In recent times, the term 'retrograde' has brought fear to lots of people in the world. New age spirituality and philosophies have come about and others resurfaced from ancient times since the world 'ended' back in 2012. There are so many confusing terms that have come along with it and retrograde is one of them.
I'll admit, it can be scary, especially when you don't know what it means.
Retrograde: an illusion of backward motion.
In astrology a planet is 'seen' as moving backwards into the previous sign that it was in before it accelerated forward. It comes along and says: "hey, remember that time when...?"
That's what retrogrades are. A retract into old times, old ways and people from our past, near or far. Scary, but beneficial if you look through the right lens.
Remember in school when teachers would always remind us to revise what we have studied so we can get ready for the big test? Yup, same thing. Retrogrades are a revision of life. Often times they force us to ask ourselves what cycles we let ourselves repeat over and over and what new ones we are letting into our lives. If you're ever wondering why you can't seem to get out of a cycle or toxic repetitive pattern, retrogrades are a perfect place to look. They show us our flaws and test our willpower. Every now and then we enter intense retrograde seasons, whereby 3 or more planets are moving in retrograde. The subject matter is indicated by the planet in retrograde, the themes dependant on the sign they move through and your probable reaction to these situations are predicted according to your birth chart (which I will talk about some other time).
The most common retrograde people know or have heard about is the Mercury Retrograde which happens three times a year. Mercury is the planet of communication and therefore affects how we communicate - that's why when in retrograde, all major alarms go off! The slightest details that may or may have not been overlooked are magnestized during this period. Communication can feel so off such that people are told to delay signing major contracts or even avoid starting new relationships. Screens get cracked, cables get lost, the internet glitches and everything you say is taken with a pinch of salt. Whether verbal, written or digital, the effects are undeniable.
Right now we have 4 planets (that are not Mercury - yet, watch out for June 18th) moving in retrograde; Venus, Jupiter, Saturn and Pluto. If you're not an astrology head like me, let me explain what this means.
Venus - planet of love, friendships, relationships, beauty and finance (Rx ends June 26th 2020)
Jupiter - planet of expansion, higher education, travel and good fortune (Rx ends September 13th 2020)
Saturn - planet that rules discipline, order, responsibility and karma (Rx ends September 29th 2020)
Pluto - represents power, death and rebirth, our subconscious and our secrets (Rx ends October 4th 2020)
Basically, all these areas are being affected in our lives this season, which is most of 2020 if I'm being completely honest. As you can see, it's quite intense! So be careful. This season ends all the way in October when Pluto goes direct. (Neptune the ruler of dreams goes rx in June too all the way till the end of November).
If you pick just one aspect from each planet like; friendship, expansion, responsibility and rebirth, you can see that major themes in life are being tested right now. So if you feel like you're in a never ending roller coaster of evasive thoughts and emotions while seemingly unable to catch a break, this could be a good reason why.
My advise? Don't be too hard on yourself. You will have to sit down with your being and observe what you are feeling. If you feel like life keeps throwing you the same lemons, it's probably because you haven't learnt how to make lemonade. This is what makes retrogrades so powerful - it's a chance to prove that you can keep the promises you made to others, but most importantly to yourself. What's the score on how disciplined you have become? The progress you've made in accommodating more wholesome relationships with yourself and with others? How many more risks are you open to making in order to get to where you're going? These are the questions you should be asking yourself every time retrogrades come to be. If you would like me to discuss the themes of these retrogrades in the signs do let me know, as an astrology enthusiast - I would be happy to help!
Remember, everything that is brought back up during any retrograde is only a test put out there to test/show progress while making sure that you are still on track to learning the lessons you have claimed to accomplish and wish to achieve.
Retrogrades = Progress report.
Stay gracious 🦚✨
Comments