As astrological practices gain popularity in the pop culture spotlight, people are bound to—and have—come face to face with the great terror that is Mercury retrograde. However, planetary retrogrades are nowhere near the nightmare social media would have you believe. Yes, they can certainly be disorienting and a bit of a roller coaster, but if you walk into a retrograde with an understanding of how it works, retrogrades provide the perfect environment for growth and self improvement.
A good place to start is to look at what it means for a planet to be in retrograde: a planet is in retrograde when it appears to be moving backwards in its orbit. Thus, anything that planet rules over will also feel as though it is backwards and topsy-turvy. There exists a period when the planet is in retrograde and periods bracketing that retrograde called the “shadow” in which the retrograde’s effects can still be felt to some extent. While every planet undergoes this process at some point in the astrological calendar or another, the way you experience their effects will differ.
Firstly, the inner planets (Mercury, Venus, & Mars) rule over your core personality traits, desires, and needs, so their retrogrades will affect those same areas of life. The outer planets (Uranus, Neptune, and, yes, Pluto is still a planet astrologically speaking!) rule over generational traits and experiences, due to their longer lasting orbits. Lastly, the social planets (Jupiter & Saturn) influence the ways in which people interact societally. Due to the distances between Earth and these planets and the planets’ respective orbit lengths, some retrogrades happen more frequently and for shorter periods of time. Regardless, each retrograde can have strong effects on your life.
If a planet was in retrograde at your time of birth, then that planet’s retrogrades throughout your life may feel like a time of peace and sensibility. For instance, if you were born during a Mercury retrograde, you might find it easier to communicate anytime Mercury enters retrograde again, while others, who don’t have that natal retrograde, might experience an increase in communication struggle.
The effects of retrogrades will further vary depending on what zodiac sign the planet is moving through. For example, Mercury is in retrograde February 17 through March 8 and will move through both Aquarius and Pisces. This raises the possibility for people with major placements under these signs to experience the retrograde’s effects more strongly. Similarly, most people will experience the influence of these specific zodiac signs throughout the retrograde. One way this might happen is that the sign of Pisces could make communication and making plans seem a bit more dreamy. If there’s a zodiac sign stereotype, you can bet on that stereotype making an appearance when a retrograde moves through said sign.
With these key notes about retrogrades in mind and the retrograde calendar listed below, you are ready to take on all the backwards notions the planets have to give throughout the year!
Mercury–
Which Parts of Life this will Affect: communication! i.e. how you speak, think, & plan
When: Feb. 17 – March 8, June 18 – July 12, & Oct. 14 – Nov. 3
Which Sign it Moves Through: Aquarius + Pisces, Cancer, & Libra + Scorpio
Venus–
Which Parts of Life this will Affect: affinity! i.e. expression in relationships, style, & interests
When: May 13 – Sep. 13
Which Sign it Moves Through: Gemini
Mars–
Which Parts of Life this will Affect: action! i.e. your passions, aggressions, assertions, & energy
When: Sep. 9 – Nov. 14
Which Sign it Moves Through: Aries
Jupiter–
Which Parts of Life this will Affect: growth! i.e. your higher self, talents, wisdom, & luck
When: May 14 – Sep. 13
Which Sign it Moves Through: Capricorn
Saturn–
Which Parts of Life this will Affect: limitations! i.e. your karma, restrictions, & fears
When: May 11 – Sep. 29
Which Sign it Moves Through: Aquarius + Capricorn
Uranus–
Which Parts of Life this will Affect: intuition! i.e. your generation’s changes & revolutions; your originality & inner awakenings
When: Aug. 15, 2020 – Jan. 1, 2021
Which Sign it Moves Through: Taurus
Neptune–
Which Parts of Life this will Affect: supersensory! i.e. your generation’s dreams, spirituality, illusions, & fears
When: June 23 – Nov. 29
Which Sign it Moves Through: Pisces
Pluto–
Which Parts of Life this will Affect: power! i.e. your generation’s secrets, transformations, & way of channeling rebirth/renewal
When: April 25 – Oct. 4
Which Sign it Moves Through: Capricorn
If you are hoping to keep a more regular schedule astrological happenings on hand, an app called Astro Charts and website AstroTheme are always up to date on when and where the planets are! Linked below!
Astrotheme: https://www.astrotheme.com/
Astro Charts: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/astro-charts/id1218070112