Apr. 15. Lastly, there's the Spring Equinox occurring on Mar. 20, which brings a new season and lots of energy. As you can see, the second full moon is happening while Mercury is in retrograde, leaving many to wonder what it means if a Blue Moon happens during Mercury retrograde.

First, though, it's easiest to understand this if you know exactly what all of these events mean. A blue moon describes the occasion when two full moons fall in one month. It's typically not exactly a common occurrence, although it isn't as rare as you would think. It is kind of rare, though, to have two Blue Moons happen in the span of three months — the next time two of them will fall in one year is 2037. This blue moon will happen on Saturday, Mar. 31.

A blue moon doesn't have any kind of spiritual or astrological significance, but a full moon itself is known to have some effects on people. Although there is no science-backed evidence that a full moon can change human behavior, many people still believe it does. Many think that a full moon leads to erratic, out-of-the-ordinary behavior. One study even found an increase in homicide and aggravated assault in Florida during full moons.

Then there's Mercury retrograde, which signifies the time when the planet of Mercury rotates faster than the Earth, making it seem like Mercury is almost rotating backwards. This change in the universe is thought to cause all sorts of weird and wonky behavior. As Mercury is the ruler of communication, retrograde often points to issues with communicating, traveling, and even with technology. People often blame a retrograde period for feeling off-balance, making silly mistakes, or getting involved in strange mishaps.

So what does it mean if Mercury retrograde and a full moon (or, really, a blue moon) happen at the same time? Are you just completely doomed? Should you plan to lie in bed and just try not to do anything the weekend of Mar. 31?

As tempting as it sounds to take an entire weekend off, you probably don't need to do anything that extreme. While the energy of a blue moon and Mercury retrograde might make things more frustrating, it's not going to ruin your life. You just need to be extra cautious during this time, know what to look out for, and take everything a little bit more slowly than normal. It's important to be aware of what you can expect during this retrograde period.

This Mercury retrograde is happening in the sign of Aries. According to Lua Astrology, "Generally, when Mercury is in Aries, we tend to act first, think later. This is a placement of snap decisions, quick thinking, speedy responses, and visionary ideas. We can also be tempted to shoot our mouths off and tell it like it is, although the latter at least leaves no room for misunderstanding." In other words, you may feel the urge to be more blunt, spontaneous, and careless. And with the erratic energy of a full moon, that could be intensified even more.

So, to keep things from going off the rails completely, just focus on being as rational and calm as possible. Think everything through before you do it. Try not to take on anything that requires big decisions. Remember that all of your actions have consequences. Take things slowly, and think before you speak. You don't want this kind of energy to completely take over, and luckily, you have control over that.

While the end of this month and the beginning of April may be a little tough, at least we have spring to look forward to! That's definitely an incentive we can get behind.