The current retrograde is supposed to last until September 22.  It's a long one.  Lots of people think that this planetary phenomenon is the reason that things haven't been going their way.  You're not supposed to make any major decisions or stick your neck out during a retrograde.  Why?  Superstition, in a word.

Most people who believe this bunk don't understand what the mercury retrograde really is.  They think it's something serious, when it is really just an optical illusion in the sky.  Mercury appears to be going backwards because of our perspective from here on earth, and the relative movements of the other planets.  For a sky-watcher, it's interesting.  For the superstitious person, it's momentous.  Like zodiac signs in astrology, it guides their choices and gives meaning to events.

People who embrace "new age" spirituality are the most likely to believe in the negative effects of a mercury retrograde.  They also tend to believe in karma and reincarnation.  These beliefs are indicative of the overall ignorance of our populace.  People think that because they have shed institutionalized religion that their new superstition must be better.  Too many people seek explanations for what they experience, and then latch onto them without further consideration.

How is reincarnation any more plausible than heaven and hell?  Are we capable of living with "I don't know" as our answer?  Is intellectual laziness really our future?

SOURCE
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2013/01/06/dr-shade-on-mercury-exposure.aspx?e_cid=20130106_SNL_Art_1
( NOTES )

Clinical applications for EFAs
Tori Hudson, ND
Hosted by Nordic Naturals
( notes from lecture 1/23/12 )

Here's Mercola's latest post on the subject.

We already knew we were getting a lot of mercury from fillings, but the dental profession and FDA continued to say they were "safe and effective"... safe and effective.. safe and effective.. safe and effective... It's the same mantra they use for vaccines containing lord knows what toxins... safe and effective... Now we know to be suspicious when that mantra comes out. Then somewhere along the line some dentists got real and decided they wanted to stop poisioning their patients, and suddenly had more business than they knew what to do with. The old-school dentists who still said fillings that were 50% mercury were safe and effective started losing ground. The FDA follows the money, like a dog follows a biscuit. I'm not a cynic, I'm a realist. =-] Too bad my brain is already frying/fried from the 20 mercury laden fillings that I got when I was a child.

I just learned yesterday that high dose N-acetyl-cysteine is dangerous for people with a high mercury load because it mobilizes it and is thought to transport it across the blood brain barrier and INTO the brain. I did not know this and took NAC along with detox protocols so I probably worsened my own problem. I wonder if taking NAC with a chelator is of any help in removing said toxin from the brain?

http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/728703?src=mpnews&spon=34&uac=89474MT
New research shows that there is no link between thimerosal-containing vaccines administered during pregnancy or infancy and the development of autism. The doc interview says there is no need for further research on this question.

n=256 kids with autistic disorder or ASD with regression
parents were interviewed
CDC on vaccine safety: http://www.cdc.gov/vaccinesafety/index.html

"Clinicians can feel confident in counseling parents that the scientific evidence does not support a link between thimerosal in vaccines and autism," Dr. DeStefano said. "Currently, this should not be much of an issue because thimerosal is no longer included in most routinely used in infant and childhood vaccines in the United States."

According to Dr. DeStefano, the single exception is in some influenza vaccines, but "thimerosal-free preparations of influenza vaccines are available for parents who are more comfortable with thimerosal-free products.