12 People On How The Mercury Retrograde Garbage Fire Treated Them

We made it, stargazers. The final Mercury retrograde period of 2017 has ended and hopefully you've made it out relatively unscathed — or at least with little more than a cracked phone screen.

Mercury retrogrades (three-week periods when the planet of communication appears to be moving backward) are notorious for throwing our social and professional lives into complete chaos. But this most recent backspin, which kicked off on December 3 (the same day as the full moon for the month), felt like it had a little extra oomph.

Of course, the holiday season and current news cycle probably had something to do with our stress levels this month, too. But when an awkward job interview falls on the same day as an even more awkward blind date and your phone decides to die just as you leave the house, it's hard not to wonder if the entire cosmos is working against you. Whether you buy into the idea of planetary retrogrades or not, finding anything to blame sure can be a relief.

So, we invited R29 readers to vent their frustrations about Mercury retrograde — and they happily accepted. Ahead, read their tales of missing out on career opportunities, getting ghosted, and more. Then, share your own Mercury-fuelled woes in the comments.