OMMG! As in, “Oh My Messenger God!”

Perhaps you’ve already heard. About a celestial body who is hot, fast and magnetic. He’s emotional and moody, ranging from -280 to +800 degrees every single day. And, most importantly, he is erratic, moving oddly about the sky, tracing an orbit shaped like flower petals.

To the ancients, this was pretty impressive stuff, so they concluded this guy must be up to something. The Greeks revered his speed, so to them he became an icon of athletics. He also moved independently throughout the sky, so they concluded he must be a messenger. His talent for disappearing and reappearing meant he must know the paths to the underworld; perhaps he was guiding souls to the afterlife. From there he became equated with transitions and boundaries, and became the patron of travelers and herdsmen. His name may come from the Greek word for “cairn,” a rock pile that lines a trail or denotes a border. That word is Hermes.

The Romans were much more practical people, so they fashioned Hermes into something more commercial. His ability to move fast, cross borders, deliver messages and persuade others meant that he must have a powerful impact on business. And the Latin word for commerce is “merx,” – which we still see today in words like “merchandise” and the word for the middle of the work week, Wednesday, which in French is “mercredi” and in Spanish is “miercoles” – so the Romans renamed him Mercury.

And whether you’ve heard all this or not, perhaps you’ve been feeling his effects. That’s because throughout the month of March, Mercury the messenger god has been moving backwards across the sky. And, as the astrologers will tell you, this retrograde motion results in nothing less than widespread technological disruption, communication breakdowns, and mass hysteria. You’ve probably had misunderstandings, missed connections, and misery. If you didn’t back up your computer, you’re toast. And, if you’ve signed any contracts, well, oops.

But hold on, be patient. There’s something else the astrologers are telling us. This isn’t just a time of misbehavior, it’s a time of crossing over. The messenger god has moved from his his rational, commercial self to something more creative. From left brain to right brain. “Mercury in retrograde” is a time for reflection and taking stock of where you’ve been. A time of powerful intuition and figuring out just where you’d like to go next.

And on March 28, Mercury will come out of retrograde and get running again.

Yup, the commercial messenger god, the master of boundaries, is almost done with his funky dance. Which makes the end of “Mercury in retrograde,” the best time to remake your messages. Creativity and commerce are about to co-mingle.

It’s pretty obvious: the universe is screaming at you to launch a new marketing campaigns.

(And to that end, we’ll also humbly remind you that Mercury also goes by another name…)

It’s written in the stars. The time is now. You need an ad agency called quickSilver.