Planetary retrogrades are one of the most feared astrological events, which is not good given the fact that they happen a lot. People do not understand retrogrades in general and this lack of understanding is compounded by heaps and heaps of misinformation out there about the various retrogrades from so-called experts. And that is why today, I’m going to explain to you what is really happening during a planetary retrograde and what to do about it.
Technically speaking, a planetary retrograde is an optical illusion that happens when a planet appears to be moving backwards from earth’s perspective. A planet appears to move backwards when earth passes a slower moving planet or is passed by a faster moving one. And the length of a retrograde varies greatly based on the specific retrograde that is occurring. Does a retrograde have an energetic effect, despite the fact that it is in essence, an illusion? The answer is yes. Planetary energies absolutely have a big influence on us and this includes retrogrades.
The reason that people fear retrogrades so much is because they are seen as (and to be quite honest, often feel like) oppositional forces. For example, when a retrograde is occurring in Mercury (the planet of communication and travel) communication breakdowns and travel disruptions tend to occur. If you really need to get somewhere or if you are in a relationship and can only avoid conflict with good communication, it can feel like the universe is manipulating the planets against you. Basically, most people have an association with retrogrades wreaking absolute havoc in their lives. And there are a lot of “experts” out there who have littered the human mental field with things that cause people to fear retrogrades. A lot of things that are quite frankly not true. Things like: Never start a new relationship during a Venus retrograde. Or a Mercury retrograde is a terrible time to start projects and make sure you do not invest in anything or sign any contracts. Or you can expect aggression and conflict during Mars retrograde. Or never make a big decision during any retrograde or you’ll regret it once the planet goes direct. There are so many of these warnings and cautions thrown around, it can feel like in order to be ok in life you’ve got to run (and perfectly execute) some kind of cosmic Ninja Warrior obstacle course, which let’s face it, no one will be able to do. On top of this, very few people are an expert in astrology and most people in the world have no clue what is happening with the stars, so what is the average joe to do? The answer is: Don’t fear retrogrades. Instead, grab the bull by the horns and get in the driver’s seat with each one by understanding what is happening energetically when a retrograde occurs. It is one hell of a time to level up.
A retrograde is the medicine of retrospective. It sucks your awareness back to what needs to be seen and consciously decided upon. Retrogrades force you to look back, re-visit, review, re-evaluate, re-do, resolve the unresolved, let go of what must be let go of, end what needs to end, start what needs to start, revive what must be revived and finish any unfinished business related to the themes that are governed by the planet that is in retrograde. They are life spring cleaning events. But when this spring cleaning process is being forced on us, even if it is FOR us, it often feels like the past is rearing its head again or like unwanted things are surfacing or like pain is being dredged up or like we are taking a step backwards.
It might be helpful to think of the analogy of yourself carrying all kinds of things from the past with you while you walk the path of expansion. Some of these things are really beneficial to you and some of these things are really not. These things are in a backpack and while you know some of what is in your backpack, you have forgotten some of the contents of that backpack as well. A retrograde forces the contents out of the backpack and into your awareness. You are meant to look directly at what surfaces, consciously evaluate it and decide with your free will what to do with it, just like you would if you were spring cleaning your life. A retrograde is a very specific kind of planetary medicine, not an oppositional force. And remember, not all things that are ‘of the past’ are things which are detrimental and must be let go of. There is gold there too which will be brought to your attention too during a retrograde; so that you can re-own it. Another way to make it very simple is to say that a retrograde offers a do-over. The question is, with the medicine of retrospect, what would you do differently if you were given the opportunity of a do-over? In line with this, a retrograde is a fabulous time to deal with regrets. To contemplate what you are regretting and figure out how you want to change things based on whatever you are regretting.
To generalize, when a retrograde involves us on earth passing a slower planet, we are especially being asked to leave things behind. And when it involves a planet moving faster than us on earth, we are especially being asked to catch up to our expansion. Both are meant to move stagnant energy. Both are meant to bring us into greater alignment. Both are meant to clear what is preventing our progress. It’s just that one energy is particularly propelling. It calls you to speed up. And puts great pressure on what from the past is acting like an anchor, preventing your forward movement. While the other is particularly purgative. It calls you to slow down, if not stop, so as to reflect and re-evaluate. It puts great pressure on things from the past that are out of alignment, weighing you down and holding you out of the vibrational range of what you want and need most.
Remember that a retrograde is specific to the planetary energy that is in retrograde. So, let’s say that Venus is in retrograde. Venus relates to the energy of love and relationships. This means a Venus retrograde will bring retrospective in the sector of love and relationships. You will be made aware of the baggage you are carrying relative to love and relationships. And spring cleaning will be forced in this sector. You will get a do-over in that sector. So, let’s look at Gavin. Let’s say that Venus goes retrograde in that it is going faster than earth. This will put pressure on Gavin to speed up in the area of relationships. This will put pressure on what is anchoring him and preventing his movement forward in the area of relationships. Let’s say that Gavin is wanting a deep and committed romantic relationship. But let’s say that he is totally unaware that years ago, he decided to protect himself from getting hurt in relationships by rejecting people and pushing them away before they have a chance to reject him and push him away. During this retrograde, Gavin is lying in bed with his girlfriend and she confronts him about why he has been dragging his feet about finding them an apartment to move into together. His fears of getting even more attached and committed, only to find himself getting rejected and abandoned are what have been preventing him from doing this. He has not been caretaking this fear and the emotional traumas underneath it. So, he slips right back into his protection pattern and tells her “I don’t know, maybe I’m just not ready for that step yet. I don’t know if what I really want is the whole escalator of relationships… move in, get married, have kids etc.” Needless to say, this causes a massive rupture in Gavin’s relationship. What the retrograde is doing, is forcing retrospection. It is putting great pressure on what from the past is acting like an anchor, preventing his forward movement, which just so happens to be his trauma of being rejected and pushed away as well as the adaptation he made to that, which was to reject and push others away first. It is inviting Gavin to spring clean himself and his life relative to love and relationships. It is giving him a do-over as if the universe is saying: “Gavin… Are we gonna do the same thing again by pushing people away before they push us away? Or are we gonna see that this pattern destroys relationships and goes against the exact thing you want and make a different choice this time?
It is a misnomer that a retrograde is a bad time to start something new. Such as a new relationship or a new project or a new decision. The reason being that retrogrades are really about shaking things up and changing patterns so that you can come into alignment with the help of the medicine of retrospective. So, let’s say that a person is in a chronic pattern of apathy. The retrograde is likely to put a spotlight on this pattern of apathy. And so, it would absolutely serve a person to do shadow work and to make a new, big, bold move during the retrograde that is in alignment with being active rather than passive. Or, let’s say that a retrograde makes a person aware that they keep having one-night stands because they are terrified of losing someone that they are committed to, so they’d rather not be committed. But imagine that this person desperately wants a deep, lifelong relationship deep down. A retrograde would be a perfect time for a do-over where this time, rather than continue with one night stands, they commit to a new relationship with one person and start building a partnership.
The best energy to meet a retrograde with is active engagement. Rather than being passive with the attitude of it happening TO you, meet it head on and get on top of it instead. This means, understand the themes and life sectors that the specific retrograde applies to so you are open and responsive to what arises. And when it does, because you know what is happening, actively engage by asking yourself what needs to be seen and consciously decided upon. Look back, re-visit, review, re-evaluate, re-do, resolve the unresolved, let go of what must be let go of, end what needs to end, start what needs to start, revive what must be revived and finish any unfinished business related to the themes that are governed by the planet that is in retrograde. Treat this like an opportunity for a do-over or spring-cleaning process.
The medicine of retrospective is SO profound. You have heard the saying: Hindsight is 20/20. This saying means that a situation is easier to see and understand in hindsight, when you are looking back on it, as opposed to when you are in the confusion and lack of clarity that often occurs in the moment when you are in the midst of a situation. Retrospection affords us the opportunity to become aware and to make conscious choices that keep us in alignment with continuous improvement. A retrograde causes serious movement. After all, sometimes pulling something back, moves them forward even faster.
