Feeling a bit iffy? It’s probably because Mercury is in retrograde

Are you having a bit of a bad week? Feeling a bit off and find that things just aren't going your way? 

Well, if you're into horoscopes (or you just want an explanation for the fact you spilled coffee over yourself THREE times this week), then we could have the answer. 

In astrology circles, Mercury is in retrograde – strange answer, we know. 

And what exactly is a retrograde you might ask? Well, it's an astrological 'phenomenon' that happens when the planet's orbit intersects with Earth and is moving backwards in the sky (it doesn't actually move backwards, it's just an optical illusion, science fans). 

This retrograde can happen up to three times a year, and according to astrologists it's a time when basically, everything goes wrong – because when planets aren't aligned, astrology fans believe that everything the planet conducts is out of sync at the time. 

And, because Mercury is the planet associated with travel, communication, information and commerce, during the retrograde, there's confusion, chaos and miscommunication in these areas.

Saying this, less than 30 percent of Irish actually believe in astrology, so many might not be convinced by this argument.  

But if you are, we've got good news; there has already been a retrograde in January and May of this year – and the one going on at the moment is due to end tomorrow, so no harm done!