Mercury retrogrades are famous for sowing the seeds of confusion, sprinkling flies in the ointment, and making you look left when you should have been looking right. They're not exactly deal breakers, but they can certainly throw a cosmic monkey wrench into the smooth workings of your day-to-day life. That's why it's always a good idea to add two weeks to any deadline that you're working with and to go over any contract or agreement with a fine-tooth comb.

You don't want to get snagged on a hidden technicality or brought up short by an overlooked addendum. You might also postpone purchasing any big-ticket items during this time because chances are you'll find some kind of fault in the merchandise or discover that the price was inflated or the property over-valued. Mercury will be retrograde from August 5th to August 28th.