Saturn Retrograde Will Make Your Electronics Malfunction More Than Mercury Retrograde

The communication and technology woes of Mercury retrograde will mercifully come to an end April 15, 2018. Unfortunately, that doesn't mean things will go back to normal because, beginning April 17, another bad actor arrives on the scene. And Saturn retrograde 2018's effects on technology might be more noticeable than Mercury retrograde's. Ugh. "In astrology, Saturn governs communication, travel, and learning," Golden Chennai explained on its website. "For this reason, Saturn retrograde is blamed for everything from miscommunication to technological bugs, botched business deals, missed flights, a mechanical issue with your car, or even a broken cellphone." Seriously, Saturn retrograde sounds like a like Mercury retrograde's evil twin, and I am not impressed.

"Saturn is commonly thought to signify difficulties in communication, such as post or emails going astray, verbal misunderstandings, and travel delays and frustrations," Golden Chennai noted. Personally, I've already dealt with a fair amount of chaos during this cycle of Mercury retrograde. Even though I was super careful, and made sure to trade in my car before Mercury started its dreaded backspin, I still spent the last three weeks dealing with financing issues for the car. So, I'm definitely not looking forward to Saturn brining even more problems and misunderstandings to the table.

If you're not careful, Saturn retrograde could have you feeling like you're stuck in the movie Groundhog Day because Saturn wants you take things slow, which is likely at odds with your always-on-the-go lifestyle. While technology allows us to do everything faster, if you ignore Saturn's warning to slow down you could experience myriad tech issues of your own making, like accidentally texting the wrong person, sending an angry email without thinking it through, booking the wrong plane ticket — you get the idea. Basically, Saturn retrograde is going to force you to adult whether you want to or not.

"Saturn grabs us by the collar and forces us to confront reality. When Saturn touches a specific area in your chart, that area experiences a kind of slow-down, or freeze," Astrologer Susan Miller wrote on Astrology Zone. "Saturn is cold and icy. This planet is also considered heavy or leaden. Saturn, the great teacher planet, brings maturity and teaches us the value of patience and sacrifice." This means that you may be more likely to make mistakes if you hurry through things just to check them off your list. "It is not a time to take short-cuts, but an opportunity to take things slowly and do it correctly the first time around," Universal Life Tools noted on its website. "Or you may find you will be revisiting the project over and over again."

Saturn is retrograde in its home sign of Capricorn, where it will remain until 2020, and Capricorn, according to Psychic Astrologer Joseph P. Anthony's blog, deals with power, business, structure, security, tradition, and organization. While Saturn can bring wealth, it also reveals limitations, and Anthony noted that Saturn was retrograde in Capricorn during the worst part of the Great Depression in the early 1930s. What's more, Astrology King called Saturn the lord of karma, which can be good news or bad news depending on your life choices.

"If you have been bad in the past, then at a certain predestined time, an event will occur to teach you a lesson," Astrology King noted on its website. "If you been good in the past, then at a predestined time, an event will occur to reward you for your good deeds." If you fall into the former, there's more bad news. Saturn is retrograde until Sept. 6, which is a pretty long time to experience tech woes and bad karma. So, if you've been looking for a reason to take a break from life in the fast lane, Saturn retrograde is it.

While six months might feel like a long time to take things slow, paying close attention to every area of your life could help you untangle some of the messes you've gotten yourself into during the past few years. Finally, you might want to hold off on things like upgrading your phone or buying a new car during this time. "Take extra care to protect your electronics, double check your flight times, don't sign any business deals, and avoid relationship-defining conversations," Golden Chennai recommended. If you decide to throw caution to the wind and plow ahead as your normally would, prepare to get an unwanted degree from the school of hard knocks. As always, the choice is yours. Choose wisely.