Mercury is officially Retrograde today!  It goes Direct on August 18/19 then has a shadow period (where things begin to smooth out) until September 2.

I want to share an experience I had with Mercury Retrograde back in May 2016.

I was at dinner with my next door neighbor and best friend (at the time) and his friend.  We had already been enjoying rum all afternoon, having a good time.  Our friend tells us that his landlord is selling a golf cart and we should buy it as we live North of the Village.  It would be a great mode of transportation for us.  In our happy and clueless state, we said: “Sure, what a great idea!”

The next day arrived and we had forgotten all about the Golf Cart.  Our friend emails us to ask when we are coming with the money to buy the Golf Cart.  We scrambled and argued and hemmed and hawed and eventually decided we would indeed purchase it.

If I knew it was the middle of Mercury Retrograde I would like to think that I would have said No despite upsetting the friend and his landlord.  But alas, it was one of those experiences that brought a large lesson so it had to have been worth it on some level!

The Jyllectric Golf Cart

We went and drove it and I will be the first to admit it felt good to be behind the wheel again.  Up until this point, my only mode of transportation was my bicycle, the bus or taxi.  We were given a Bill of Sale and off we drove.  I will edit that – off we toodled, as this is an Electric Golf Cart only going about 12 mph at max speed.

Yes, we drove off forgetting something.  The Title!  And so the trouble begins.  There was no Title.  My friend and co-owner, Jon, was fine with that – to drive it illegally, but I was not.  I called the previous owner.  He informed me there was never a Title for it.  I see the Insurance tag on the windshield and call the Insurance company and they did not have a record of the Title though they had information on the first owner (who was not my friend’s landlord.  Are you following along?  It gets better!).

Perhaps it would be easier to list all the things that happened with this Golf Cart:

1. Golf Cart purchased May 9, 2016
2. No Title.
3. Tried contacting the owners who brought the Golf Cart into Belize – no response via Email, Facebook, and the phone numbers were old.
4. We could not Register the Golf Cart or get Insurance without a Title.
5. August 2016.  My friend installed LED Headlights from the States.
6. Contacted a local Attorney who said we needed paperwork that showed the Cart had been through customs and to Title it.  Paid him to draft this document.
7. Took document to Customs and promptly learned it was all for naught because the Duty and Taxes still needed to be paid.
8. Began the process with Customs.
9. Hired a Broker to draft the paperwork.  Paid him.
10. Submitted paperwork to Customs.  Paid them.  Hooray, we were one step closer to legal!
11. Had to wait until the first Tuesday of the month when the Department of Transport came to the village.  It’s October now.
12. Take paperwork to the Department of Transport.  Stand in line.  Receive a Title.  Receive the Registration.  Pay for both.
13. Take Title and Registration to Insurance Agency.  Get set up with insurance.
14. February 2017 Golf cart gets a flat tire.  Turns out all the tires have holes.  Patch tires.  Pay for that.
15. While at the mechanic, we get the brake fixed.  Pay for that.
16. March 2017 Golf Cart dies intermittently.  New mechanic declares that the batteries are not fully charging.
17. The golf cart sits, unused.
18. Start riding my bike again.
19. April 2017 buy partner out of Golf Cart.
20. Get ignition replaced.  Pay mechanic.
21. I debate buying new batteries.  Months go by.
22. I decide to buy new batteries.
23. September 2017.  YAY the Golf Cart is in tip-top shape again!!!
24. July 2018.  The Golf Cart is running beautifully still!  I want to sell it, however, I will wait until AFTER Mercury goes direct!  *Lessons Learned*

If you don’t believe that a little planet like Mercury affects things, then start noticing what goes on around you through August 19.  Even though I add each Retrograde cycle to my calendar, I am not always paying attention (clearly) when I am making decisions, how Mercury Retrograde may play a part in the success, or failure, of said decision.

Mercury Retrograde and ROAR!