retrograde planets Archives - Astrology readings and writings by Lynn Hayes

About Retrogrades

I’m in the process of migrating old articles to the blog platform, here’s a chance to catch up on some oldies but goodies.

The study of astrology looks at the motion of the planets in the solar system from our perspective here on earth, and because of anomalies in the orbits of the planets, occasionally during their travels around the sun they appear to move backwards. As a planet turns retrograde, it appears to slow down gradually until it appears to be almost standing still. This is called “making a station.” When planets are in retrograde motion, their effect on us tends to be rather more insistent, like a teacher who keeps us after school to be sure we have learned the lesson that day.

Transits and retrogrades:

Transiting planets make angles to the planets in our own birthcharts, creating environmental patterns of energy that affect us in our day-to-day life. Because of this retrograde motion, a transiting planet often will “hit” our birth planet, move past it, then turn retrograde and hit it a second time, turn direct again and hit a third time. Occasionally Pluto will hit a birth planet four or five times in a truly life-changing transition.

I like to compare this kind of transitory effect to cars driving through your neighborhood with loud boomboxes. When the transiting planet first begins to approach your birth planet, it’s like the car with the loud boombox is at the end of your street and about to turn the corner. It is entering your conscious awareness, but you can still tune it out. As it gets closer to your house, it gets louder and more difficult to ignore. Finally the car is in front of your house (as […]

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By Lynn Hayes|2013-08-12T14:40:43-04:00August 12th, 2013|Lessons, Mercury retrograde|0 Comments

Retrogrades brings reversals in consumer confidence

When the outer planets appear to change direction from our perspective here on earth, we call that “retrograde.” Jupiter, Chiron, Neptune, and Pluto are all retrograde now, and Uranus will turn retrograde tomorrow.

A report on consumer confidence in the US that is out today reveals that confidence of the average consumer dropped in May, driven largely by job fears. Saturn changed direction in May – it had been retrograde since December of 2008. In mid-May Saturn slowed down to a crawl in preparation for its retrograde turn, adding a reality check to the thrill ride of the conjunction of Jupiter to Neptune that was moving into position back in April. The combination of Jupiter and Neptune can take us into Never-Neverland, the very place the Saturn seeks to keep us away from.

I was anticipating a significant reversal in the stock market when Uranus turned retrograde but I wasn’t sure which direction we would head in. It appears that we might be headed into the negative territory in light of today’s news and the fact that Mercury is square to Saturn right now where there is a tendency for the mind (Mercury) to follow the negative course (Saturn). It’s a good time to sit tight and not make any radical or sudden decisions until it’s obvious that the course is clear.

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By Lynn Hayes|2009-06-30T06:43:00-04:00June 30th, 2009|Money and markets|Comments Off

Jupiter joins the Summer Retrogrades

I’ll begin by quoting myself:

When planets are retrograde, their influence becomes more subtle; more internalized. It can be more difficult to achieve momentum in the areas over which the planet presides. It may be necessary to apply a greater conscious intention to areas of life ruled by that planet. When all three outer planets retrograde at once we are often forced to perfect a part of our life that has been neglected and which is holding us back from evolving as individuals.

Jupiter turned retrograde yesterday, joining Chiron, Neptune and Pluto all of whom are traveling backward in their apparent path as observed from earth. Chiron and Neptune changed direction at the end of June, and Jupiter moved slightly beyond the conjunction before turning retrograde yesterday.

Jupiter will catch up with Neptune first, in July 9th, and for the next few weeks these planets will continue to dance together in a celebration of the evolution of the soul and an expansive opening to creative inspiration. That’s the good news. The bad news is that this same blissful opening of the soul can also open up the temptation of escapist behavior, addictions, and illusions if we venture too far into the world of rose-colored glasses without remaining grounded on Planet Earth.

Chiron has not gone far, and remains within one degree of Jupiter and Chiron which is certainly close enough to add its voice of wisdom to the mix. Chiron asks where in our lives are we harboring painful memories or ill-will that needs to be released in order for the soul to continue its journey towards evolution.

Readings for clients have been very interesting under this triple conjunction. Several people in one day were experiencing longer mourning periods than they felt was appropriate after losing several people that were important to them […]

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By Lynn Hayes|2009-06-15T08:19:58-04:00June 15th, 2009|Planetary cycles|Comments Off

Retrogrades galore this month!

Jupiter turned retrograde last week (on May 9), and Chiron turns retrograde May 25, just before Mercury and Neptune on May 26. Planets don’t really move backwards, but because we view the motion of the planets from our perspective on earth in astrology, they sometimes appear to turn backwards, or retrograde.

Retrograde planets operate on a more internal, deeper and more personal level. Individuals with a large number (4, 5 or more) of retrograde planets tend to be more inverted, with a greater internal focus and less attention to the outside world.

Before planets turn retrograde, they slow down to what is called a “station” as they prepare to turn. This is very like a car making a U-turn, which remains in the same general location for quite a while as it makes that turn. When the motion of the planets appears to slow down, the influence of those planets becomes more powerful and more intense, and this is true right now. Jupiter and Saturn (which turned direct earlier this month and is still traveling very slowly) will only cover a little more than one degree all month; Uranus about the same. Neptune travels only about ten minutes worth of distance, and Pluto only about 30 minutes. This intensifies the effect of all of the planets and their influence.

By the end of the month we’ll have four traditional planets plus Chiron traveling retrograde and it may be more difficult to navigate through the world during this time. This is rather like navigating a ship in the dark of night – we have to rely on our instincts and our inner maps rather than guidance from external landmarks.

Retrograde periods are not “bad,” they […]

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By Lynn Hayes|2008-05-15T23:18:00-04:00May 15th, 2008|Astrology|Comments Off

A Look Ahead by Looking Back

No one can really explain how astrology works, but anyone who has had a chart reading by a competent astrologer will verify that somehow the planets do possess certain energies that affect us in various ways. Because each of us has a very different birth chart makeup, we are affected by planetary movements differently. For some, a challenging Mars transit can be exhilarating and energizing, and for others it can cause great stress and conflict. Still, the dance that the planetary bodies move through day to day creates energy shifts that affect us on a global scale.

The harmonious aspect (trine) between Jupiter and Uranus of the past week has opened the door to a new way (Uranus) of finding meaning in life (Jupiter), and perhaps the beginnings of a revolution (Uranus) in established religions. (Jupiter). Expansive Jupiter trines tend to bring investor confidence and improve the stock markets, and Uranus tends to require a more utopian view of life. In harmonious aspect like the trine (120 degrees), Uranus calls on us to leave the past behind in order to create a new way.

Over the past few months of retrogrades (with Mars, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune and Mercury all retrograde for at least part of this period), global politics seem to have become stuck in recriminations and retributions. There have been short outbursts of conflict calling for change, but the momentum for change is lacking. During retrograde periods, we tend to re-view the past and find it difficult to move forward. The positive aspect of the retrograde periods is that in this perpetual review we are able to discover new ways of solving problems so that when we finally do begin to make progress, it is with […]

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By Lynn Hayes|2005-11-28T11:54:00-05:00November 28th, 2005|Astrology|Comments Off