We might have just kicked off a new year, a time we tend to think of as ripe for progress and plowing ahead, but the planets have a different game plan in mind. Well, one planet in particular: the messenger planet, Mercury, which will soon begin its first retrograde of 2021 in fixed air sign Aquarius, symbolized by the Water Bearer. From January 30 through February 20, the ruler of communication, transportation, and technology will appear to move backward through the sky. There's a reason Mercury retrograde has such a bad rap. Even before it "stations" — aka comes to near-standstill before turning backward — you may feel Merc's effects as it delivers various miscommunications and misunderstandings, triggers delays, and spurs tech glitches galore. That said, this notoriously bummer transit isn't