RETROGRADE PLANETS

Mercury
The Mercury retrograde is perhaps best known o a!! retrogrades" This ce!estia! body
re#uires $$ days to %ake a co%p!ete pass around the Sun and re%ains stationary or
anywhere between a ew hours and a ew days& depending on the ti%e o year" This p!anet
goes into retrograde three ti%es a year or around three weeks each ti%e" Mercury has the
highest re#uency o retrograde and stays in this position or the shortest !ength o ti%e o
any other p!anet"
'o%%unication is Mercury(s %ain do%ain" Thereore& co%%unication is great!y aected
by this p!anet(s pu!!" During the period Mercury is in retrograde %otion& indi)idua!s %ay
ind their %essage is better con)eyed through another !ess a%i!iar %ediu%" Messages
%ay be %isunderstood* whispers %ay be o)erheard and %ai! or e%ai! %ay be
%isdirected" Those who are usua!!y constrained by pub!ic speaking %ay ha)e %o%ents o
c!arity& whi!e those gi)ing a pub!ic address %ay be dra%atica!!y %is#uoted" This is a
good ti%e to e+p!ore new out!ets o co%%unication" 'hoose your words careu!!y"
, Mercury retrograde is in your chart& your tongue is !ike!y to get you into troub!e or you
%ay be araid to speak your %ind or ear o the conse#uences" There %ay be an issue
with inte!!ect or inte!!igence" -ou %ay ind your se!.e+pression is /heard/ through other
or%s rather than )erba! or written"
0enus
0enus re)o!)es around the Sun in 112 days and re%ains stationary or three to our days"
E)ery eighteen %onths or so& this p!anet s!ips into retrograde or appro+i%ate!y si+
weeks"
,n genera!& 0enus retrograde orces us to take an e+a%ining eye to our ro%antic
re!ationships" Suppressed ee!ings %ay rise to the surace& and we %ay ree)a!uate what
we want and where we seek it" The ru!es that structure our )a!ue syste% %ay co%e into
#uestion* sudden!y what we )a!ued %ost %ay see% inconse#uentia!" 3e %ay ind
ourse!)es rethinking the %eaning o beauty and aesthetics" 4inancia! issues %ay step into
the !i%e!ight as we!!"
, 0enus is retrograde in your chart& you %ay ha)e so%e re!ationship issues to o)erco%e"
Otenti%es you ee! too inhibited to seek what you rea!!y want and you withdraw ro%
your partner" -ou ind it hard to get e+act!y what you need ro% the peop!e who are c!ose
to you" So%e o this in!uence that app!ies to e%otiona! %atters a!so app!ies to %oney
%atters5 -ou ne)er #uite ee! that you ha)e enough in your pockets" Se!.worth beco%es a
!arge issue or you in your !ieti%e"
Mars
Mars re#uires 6$7 days to tra)e! one cyc!e around the Sun and& depending on the ti%e o
year& this p!anet is stationary or up to i)e days" ,ts retrograde period happens e)ery two
years and it stays in this state or two to two.and.a.ha! %onths"
Mars is the P!anet o 3ar& and in a retrograde period it causes anger and discord to turn
interna!" Passi)e aggression& inner angst& stress and anguish are a!! attributed to this p!anet
in retrograde" Turning e%otions inward rather than re!easing the% in a %ore hea!thy
%anner can cause anger and hatred to be %isdirected" Like Don 8ui+ote& you are batt!ing
de%ons you can(t e)en see" Se)ere road rage and issues with interna! we!!ness %ay be
high!ighted during this ti%e" More ba!anced indi)idua!s aren(t as aected by Mars in
retrograde& but during its in!uence none o us are as saint!y as we(d !ike to be"
, you ha)e Mars in retrograde in your chart you %ay ind that you ha)e diicu!ty in
asserting yourse!" Ti%idity& !ack o direction and other se!.i%posed e%otiona! obstac!es
ho!d you back ro% rea!i9ing your drea%s" Oten you re!y on others to ight your batt!es*
too oten you ee! you are being used as so%eone e!se(s door%at" -ou %ay ind others
around you to be particu!ar!y aggressi)e during the period when Mars is in retrograde"
:upiter
,t takes ;1 years or :upiter to tra)e! around the Sun* then it pauses at its stationary
position or i)e to eight days" Appro+i%ate!y once a year& or around our %onths or so&
this p!anet is in retrograde"
:upiter& !ike Saturn& is a socia! p!anet" ,ts actions aect peop!e in a )ery ho!istic %anner"
The retrograde o :upiter causes us to ree)a!uate our ethics as a society" Phi!osophies are
rewritten& re!igious or spiritua! be!ies are #uestioned and the )ery ibers o our being are
scrutini9ed" Lessons that ha)e beco%e co%%onp!ace and routine are seen in a new !ight"
The resu!ts o these changes can be either ruitu! or inauspicious& depending on the
indi)idua!& the cu!ture and the situation" 3orking ro% the pre%ise that the uni)erse
!ows within us and that indi)idua!s are connected by a greater thread& we ocus %ore on
the si%i!arities and trends that span the g!obe than on the indi)idua!" :upiter in retrograde
isn(t a great ti%e or tra)e!& as p!ans are !ike!y to ca)e in on the%se!)es"
, :upiter(s retrograde is in your chart& you are !ike!y to be the type o person who is
a!ways searching or ethics and )a!ues" -ou constant!y seek truth and deeper %eaning in
!ie but rare!y reach a stage o understanding" Ritua! beco%es a chore and you ee! uneasy
in your skin as you o!!ow in b!ind aith" Otenti%es you <u%p onto the current
inte!!ectua! bandwagon on!y to be disappointed in the end" -ou suer ro% ee!ing the
co!d !ack o spiritua! u!i!!%ent or you ee! tugged at by the constant de%ands o your
spiritua!ity or phi!osophy" -ou stri)e to ind the right spiritua! ba!ance"
Saturn
1=.and.a.ha! years is the duration o Saturn(s a)erage cyc!e around the Sun& and once a
year the p!anet goes into retrograde or about our.and.a.ha! %onths" The transition
between the appearance o orward %otion into retrograde %otion is ca!!ed the stationary
period" During its stationary period& Saturn has the appearance o not %o)ing at a!! or
about e!e)en or twe!)e days"
Saturn(s eect on Earth s!ows e)erything down" This p!anet in retrograde is a task%aster5
,t can %ake us work with e+tra eort or it can %ake us think deep!y and conte%p!ate our
actions or the wor!d around us" There are no short cuts when Saturn(s spin re)erses& and
one shou!dn(t consider rushing through !ong and detai!ed pro<ects" Take this opportunity
to breathe and to do things the right way the irst ti%e around" ,ssues with authority %ay
rise to the oreront* sea!ing dea!s and ina!i9ing contracts %ay be put o !onger than
you(d !ike" Dead!ine e+tensions are granted and you %ay ind yourse! ha%%ering away
again at so%ething you thought was co%p!ete"
, Saturn is in retrograde in your chart& it(s !ike!y that you are constant!y in con!ict with
authority" Either you ee! persecuted by those who work abo)e you or you are a person
current!y %is%anaging your power position" Setting !i%itations and !earning the !e)e!s to
which others %ay be pushed are %atters with which you %ust take issue" -ou are araid
o the risk needed to address the powers that be& but the rewards wi!! be great i you can
!earn to gain %ore contro! in this part o your !ie" Patience wi!! a!so be a !esson"
>ranus
>ranus is #uite ar ro% the Sun& and thus it takes a u!! $? years or this p!anet to orbit
the star at the so!ar syste%(s center" A >ranian year is so !ong that this p!anet re%ains in
each Sign o the @odiac or about se)en years" The stationary period or >ranus is two
weeks& and its retrograde !asts or about i)e %onths out o e)ery Earth year"
,n genera!& when >ranus is in retrograde& we shou!d e+pect the une+pected" Surprises pop
out ro% e)ery corner and this can be either %ar)e!ous or start!ing& depending on the
situation" >ranus is the 3i!d 'ard o the P!anets* it can bring drastic whi%s and shits
that a%a9e and be%use" A >ranus retrograde cou!d bring une+pected eects that cou!d
yie!d the co%p!ete opposite or e)en no change at a!!" During this ti%e& chaos %ay be
present either e+terna!!y in the outside wor!d or interna!!y within the indi)idua!"
>ranus retrograde %ay set your wi!d side ree or it cou!d %ake a notorious!y outgoing
person uncharacteristica!!y shy" Straight.!aced schoo! %ar%s %ay sudden!y be dancing on
top o pianos and eer)escent party types %ay sudden!y ee! %ore co%ortab!e& ca!%!y
re!a+ing in a hot bath" E+p!osions in your persona!ity are not unco%%on* you %ay
beha)e dierent!y than other peop!e percei)e you"
Neptune
,t takes ;62 Earth years or Neptune to circ!e the Sun one ti%e& !ong enough or this
p!anet to spend ourteen years in each Sign o the @odiac" Stationary or two weeks or so
at a ti%e& Neptune goes into retrograde i)e %onths out o e)ery year"
3ith Neptune(s retrograde& !ogic a!!s to the wayside in a)or o esoteric interests and
intuition" Peop!e begin to pay %ore attention to their drea%s and e+p!ore %ore creati)e
out!ets" Neptune is the P!anet o ,!!usion and Make Ae!ie)e& and we %ay see shits in i!%
and te!e)ision or entertain%ent %edia in genera!"
, the retrograde o Neptune is in your chart& you are !ike!y in)o!)ed in a serious escape
antasy into a drea% wor!d" No one rea!!y knows what goes on behind your eyes and
though you %ay be sitting at a desk in an oice& you(re probab!y dancing ba!!et or
hunting wo!)erines in your %ind" The position o this p!anet can %ake so%e peop!e %ore
inhibited and unab!e to rea!i9e their drea%s" A!ternati)e!y& so%e can be p!unged into a
drea% wor!d ro% which they can(t resurace" This drea% wor!d %ay inc!ude drug or
a!coho! abuse& constant escapis%& running away or abso!ute!y shutting out rea!ity"
P!uto
A whopping 1?$ years %ust pass here on Earth beore P!uto co%p!etes a sing!e cyc!e o
rotation around the Sun" P!uto spends& on a)erage& twenty.one years in each Sign and i)e
%onths out o the year in retrograde" ,n between its regu!ar cyc!e and retrograde P!uto
rests stationary or up to se)enteen days& depending on the season"
4resh starts and dead ends acco%pany P!uto(s retrograde stage" The things that we hang
onto %ost tight!y can sudden!y be taken away" P!uto(s retrograde is a!so a ti%e o
destruction and rebui!ding& re<u)enation and regeneration" 3e %ay be orced to
ree)a!uate the things we )a!ue %ost" Bea)y orces that are outside o an indi)idua!(s
contro! are at p!ay& inc!uding war& weapons and go)ern%ent uphea)a!"
3ith P!uto in retrograde in your birth chart& it(s a!! an issue o contro!" Depending on the
circu%stances& you %ay ind yourse! in the grip o so%eone e!se(s whi%& ee!ing taken
ad)antage o or %anipu!ated" On the other end o the spectru%& you cou!d be the person
in the throne using your own power to destroy others and& u!ti%ate!y& yourse! and your
wor!d" Either way& the abuse o power is a )ery !arge issue or peop!e born with a P!uto
retrograde in their chart"
, the o!!owing p!anets appear in retrograde in your birth chart they are indicati)e o a
%onu%enta! happening that once occurred in a past !ie" Astro!ogy suggests that you pay
attention to the !essons that you ne)er !earned in the past and that you stri)e toward
achie)ing these goa!s in current pursuits" Each o the p!anets represents a dierent !esson
to be !earned"
Mercury Past Life:
, Mercury retrograde is in your chart it(s !ike!y that you were once scorned or speaking
out* perhaps your words incensed a riot" Mercury retrograde sy%bo!i9es that you are
araid to say the wrong thing and that you don(t ee! assured o your own inte!!igence"
To %aster this !ie !esson& you shou!d be!ie)e in your inte!!igence and the power o your
co%%unication ski!!s" Practice pub!ic speaking and ce!ebrate the achie)e%ent o
speaking to a group"
Venus Past Life:
-ou ha)e diicu!ty connecting with your sou! %ate and sustaining inti%ate re!ationships"
-ou seek u!i!!%ent ro% your partner but a!ways co%e up short" ,n a past !ie& there
were e+terna! orces beyond your contro! to keep you and your !o)er apart* thus& you
ne)er !earned how to conduct a %ature& producti)e re!ationship"
Try to ocus on what you rea!!y want in a re!ationship and consider your choice o
partners careu!!y" A!so& !ook within yourse! and ponder what you gi)e back to your
partner" Search or ways to i%pro)e the gits you share"
Mars Past Life:
,n your past !ie you %ay ha)e been a so!dier in the %i!itary and peror%ed regrettab!e
acts under so%eone e!se(s orders" The anguish and the gui!t this e+perience caused has
!et you cripp!ed when it co%es to dea!ing proper!y with your anger" Otenti%es you(re
not e)en sure where your anger co%es ro%& but it is re!eased hasti!y& harsh!y and
inappropriate!y"
Re!a+ation and ocusing techni#ues wi!! he!p you get through this tang!ed web& as wi!!
so%e inward e+a%ination on the orces that ri!e your b!ood in this !ie"
Jupiter Past Life:
3ith :upiter retrograde in your chart you were perhaps persecuted or your iconoc!astic
re!igious& ethica! or spiritua! be!ies" This e+perience was troub!ing and has !et you
ee!ing uneasy about e%bracing anything !arger than yourse! out o ear o e+i!e once
again" -ou are a!so earu! o showing anyone the !ight o your wisdo% as you don(t want
to ee! responsib!e or <eopardi9ing their socia! standing"
,n this !ie you %ay ha)e co%e u!! circ!e and snub re!igion or ho!d it in disdain" -our
!ack o spiritua!ity or ick!e re!ationship with spiritua! be!ies %ay !ea)e you ee!ing !at"
'o%ing to ter%s with the things that %ake you happy and !istening to your inner )oice
wi!! set you ree"
Saturn Past Life:
, Saturn in retrograde appears in your birth chart you %ay a!ways ha)e had a diicu!t
re!ationship with authority igures" -ou were once se)ere!y abused by those with power
o)er you* perhaps you were ens!a)ed or& con)erse!y& you %ay once ha)e been a
be!!igerent and abusi)e ru!er" A!ways !ooking or the easy way out& you ha)e a !ong
history o being i%%ense!y i%patient"
The on!y way you wi!! e)o!)e to the ne+t !e)e! is i you !earn the )irtues o patience& hard
work and responsibi!ity" -ou %ust a!so !earn to respect the peop!e you work with" Rather
than continuing with a reewhee!ing !iesty!e& ocus instead on %aking p!ans and setting
strategy"
Uranus Past Life:
,n the !i)es beore this one you were a rebe! or a re)o!utionary" -ou()e a!ways been an
anarchist ighting the estab!ish%ent* i there(s a batt!e& you(re there" Though this !iesty!e
has its %erits& it can be pushed to the e+tre%e" -our re)o!utionary !iesty!e has a!ways
interered with or perhaps e)en destroyed %any other acets o your !ie"
-ou %ust !earn that gi)ing an inch can so%eti%es gain you a %i!e" Ceep ighting an
honorab!e ight& but as !ong as >ranus is in retrograde in your chart you need to %aster
the !esson o co%pro%ise and& occasiona!!y& conor%ity" Take a %o%ent to appreciate the
useu! aspects o structure" Sa)e your batt!es on!y or the occasions when it is necessary&
not si%p!y or the sake o rebe!!ion or or a good ight"
Neptune Past Life:
E+tre%e creati)ity and a penchant or escapis% ha)e a!ways gotten the best o you i
Neptune retrograde is in your chart" Perhaps you ha)e a !ong history o a!coho! or drug
abuse or you are constant!y trying to ree yourse! o ties with stark and unp!easant
%o%ents in rea!ity"
Need!ess to say& you wi!! not de)e!op persona!!y& spiritua!!y or astro!ogica!!y i you are
dependent on substances outside yourse!" To rise abo)e these cha!!enges you %ust take
contro! o your creati)ity and push it toward its tre%endous potentia!" Take a !ook outside
yourse! and your own issues* consider he!ping others as a way to get outside your own
prob!e%s" Learn to appreciate the esoteric side o !ie"
Pluto Past Life:
3ith P!uto retrograde in your chart& you know what it %eans to be ostraci9ed ro% the
!ock" At so%e point in your history you were orced to be the scapegoat or the
co%%unity and you stood a!one or bad deeds that perhaps you didn(t e)en co%%it" -ou
are a%i!iar with being the app!e o the pub!ic(s eye one %o%ent and then deending
yourse! tooth and nai! the ne+t"
This e+perience has !et you )ery untrusting o the wor!d around you" Re%e%ber that
nothing in the uni)erse occurs in a )acuu% and that a!! bodies are connected" Thereore&
i you don(t trust in others you are a!so not trusting yourse!" Ae!ie)e in the peop!e who
ha)e power o)er you& as they are sincere!y !ooking out or your best interests"
0ERTED
The 0erte+ is !ocated on the righthand side o the horoscope in the western section o the
whee!" This point reers to the intersection o the ec!iptic and the pri%e )ertica! in the
hea)ens" So%eti%es the 0erte+ is a!so ca!!ed the Third Ang!e o the chart"
The 0erte+& !ike %any other astro!ogica! characteristics discussed in Car%ic Astro!ogy& is
about ate" ,t represents an i%portant !ie instruction" The 0erte+ %ost!y a!!s between the
4ith and Eighth Bouses" ,ts e+act point )aries depending on the indi)idua!(s birth date&
ti%e and p!ace"
Astro!ogica!!y& the 0erte+ and the Anti.0erte+ Ethe opposite point o the 0erte+F indicate
kar%ic e)ents in the !ie o an indi)idua! regarding cause and eect" Ae careu! o what
you wish or& as it <ust %ight co%e true when the 0erte+ and the Anti.0erte+ co%e into
p!ay" 3ishes and hopes can be u!i!!ed in a )ery per)erse %anner* you %ay get what you
ask or& but not without suering& sacriice or potentia! tragedy" These are the prices o
asking or too %uch at the wrong ti%e" Persona! re!ationships are especia!!y high!ighted"