Do I really need to avoid signing a contract during retrograde?

It's true there's no scientific link between retrograde and your signature, but personally I'd say it's less about planets than psychological timing. If you're already stressed about your contract and you're like "wait, Mercury's retrograde," you're not gonna sign peacefully - and that's you sabotaging yourself, not the stars. But if the contract looks good to you and you're in a good headspace, go for it, sign without overthinking it.

Read the contract twice before signing it, no matter what date it is. Seriously, Mercury retrograde has never changed a contract's clauses or made a well-negotiated deal any worse. What can actually screw things up is signing too fast or without understanding all the details properly - and no planet can do anything about that. If the contract is solid and you've studied it carefully, go for it; Mercury retrograde timing won't change anything.

No study proves that signing is riskier during a retrograde, so technically you can go for it! But realistically, what actually changes is your mindset - if you're freaking out because of the retrograde, you'll sign while stressed and you might miss important stuff in the clauses. Rather than pushing it back, sign when you've got a clear head and you've actually read the document line by line, no matter what day it is!