New Moon on Monday Astrology

A lot of people are familiar with the term “Mercury Retrograde”, to the point that the two words said together can inspire anxiety, even dread.  The truth is, there’s nothing to fear about any retrograde period, whether it’s Mercury, or any other planet.  Planetary energy can be expressed in an infinite number of ways: positive or negative, outward or inward, forward or back.  Saying a planet is “retrograde” isn’t the same as saying that planet is evil, it’s not a Jekyll and Hyde kind of thing. 

Think of Astrology like a weather report.  We look at the planets and the ways they are contacting each other to see what combinations of energy are going on in the sky at any particular moment in time.  Sometimes that star-weather is sunny, and sometimes it’s stormy – but that doesn’t mean it is ever “good” or “bad”, it depends on the individual and their particular preferences, or, in astrological terms, the way they react to certain types of astrological weather.  The weather report gives us fair warning to get the galoshes if it’s going to be raining, and Astrology can give us fair warning to be extra aware or responsible or whatever we need to be to thrive with the climates and situations that are coming our way.  And a retrograde is just another kind of weather. 

So what exactly does “retrograde” mean?  It’s an optical illusion, basically.  Think about being on a highway, driving fast past a slower car, and as you pass them, they almost appear to be going backward.  The same kind of thing happens with the planets due their different orbits and speeds.  When a planet goes retrograde, it’s not really travelling backward through space, but it looks to be from our perspective here on earth. 

Though we hear about Mercury more than most, all of the planets go retrograde from time to time.  Mercury does it the most, appearing to travel backwards three times a year for three weeks at a time.  The farther out bodies, from Jupiter through Pluto, spend 4-6 months of every year in retrograde motion.  Then there’s Mars and Venus, who appear to be backtracking much less from our perspective here on earth.  Mars turns retrograde every couple of years for about two months at a time, and Venus, who just flipped to reverse late last night, goes retrograde every year and a half for about six weeks at a time. 

Different astrologers say different things about what happens when a planet goes retrograde.  Many say that the energy of that planet, instead of being naturally expressed and directed outward, begins to turn inward and come back toward us.  Many say that it’s a time to work with really investigating and restructuring the things associated with that planet so that we can better work with its energy.  And of course some say that things will go terribly off course.

Mercury, for instance, is the planet associated with thought, communication and travel.  Whenever Mercury goes retrograde, many caution against signing documents, taking jobs, buying or fixing equipment, leaving the house, talking to absolutely anyone, and so on.  But a lesser-known side of Mercury Retrograde is that it can bring things back from the past:  from stuff you’ve lost to ideas you’d forgotten to friends you haven’t heard from in years.  Mercury Retrograde is always a good time to reorganize and rethink things, from your stuff to your schedule, to try and make them work better for you.  And yes, Mercury stationing “Direct” (i.e. Returning to apparent forward motion) is probably better “weather” for starting up a brand new project or venture than the middle of a retrograde period, but remember, it’s only weather.  Heavy talks and trips you take and your general day to day schedule might have some unexpected twists and consequences during Mercury Retrograde, but unexpected never necessarily means “bad”.  (On a side note, Mercury will be turning retrograde for the last time this year from December 11 through 29, just in time for the holidays.)  (Stop panicking!)

As of this writing, four planets are currently Retrograde in the sky:  Neptune, Uranus, Jupiter and as of late last night, Venus. 

Venus the planet is a lot like Venus the goddess.  Venus is the planet of love, grace, value, and attraction.  Because of this, it’s easy to paint Venus Retrograde into the worst possible scenario for romance and relationships: some will warn that any relationships that start during this period are certainly doomed, or that if your relationship is rocky, Venus Retrograde is sure to end it for once and for all.  But, just like with Mercury, there are plenty of other expressions this period could take:  it could be a time when old loves come back, or issues from past relationships resurface in your current world, only to be worked out for once and for all.  Venus Retrograde could have some people readjusting whom and what they’re attracted to, changing their perspectives and lifestyles in a good way, it could open some people up. 

Remember, it’s the same energy, just going in another direction.  Remember, it’s all about perspective. Some people who are typically reluctant to be open or looking for the love stuff might have an unexpected change of heart when Venus changes direction, some couples might use the time to rediscover just how much they value the person they’re with, and readjust the way they care for them.  Every individual will process and work with this energy in their own individual way.  

If you meet someone new in the next six weeks, and you like him, don’t go running the other way just because of a planet.  If you have a terrible, horrible, really bad fight with the one you love, don’t just assume that you’re doomed and she’s never coming back because Venus is retrograde. 

But do prepare for the weather.  Be aware that the energy is moving in a different way in that part of your world right now, and notice the subtle (or not so subtle) shifts that things start to take between now and November 18, when Venus returns to forward motion.  Don’t expect that there will be bad things happening; just be aware of what is happening.  In the case of that someone new, think about what’s different about your attraction process during this time.  In the case of that couple falling in love all over again, think about what was getting in the way of their perception before this.

Venus Retrograde can also have an affect on our appearances and values, the way we look and the things we buy.  Again, many astrologers warn against buying new clothes or furniture or making any major changes in appearance while Venus is retrograde.  They say that these things will ultimately never be valued, you’ll buy a couch you can’t stand, or a rug that never stops shedding, or dye your hair a color that makes you disappear.  Again, be aware that the energy of Venus is going a different direction, make your decisions more mindfully, but if you have to have something, you have to have it, and a planet’s direction shouldn’t stop you. 

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If you’re familiar with your astrological chart you can take all of this a step further by seeing where early Scorpio and late Libra fall in your chart.  This is the territory that Venus will be retreading and the house(s) where that territory falls in your chart can give you a clue as to where you might be doing some readjusting. 

Even if you’re not familiar with your chart, dates can help you to see how the energy of Venus Retrograde affects you in particular. 

In the past five years, Venus has been retrograde during

~ March and April 2009

~ August and September 2007

~ January 2006

Do any of those time frames mean anything to you?  See if a similar theme turns up during the next six weeks.  Astrology is all about cycles and patterns, and at the very least, learning about Astrology can help us recognize our own cycles and patterns. 

Venus is currently retrograde in Scorpio. The last time Venus went retrograde in Scorpio was during October and November of 2002.  Again, themes and issues from that time period could be resurfacing now, but not necessarily in a bad way.  Even if shadows come back to haunt you, its important to remember that this could be the time for them to finally be resolved and put to bed for once and for all.  The more you pay attention to the patterns in the planets, the more you begin to see the patterns in you, and that’s never a bad thing. 

Have a great weekend y’all,

Adeline