In my study of Eastern astrology, I learned a principle that correlates planet Mercury’s movement across the zodiac with higher rates of transportation and communication breakdowns. Each year the Internet is filled with articles on this topic (Kerr, 2022; Lonely Planet, 2021; Tips for Mercury Retrograde, 2021; Travel during Mercury Retrograde, 2016). There are several books written on this subject (Boland & Farnell, 2018; McGuirk, 2016). With the exception of work by Qi, Wang, and Zhang (2022), most of this literature is not data-driven.
I am motivated to explore this correlation in the realm of flight delays and cancellations.
Question: Is there really a higher incidence of flight delays and cancellations during time periods when the planet Mercury goes into retrograde motion?
Hypothesis:
HA – There is a significantly higher incidence of flight delays when planet Mercury goes into retrograde motion in its orbit around the zodiac.
HN – There is not a significantly higher incidence of delays when planet Mercury goes into retrograde motion in its orbit around the zodiac.
This would be a quantitative experiment method and a non-experimental (correlational) design.
Publicly available archived flight delay and cancellation datasets should serve the data needed for this experiment.
References:
5 Tips for a Mercury Retrograde-Proof Vacation. (2019, October 21). Expedia Travel Blog. https://www.expedia.com/stories/5-tips-for-a-mercury-retrograde-proof-vacation/Links to an external site.
Boland, Y., Farnell, K., 2018. The Mercury Retrograde Book: Turn Chaos into Creativity to Repair, Renew and Revamp Your Life. Hay House UK.
Buckley, J. (2022, April 16). Experts are predicting a summer of travel chaos. Here’s why. CNN; CNN. https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/travel-chaos-summer-2022/index.htmlLinks to an external site.
Kerr, J. (2022, January 14). Everything you need to keep calm this Mercury retrograde 2022. CNN Underscored; CNN. https://www.cnn.com/cnn-underscored/health-fitness/mercury-retrograde-2022Links to an external site.
McGuirk, L. (2016). The Power of Mercury: Understanding Mercury Retrograde and Unlocking the Astrological Secrets of Communication. United States: HarperCollins.
The dos and don’ts of traveling during Mercury Retrograde – Lonely Planet. (2021, July 7). Lonely Planet. https://www.lonelyplanet.com/articles/travel-mercury-retrogradeLinks to an external site.
Travel during Mercury Retrograde. (2016, January 22). AFAR Media; AFAR Media. https://www.afar.com/magazine/5-ways-to-survive-a-mercury-retrograde-while-travelingLinks to an external site.
Qi, Y., Wang, H., & Zhang, B. (2022). Long Live Hermes! Mercury Retrograde and Equity Prices. Mercury Retrograde and Equity Prices (April 4, 2022).
