In-Depth Guide to Retrogrades

Retrograde motion is the apparent backward movement of planets in the sky.

This phenomenon occurs when, from our perspective on Earth, it seems as though a planet is moving “backwards” through the Zodiac. Retrograde motion occurs because the planets orbit the Sun at different speeds. Depending on our vantage point, these planets appear to move in reverse.

The duration of each Retrograde varies: some last just a few weeks, while others can extend for up to six months. Since everything in the universe is constantly moving, Retrogrades like Mercury’s can occur three to four times a year because it’s the closest to the Sun.

To observe retrograde motion, you’ll need to record the planet’s position in the sky at the same time each day over several weeks. When you combine these observations, you’ll notice the planet tracing a loop in the sky.

In astrology, experiencing a Retrograde is like hitting the cosmic reset button. Instead of seeing Retrogrades as times of uncertainty and chaos, view them as opportunities to recenter, rebalance, and refocus different areas of your life. Because Retrograde motion goes against the usual flow, it represents an exception — or even a challenge — to our sense of normality. Think of Retrogrades as celestial explorers, venturing off the beaten path in search of something new.

Doesn’t it seem like the Retrograde planet has an impact with us even before it officially starts, and keeps going longer than is said? Take this recent Mercury Retrograde that began on August 5: didn’t we all start feeling confused about our thoughts and other people's words — a few weeks earlier? Sure, you could blame it on the holidays… or, point to Mercury's Retroshade.

Retroshade is when a planet retraces its steps during a retrograde. For example, during the current Mercury retrograde, Mercury started moving backward on August 5 at 4º Virgo and stopped on August 28 at 21º Leo.

To figure out the pre-shadow period (when Mercury first passed the point it will return to), we check when Mercury was last at 21º Leo, which was on July 17. To determine the post-shadow period (when Mercury clears the point where it started Retrograde), we look at when Mercury reaches 4º Virgo again, which will be on September 12.

So, from the pre-shadow (July 17 to August 5), through the retrograde itself (August 5 to August 28), to the post-shadow (August 28 to September 12), we’re dealing with a total of nine weeks of changes in our thinking, speaking and socializing.

Special attention should be given to the beginning and end of a planet’s Retrograde phase: the Stationary period. This is when the planet appears to pause — sitting at the same degree as Earth — before changing direction.

During this Stationary period, you might encounter a warning sign, a signal that things can’t continue as they are. It can feel like you’ve suddenly hit the brakes just before going over a cliff. While some view the Stationary period as a time of weakness, it’s actually a moment of intense focus and concentration.

Imagine the effort it takes to stop living in a flawed situation and change the course of events. The Retrograde phase that follows allows you to revisit, fix, or complete what needs attention.

When the planet eventually moves forward again and returns to the point where it originally changed direction, you’ll clearly see the difference between “before” and “after.”

The planets moving backward doesn’t mean it’s “Game over.” Depending on which planet is Retrograde, you can use this time to reassess your plans, rekindle relationships, or reflect on your own behavior.

Retrograde motion can also feel like a glitch in the matrix, where things seem to get stuck in a loop.

People with Retrograde planets in their charts may find themselves repeating the same actions over and over, much like in the movie “Groundhog Day", which perfectly illustrates the retrograde experience.

1. Mastery Through Repetition: Repeating the same actions over and over, or finding stability in routine, is the key to success. With each cycle, we refine and perfect our actions, ultimately becoming experts in our field. This endless spiral of growth is driven by the persistence and patience of Retro-planets, which are determined to achieve their goals no matter the obstacles.

2. Increased Flexibility and Empathy: Retrograde motion makes us more adaptable, empathetic, emotional, and human. It allows us to revisit and reassess situations, making it easier to explore and understand them from different perspectives.

3. Mastering Complexity: On a higher level, Retrograde planets enable us to master complex and multi-layered processes related to their themes — something that might be inaccessible to those with direct planets who tend to try once and move on.

1. Breaking the Cycle is Tough: It can be hard to escape the repetitive cycles of Samsara, where the tendency to repeat mistakes is strong. Like a horse in a training ring, we can find ourselves making the same errors over and over until we muster the will to correct them. Without intervention, each repetition risks worsening the situation, potentially leading to a negative outcome.

2. Vulnerability and Mood Swings: A Retrograde planet’s desire to understand everyone can make it vulnerable to manipulation, pity, or seduction. This can be seen as a “weak spot,” as it tends to be unpredictable and prone to mistakes due to mood swings. However, its actions are always sincere and heartfelt.

3. Time-Wasting Tendencies: On a lower level, Retrograde planets can stretch out processes, causing delays and, prompting you to revisit the same issues repeatedly, wasting time in the process.

If you find yourself repeating the actions associated with a Retrograde planet, it might be because:

• You didn’t quite get it right the first time.

• Life is trying to push you to a new level, but you’re resisting, so you keep ending up in the same situation — and life keeps giving you more chances.

• You’re curious and want to explore all possible outcomes related to the planet’s theme, experiencing as many scenarios as possible.

• You feel comfortable in this familiar “zone,” where everything is well-tuned, so there’s nothing to worry about.

• You’re resilient and patient, gathering all possible experiences related to the planet’s theme to ensure you have answers to every question.

• You’re very cautious and tend to double-check or redo things repeatedly, always feeling like you might have missed something.

Since the universe is always in motion, every planet goes Retrograde at some point. Below is a breakdown of each planetary Retrograde and what it might mean for you.

• Mercury Rx

Timing: 3 to 4 times per year for 3-4 weeks.

Influences: thinking, speaking, reading, writing, learning, singing, walking, running, driving, hand crafting, being easy going, sociable, smart, curious, looking for shortcuts, interacting with people younger than you.

Personas: junior, as a sister/brother, uncle/aunt, neighbor, reader, writer, speaker, driver, student, ​​classmate, newsman, salesman.

• Venus Rx

Timing: Every 18 months (approximately) for 6 weeks.

Influences: preferences, values, choice, evaluation, gratitude, liking, charm, softness, naturalness, smoothness, peacefulness, calmness, attractiveness, interacting with women.

Personas: friend, acquaintance, lover, counselor, diplomat, peacemaker, lady/gentleman, well-mannered person, beauty/handsome, salesman.

• Mars Rx

Timing: Every 26 months (about 2 years). About 10 to 11 weeks (roughly 2.5 months).

Influences: actions, behaviors, making an effort, overcoming obstacles, wit, courage, dealing with aggression, work, sports, interacting with men.

Personas: leader, commander, team leader, coach, athlete, presenter, comedian, activist.

• Jupiter Rx

Timing: Once a year. Approximately 4 months

Influences: morality, culture, history, enlightenment, ideals, beliefs, criteria for happiness, pride, abundance, gratitude, generosity, patronage.

Personas: mentor, guide, teacher, philosopher, sage, guru, sponsor, philanthropist, history buff, opinion leader, traveler, foreigner.

• Saturn Rx

Timing: Once a year. About 4.5 months.

Influences: laws, duty, obligation, responsibility, discipline, self-control, measure, edge, boundaries, thoughtfulness, listen to elders, professionalism, stewardship, thoroughness, solidity, timelessness.

Personas: adult, parent, guardian, custodian, elder, citizen, professional, supervisor, employer, manager, keeper.

• Neptune Rx

Timing: Once a year. Roughly 5 to 6 months.

Influences: secrets, mysteries, mysticism, hidden, abstract, elusive, unexplained, unknowable, forgotten, faith-based, higher knowledge, solitude, silence or music, tranquility.

Personas: spiritual person, meditator, soul connoisseur, intuit, psychologist, savior, dreamer, musician, artist.

• Uranus Rx

Timing: Once a year. Around 5 months.

Influences: independence, liberation, humanity, friendliness, zeroing in, insights, out of the blue, from a clean slate, looking to the future, modern technology, going beyond the edge, collective, team, social.

Personas: friend, like-minded person, blogger, scholar, creative person, team mate, spontaneous person.

• Pluto Rx

Timing: Once a year. Approximately 5 to 6 months.

Influences: destruction/cleansing, evolution, transformation, moving to another level, discarding the old, cutting off the unnecessary, resilience, strong attachment, magnetism, control.

Personas: strong person, a strong-willed person, an athlete, a psychologist, a hypnotist, someone who knows how to solve other people's problems, a rescuer.

• Chiron Rx

Timing: Once a year. About 5 months.

Influences: duality, parallelism, déjà vu, synchronicity, opposites, achieving harmony, taking everyone's opinion into account, consensus, strategic thinking, golden mean.

Personas: intellectual person, peacemaker, healer, teacher, coach, evaluator, judge, matchmaker.

• Aries

Situations: you need to act independently, quickly, immediately, without thinking, making an effort, improvising, assertively, honestly, at speed, doing everything to be first, in an argument/conflict.

Places: business meeting, sports field, gym, shooting range, hunting, boxing ring, stand-up show, theater.

• Taurus

Situations: you need to act patiently, caring, slowly, down-to-earth, conservative, frugal, consumering, hoarding, resilient, creative, stubborn.

Places: nature, garden, kitchen, beauty salon, cafe, restaurant, shop, store, market.

• Gemini

Situations: you need to act chatty, cunning, superficial, simple, intellectual, fickle, fickle, windy, spontaneous, curmudgeonly, requiring knowledge and sociability.

Places: meeting room, street, library, school, kindergarten, train/bus station, any transport with wheels, recording booth, time cafe.

• Cancer

Situations: you need to act soft, homely, dependent, weak, clingy, wrapped in care, emotional, vulnerable, sensitive, requiring empathy and help.

Places: home, your room, grandparents’ place, by the water, your safe place, in the family.

• Leo

Situations: you need to act brave, idle, childish, self-centered, proud, creative, theatrical, dramatic, filled with love, demanding to think about other people's opinions.

Places: playground, disco, movies, bar, movie set, hairdresser's, stage, center of the circle, your favorite place.

• Virgo

Situations: you need to act nerdy, punctual, consistent, scheming, executive, attentive, obliging, serving, literate, decent, clean-living, treating, rational.

Places: car, highway, work, office, clinic, math class, accounting office, copy center.

• Libra

Situations: you need to act polite, well-mannered, well-dressed, sophisticated, diplomatic, graceful, evaluating, comparing, critical, fair, compromise-seeking, figuring things out.

Places: negotiation room, lounge, art-gallery, exhibition, contest, demo, auction, queue.

• Scorpio

Situations: you need to act strong, rescuing, worrying, controlling, binding, jealous, emotional, pressing, over-loving, reminding, dodgy, dangerous, resolve big problems, acting under pressure.

Places: crowd, public place during rush hour, bank, at the beautician's, sauna, surgery, gym.

• Sagittarius

Situations: you need to act diverse, large-scaled, principled, traditional, educated, cultural, believing, adventurous, optimistic, promising, idealistic, demanding to live up to high expectations and other people's ideals.

Places: open space, university, teachers' lounge, the archives, museum, law office, producer’s office, foreign country, church, cluttered room.

• Capricorn

Situations: you need to act responsible, serious, adult, patient, experienced, professional, busy, bossy, cold, consistent, restraining, controlling, limiting, demanding obedience and discipline.

Places: work, parents’ place, symmetrical space, any public/government organization, dentist's office, engineering agency.

• Aquarius

Situations: you need to act socially, as an adult, independent, freedom-loving, tolerant, friendly, team-oriented, with other people's interests as a priority, spontaneous, unexpected, highly intelligent.

Places: foreign country, social media, work, photoshoot, scientific research institute.

• Pisces

Situations: you need to act modest, silent, lonely, sleepy, dreamy, poetic, romantic, believing, mysterious, intriguing, driven, suspicious, forgetful.

Places: bedroom, bathroom, pool, by the ocean/sea/river, bar, in a messy place.

If you have a R-planet in your Natal Chart, consider using it to your advantage in your profession. Many jobs require the repetition of certain actions and cycles, which helps sharpen and perfect your skills over time. This is especially beneficial in careers that involve repetition, such as:

• Teachers: Repeating lessons to different groups.
• Singers: Performing the same repertoire in multiple shows.
• Dancers or Models: Repeating the same movements or routines.
• Athletes: Running the same track or swimming laps in the same pool.
• Manual Laborers: Performing repetitive tasks automatically.

During a Retrograde period, revisit any situation that’s been troubling you and, through an act of will, change the scenario to one that’s more favorable. This approach allows you to break an old pattern and establish a new cycle — a healthy one.