Communication planet Mercury has been retrograde (moving backward) in Virgo since August 2, making the last week pretty wacky for travel, emails and misunderstandings. Virgo rules the hearth — and also the digestive system — so you may have noticed foods not tasting or going down as well as usual.

Today, Mercury backs into Leo, where it will spend the rest of its retrograde (until August 26). Leo is the sign of drama, romance and showmanship. With Mercury retrograde here, it could be a case of egos gone wild. Paging all obnoxious attention whores: Please spare us your homespun YouTube videos and Autotuned “debut singles.” Celebrity dirt is about to get filthier, and a summer scandal could break — perhaps even an actors’ strike or a movie-set showdown that spawns a tabloid-topping story.

Since retrogrades bring back the past, don’t be surprised if old flames flutter back up. Exes could come crawling back with sweet-talking pleas for second chances. Or, you may have the urge to dial up someone from your own romantic past. If it’s in the name of closure, or because you sincerely believe he or she is “the one that got away,” Mercury retrograde in Leo could bring another chance. (As Shalimar sang, “The second time around/is so much better than the first time.”) But if you KNOW this person is truly toxic, don’t romanticize the connection. Leo the lion has lived in the jungle long enough to know: A feral tiger rarely changes its stripes.