By Dean Maddox, Public Safety & Crime Reporter

It’s Mercury Retrograde again, which means half the internet’s blaming the stars because they overslept, misread a text, or picked a fight and regret it. Just so we’re clear — Mercury is the planet closest to the Sun, not just a discontinued car. Supposedly, when it looks like it’s moving backwards in the sky, it messes with communication and decision-making. Sounds like a science fiction subplot, but a lotta people take it seriously.

Thing is, this isn’t just some fringe theory being passed around in a drum circle. It’s become mainstream. You’ll hear it from your coworker, the bartender, your buddy’s girlfriend. It’s all over social media. It’s their excuse for why they’re anxious, why they forgot something, why they were a jerk. It’s not just a little spiritual quirk anymore—it’s a pop-culture out.

Look, life is messy. Your battery will die. Your boss will misunderstand you. Sometimes you wake up in a bad mood because you didn’t sleep well or drank too much the night before. But that’s life, not a planetary curse. There’s a difference between having a bad day and outsourcing all your screw-ups to the solar system.

If astrology helps you reflect or laugh or bond with someone, fine. But that’s not what most of this is. Most of what I see is people avoiding responsibility. It’s become a way to explain away being unreliable, dramatic, or careless. Instead of saying, “Yeah, I was being kind of a mess yesterday,” it’s “Mercury Retrograde, lol.”

Try this instead: make a list. Check things off. Actually talk to the person you’re mad at. Apologize if you need to. Go outside. Get some air. Drink some water. Read a little stoicism if you’re serious about not letting your mood run your life.

And if you’re looking to the stars for direction, maybe just… don’t. Astrology is comforting because it pretends to explain things. It hands you a reason wrapped in glitter and says, “It’s not your fault.” But nine times out of ten, it is. You forgot. You snapped. You spaced out. Own it.