There is a universe inside of you as magnificent and meaningful as the one surrounding us. Each planet represents an inner drive. Over time, these planets progress, or evolve. You outgrow certain foods, styles, people. When you were 18, what made you want to get out of bed in the morning? Feel alive and on fire? Assuming you’re not 18, you’ve matured beyond those 18-year-old drives. If not, you’d appear goofy and uncentered.

These changes aren’t obvious at first. They’re initially experienced as feelings. Seeing things differently? Is your communication style different than it was? You’re probably having a Mercury event. I was a lively, outspoken kid until I was 9 and a scooch. For reasons no child shrink or concerned parents could figure out, I suddenly became painfully shy. I began stuttering. I couldn’t meet anyone’s eyes. I kept my thoughts to myself.

What happened? My Mercury became more self-conscious. I was born with Mercury retrograde (there’s a high probably that you were, too). I saw the world through my own lens. When it went direct, it felt like taking waterproof earplugs out after a long swim. I became painfully aware of what came out of my mouth and what it might sound like. I used to happily hum to myself in grade school, confident that I couldn’t be heard. When Mercury went direct? Another student asked me why I was humming. I never did it again.