“I’m stressed! Mercury must be in retrograde.”

There’s no doubt you’ve heard this before, perhaps as an excuse for someone’s brain-fuzziness, and it’s become a joke in pop culture. After all, what is a “retrograde,” and why do people keep talking about it? A retrograde, astronomically, is when a planet appears to be moving backward. This is only an illusion caused by the planet slowing down enough to make it look like it’s going in a different direction for a period of time. Mercury, for example, appears to “move backward” for about three weeks before turning “direct” or catching up in its orbit in order to appear forward-moving again. For ages, astrologers have made the connection between this illusory motion and temporary changes in the social and mental condition on Earth. Mercury is the planet that rules mental affairs, according to astrology, and so when Mercury is in retrograde, it is believed that things like assignments, short trips and general communication will feel out-of-whack for most of the population. (The exception to this effect is if you were born during a Mercury retrograde!)

At first, it does sound ridiculous and I was skeptical when I discovered what astrologers believed about retrogrades. Throughout the past couple of years, though, I would notice I was particularly "out of it" in some way, whether it came to relationships, friendships or homework, and I'd realize that a planet like Venus or Mercury was in retrograde! Ever since then, I've paid attention to retrogrades and the effects they might have.

Mercury has been out of retrograde since May 23, which means communication and anything involving brain power has become a lot easier since then. Saturn and Pluto, however, will be in retrograde until about the end of summer. Saturn is the planet of limitations, rules and social expectations; Pluto is the planet of transformation, rebirth and the mysterious. Let's look at how these two planets being in retrograde will affect fun in the summer 2016 sun:

Saturn Retrograde Is March 25 Through August 13

Generally, Saturn is the planet of hard work and more importantly, the challenges one faces in turning that hard work into success.

Since Saturn is in retrograde during the entire summer break (and has been in retrograde since late March), it may create the feeling that progress in our lives has halted. But that’s OK! It gives you a chance to take the focus off productivity and put the focus on enjoying yourself and unwinding until August.

Plus, it can actually be a good thing to stand still for a little while so that you can plan for the upcoming academic year, whether you’ll be at school, working on your career or simply working on your happiness. Like most retrogrades, Saturn retrograde can be successfully used as a reflection and planning period, a time to consider what will benefit us the most as we continue in our academic or career journeys. Since it’s Saturn, the planet which rules the perpetually goal-driven Capricorn, the focus of this planning will be academic and career goals. Relax and reflect this summer so you can have a super bomb fall and spring!

Pluto Retrograde Is April 18 Through September 26

Like Saturn’s retrograde, Pluto’s retrograde is a time of reflection, but the focus has shifted. From late spring to early fall, you’re likely to be thinking about your inner self. It sounds cheesy, but you have probably had a ton of new experiences and life lessons during the past fall and spring, so the summer (and beginning of next semester) can be used to process them, be honest with yourself and learn more about who you truly are.

Use the rest of the summer and early next semester to do self-reflective activities like journaling and meditating. This retrograde is a great opportunity to take care of yourself during the summer, which is the best possible way to recuperate between college semesters or even between work shifts. Overall, it will be a good feeling to be more in touch with yourself in the fall.

Whether or not you believe in planetary retrogrades affecting real life, the periods serve as reminders to keep certain areas of our lives in check, to reflect and to take care of ourselves. And remember, if you were born during a retrograde of one of these planets, then you won’t feel the effects of the retrograde period as strongly! You can find out here if you were born during one (there will be an “R” next to the planet), plus a lot of other fun stuff about the planetary positions when you were born. If you’re an astrology nerd like me, then you’ll find it pretty interesting! Good luck during the retrogrades, and have a stellar summer.