 ♌ 

F
Zodiac Zone: Mesmerizing
t
Meet Leo Mercury
H
A

Home » Astrological

Retrograde: More
Than Just Mercury!
by Tam Veilleux | Updated: September 6, 2023

You’ve heard of Mercury retrograde, but

did you know that all of the planets
have apparent retrograde motion?
That’s right, each planet appears to
move backward in the sky at speciKc
intervals—some for weeks and others
for months at a time!

MY LATEST VIDEOS
This ad will end in 12

Skip ad

Mercury retrograde gets a bad wrap for

causing horror stories and comedy
acts, but astrologers believe that
retrogrades are great times for deep
contemplation and reNection.

Here are lists of ongoing and upcoming

retrogrades, as well as an easy guide
for understanding them better. Learn
how to utilize retrograde cycles for
personal healing!

2 Factors That Make Up A

Retrograde
In astrology, retrogrades are thought to
affect different aspects of life based on
two factors:

1) The planet that is going in “reverse.”

2) The zodiac sign that the planet is

moving through (transiting).

Are Your Signs

Compatible?
Hint

Planets closest to the Sun (Mercury,

Mars, and Venus) affect individuals on a
personal level while ones farther away
(Jupiter and Saturn) affect society. The
ones even farther away and slower
moving (Neptune, Uranus, and Pluto)
affect whole generations of people.

Learn more about the science of

retrograde motion.

What Planets Are In

Retrograde Now?
Here is a list of planets that are in
apparent retrograde motion now, along
with questions to consider during these
times:

Pluto retrograde in Aquarius and*

Capricorn: May 2—June 11 and June 12
—October 10, 2023, respectively.

What changes need to be made

for the sake of everyone involved?
(Aquarius)

How can we improve on recent

changes to institutions such as
government, health care,
education, and nonpro>ts?
(Capricorn)

Saturn retrograde in Pisces: June 17—

November 3, 2023.

How can I be more disciplined

with my spiritual practices?

What space can I create for more

creativity in my life?

Neptune retrograde in Pisces: June 30—

December 5, 2023.

Do Your Star Signs Match?

Hint Open

Are my spiritual practices serving

me or am I?

What is the bene>t of regular

meditation, prayer, and
journaling?

Mercury retrograde in Virgo: August 23

—September 15, 2023.

Where can I add order to my

environment?

What contribution can my

services be to the greater good?

What area of my health can I

improve?

Jupiter retrograde in Taurus: September

4—December 30, 2023.

Are Your Signs

Compatible?

Hint Open

Am I being overly optimistic or

cautiously pessimistic about my
>nancial situation?

What is the energy of optimism

around money?

What would it be like to feel more

valued in this world?

Upcoming Retrogrades In
2023
Here is a list of upcoming retrogrades in
2023:

Mercury retrograde in Capricorn and*

Sagittarius: December 13—24 and
December 25, 2023—1, 2024,
respectively.

How can solitude beneKt me?

(Capricorn)

Where have I been too serious?

(Capricorn)

Are Your Signs

Compatible?

Hint Open

What is the beneKt of planning?

(Capricorn)

Where is my faith wavering?

(Sagittarius)

What adventures have I been

afraid to take due to belief
systems that are not serving me?
(Sagittarius)

*Note: On rare occasions, planets will

move through one sign and into another
before resuming regular (direct) motion.

3 Steps For Working With

Retrogrades
Retrogrades are a time to review the
past rather than continually jogging
forward. If you’ve ever wanted to impact
humanity through your own thoughts
and actions, these are great times for
doing it.

In hindsight (that’s a pun for you),

looking back and “going in” may be the
best way to leap forward.

Here’s a fun exercise for understanding

and contemplation in three steps:

1) Identify The Planet

Identify the planet going through a
retrograde and imagine it has a
personality. If each planet was a
character in a play, here’s what they
might be:

Mercury is like an ever-present reporter,

just wanting to communicate Kndings.

Venus is like Marilyn Monroe. She

concerns herself with the beautiKcation
of life.

Mars is a top-notch Roman military

general ready to pounce on his enemy.
He’s brash and ready to take action.

Jupiter is the cosmic cheerleader for

society. She shouts “H-O-P-E!” across
the global stadium.

Saturn is the cosmic thumb. Like a

stern grandfather, he prefers limitations
and a slow pace.

Uranus is futuristic and unique. She

brings change, aches for freedom … and
she wants it now! (Remember, these
outer planet personalities affect
generations of humans.)

Neptune is the dreamer, lounging near

the ocean’s edge, thinking and feeling
deeply all the while.

Pluto is like a Tasmanian devil. He has

power to regenerate and evolve life. He
will wipe out the old to make space for
the new.

With these planetary personalities

Krmly in place you can take your next
step toward retrograde work.

2) Imagine The Planet Is

Wearing A Costume
Once you have identiKed the retrograde
planet’s personality, visualize it wearing
a costume (according to the zodiac
sign it is transiting). Here are some
ideas—plays on their classical,
astrological attributes:

Aries: Roman helmets, shields, and

spears.

Taurus: Comfortable overalls with silver

coins and vegetable seeds in the
pocket.

Get to know a planet in retrograde by

visualizing it as person wearing a
costume. Here is Uranus retrograde in
Taurus.

Gemini: Plaid shirt with a pocket

protector, glasses, and notebook.

Cancer: Fluffy pink bathrobe with bunny

slippers.

Leo: An itsy bitsy teeny weeny yellow

polka dot bikini and a microphone.

Virgo: White lab coat and a magnifying

glass.

Libra: The famous white Marilyn

Monroe dress with peace symbols on it.

Scorpio: A black hoodie with hood

pulled up, black pants, black sneakers.

Sagittarius: Jeans, t-shirt reading

“BLUNT,” Carl Jung books and a
backpack.

Capricorn: Three-piece business suit

and a clipboard.

Aquarius: Silver jumpsuit with blue-

tooth capacity.

Pisces: Kimono style beach cover up

and a box of tissues.

3) Meditate On Self-
ReXective Questions
(Examples Listed Above)
Finally, walk that planet to the nearest
meditation cushion to contemplate
what’s going on! Take a deep-dive into
the recent past and start asking
reNective questions (See suggestions
for these in the lists of time frames
above).

A Final Thought
It’s easy to ignore the more delicate
astrological energies at play, such as
those that an outer retrograde planet
creates, but for the sake of new
potentials and options, don’t ignore
them. These occasions for providing
input toward universal shifts can have a
great impact.

Moon Deck
Our “Moon Deck” consists of 52
beautiful watercolor cards that
show how the planets, zodiac
signs, and houses relate to each
other.

You can use them to understand

the current position of planets or
to decipher your natal chart.

Buy now.

They’ll even teach you how to

beneKt from a retrograde!

The information on the cards is

kept simple with basic words and
high-level themes. Great for
beginners.

Keep Learning
Mercury Retrograde Explained

16 Ways To ReNect And Restore With A

Full Moon

When Is The Next Full Moon?

Join The Discussion!

Have you ever felt the effects of
retrograde motion—Mercury’s or
otherwise?

How do these self-reNective questions

make you feel?

What questions do you have about

planetary motion and astrology?
175

Let us know in the comments below!

Explore More