How does Mercury Retrograde affect you? Print out the list below and read through it. If you experienced any of these events within the past 4 months, place up to 3 marks next to the item: Score 1 if you noticed the event.
Score another 1 if the event occurred twice or more within a month.
Score a third 1 if the event caused another problem

Here are some examples. A few weeks back, Carol missed her flight. The delay caused her to miss her connection. As a result of the delays, she had to cancel her big job interview. Total score: 3 . John wanted to videotape the first two games of the 2000 World Series. Both times he set the VCR wrong, and ended up taping C-SPAN instead. He was annoyed, but it wasn't that big a deal. His score: 2 .

Add the number of marks.
If you scored: Under 20 points. Either Mercury Retrograde doesn't affect you much, or you already taking steps to avoid falling into the Mercury Retrograde trap!
20-50 points. You have normal Mercury Retrograde problems, and need my Survival Guide.
50-75 points. You might want to consider taking steps to minimize the disruption of communication breakdowns during Mercury Retrograde. You definitely need my Survival Guide.
75-100 points. Look on the bright side: you're sensitive! You are particularly vulnerable to the disruptive effects of Mercury Retrograde. Take special note of the suggestions in Mercury Retrograde: Your Survival Guide for Astrology's Most Precarious Time of Year! for taking back your life during these periods, and make Mercury Retrograde a really positive experience.

A cell phone call got cut off. ______

I bought new batteries (or anything like this) but they didn't work. ______

Faxes came through garbled or smeared. ______

People complained that I didn't listen to them. Others didn't listen to me! ______

Mail I expected arrived late or not at all. Mail I sent was late. ______

I lost cable TV service for more than 5 minutes. ______

I was unable to connect to the Internet when I needed to. ______

My Internet connection was much slower than usual. ______

I agreed to meet a friend but we each ended up at different locations. ______

My mate and I had a disagreement. ______

A check I wrote bounced. ______

A check I deposited took a month to clear. ______

A computer virus ruined some of my files. ______

I backed up my computer files but something went wrong in the process. ______

I had a car accident. ______

My pet misbehaved. ______

The weather report I usually rely on was totally wrong ______

I struggled to finish a project. ______

I became really tongue-tied talking to my boss or co-workers. ______

I had big arguments over misunderstood words. ______

I broke up with my boyfriend/girlfriend/friend. ______

A package arrived late. ______

A package contained things I didn't order. ______

A package never came. ______

My glasses or contacts bothered me more than usual. ______

The copy machine ran out of toner in the middle of a job. ______

I had an embarrassing argument with a store clerk. ______

I asked someone for directions and got wrong information. ______

My boss turned down my request for promotion or a raise. ______

My commute took at least 20% longer. ______

My car had electrical problems. ______

A close relative reported bad news in the family. ______

A friend or family member became seriously ill. ______

I or people I know suffered cuts, bruises, or broken bones. ______

There were some problems with my medical records. ______

I filled out forms but they had missing or wrong information. ______

Copies of magazines or newspapers I subscribed to didn't arrive. ______

I set the timer on my VCR, but I taped the wrong show. ______

My clocks displayed the wrong time. ______

I paid bills but the payments arrived late. ______

There were errors on my bank statements. ______

An appointment got canceled. ______

I got a traffic ticket. ______

I dialed a wrong number and had to speak with someone I was trying to avoid. ______

Keys on my computer keyboard got stuck. ______

Letters I mailed got returned for missing postage or wrong addresses. ______

I made an expensive mistake in simple math. ______

I made a recipe but got some of the ingredients or amounts wrong. ______

The ATM machine swallowed my bank card. ______

I misread a bus, train, or airline schedule ______

A flight I was booked on canceled or delayed. ______

My bag got lost during a flight. ______

A new CD or computer disk wouldn't run on my machine. ______

I got booted off my Internet connection for no reason. ______

I lost my keys or my wallet. ______

I waited on hold for a long time and then got disconnected. ______

I bought clothes that fit fine in the store but didn't fit at home. ______

My cell phone rang at an embarrassing moment. ______

I set my alarm but it went off at the wrong time. ______

Someone saw an e-mail I wanted to keep secret. ______

I opened a fortune cookie but there was no fortune. ______

I picked up my dry cleaning but items were missing. ______

Food I bought was spoiled before the expiration date. ______

I forgot someone's name as soon as I was introduced. ______

The dial tone on my phone went out. ______

I went to a movie but the newspaper had printed the wrong show times. ______

The restaurant was out of everything I wanted to order. ______

I tossed coins into the toll basket but they missed. ______

Tape from a cassette got snarled in the player. ______

An event I bought tickets for got canceled. ______

My mail was delivered to a neighbor's house. ______

I tried to return something I bought, but couldn't find the receipts I'd saved. ______

My bank balance dropped too far and I was hit with service charges. ______

A program I've been planning to watch was preempted by news events. ______

I repeatedly pressed wrong choices when replying to a telephone voice menu. ______

I had to take someone I care for to the emergency room. ______

I took a wrong dose or type of medication. ______

I forgot to buy an essential item from my grocery list. ______

I brought too many items to the express checkout line. ______

I had to pay library fines for late or lost books. ______

My pen ran out of ink. ______

I missed an event by a few minutes. ______

A warranty expired just when I needed service. ______

The insurance company didn't receive my premium payment. ______

My paycheck had the wrong deductions . ______

I received important mail addressed to someone else. ______

My car wouldn't start. ______

I got stood up for a date. ______

A restaurant tab contained serious errors. ______

A friend took a joke wrong. ______

The pharmacist gave me the wrong prescription. ______

I made a purchase then realized I didn't have cash or a credit card on me. ______

I received printed materials (checkbooks, stationery) with my name spelled wrong. ______

One or both of the speakers in my stereo quit working. ______

My neighborhood experienced a power outage. ______

My hotel reservations got screwed up. ______

I got off at the wrong exit. ______

A store refused to accept its coupon. ______

I lost an important phone number. ______

Someone spread a false rumor about me. ______

My Score: ______

Extract from Mercury Retrograde: Your Survival Guide to Astrology's Most Precarious Time of Year, Warner Books, 2002. copyright Chrissie Blaze.