Poor Pluto briefly became more viral than Mercury when people decided to strip it of its planetary status. The great Pluto demotion sparked endless debates, sympathy campaigns, and #JusticeForPluto energy. Its fame was short-lived, though. It happened once, everyone moved on, and nobody really cared anymore.
Meanwhile, Retrograde Mercury never stops making headlines, even though it doesn't technically deserve the title either. Mercury doesn't actually move backward; it's simply an optical illusion. Apparently, that's still powerful enough to unite an entire planet in collective suffering. All hail Mercury.
There's actually something beautiful about it. Those few days every year when we can blame our questionable decisions on Mercury are like an annual vacation for our conscience. Texting an ex. Being late for meetings. Breaking plates. Ignoring emails. At the end of the day we simply shrug and say, "Sorry… Mercury is retrograde."
For 300 days a year we're anxious and responsible. Then Mr. Retrograde arrives, the prince of the Milky Way, and gives our guilty conscience a paid holiday.
And how did Mercury, a perfectly ordinary planet, become such a cultural icon? Taylor Swift, obviously. Back in 2014, at the MTV Awards, she casually dropped the phrase "Hella in Retrograde," once again proving she's the queen of branding and a true Aries with a Cancer moon.
While we continue to overthink everything, Mercury's optical illusion keeps inspiring millions, becoming a symbol for those moments when life feels just a little too chaotic.