What does it mean when a planet is retrograde? Most people have heard that when Mercury goes retrograde, all types of communications go down: misunderstandings, technology stops working properly, rethinking must take place. But did you know that all the planets have retrograde cycles, and with that, it indicates a “pause” in the forward movement of the energy that planet inspires.
This year we have an abundance of retrograde planets. Here is the list and dates:
*Mercury ® in Cancer 6/18/20-7/11/20
*Venus ® in Gemini 5/13/20-6/27/20
*Jupiter ® in Capricorn 5/25/20-8/12/20
*Saturn ® in Aquarius 5/11/20-7/1/20, retrogrades into Capricorn 7/2/20-9/29/20, then goes direct and returns to the sign of Aquarius 12/17/20
*Uranus ® in Taurus 8/15/20-1/13/21 *Neptune ® in Pisces 6/23/20-11/28/20 *Pluto ® in Capricorn 4/25/20-10/3/20
Wow! How will this affect us? It’s not ALL bad news, in fact we have an opportunity to slow down, pause and review ourselves and our lives.
With Mercury ® we can rethink our decisions, take a pause and not rush into contractual agreements, take time to read and learn in order to eventually move forward with more clarity of purpose and action. Sure your computer may stop working;) but get out that pen and paper and write lists, journal on your thoughts and clear the decks by finishing what has already been started.
Venus ® strikes a chord with our values. What and who we care about, what’s the state of our relationships, and our financial worth. Time to readjust how we see ourselves and make true appraisals of what we can do about it. What’s been left undone or unsaid in our relationships with loved ones and friends? Clear the air. Remove the boundaries that separate us and rekindle the warmth that is given free of expectations.
Jupiter ® slows the expansion down. By this I mean the outward expansion in our lives. It flips us like a coin and shows how to expand our inner dimension. What do we believe in the highest sense? This planet of spiritual beliefs and higher learning stops us in our tracks and makes us question our motives, our moral codes. Time for a review of what we have learned and to implement it into our core beliefs.
Saturn ® takes us by the shoulders and shakes us to our foundation. While in Aquarius ® we are looking at our individuality, our uniqueness, our freedom. These areas of our lives feel limited as Saturn’s energy constricts. We feel on shaky ground, unsure of our personal security. Then when it retrogrades into the sign of Capricorn, again, our very foundation comes into question; our selves, our towns, our country and our world. Time to find the cracks in our personal infrastructure and fix them. It’s a big task but will bring us to a new strength and stability.
Uranus ® can be a confusing period, as the nature of Uranus is to strike out on our own, be free and unique in the world. This is the planet of awakening, breaking from the pack and dancing to the beat of a different drummer. But this comes into question when retrograde; we investigate what keeps us from our freedom and consider the necessary changes needed to become more free and spontaneous.
Neptune ® is the planet of illusion and/or delusion. When in direct motion it inspires us to clear the boundaries of our reality and go deeper. When it is retrograde we become baffled and bewildered, wondering how we ever believed what we had come to believe in the first place. Look to our dreams for inspiration, look to the abstract to find our place in the world, as it will be revealed through meditation and contemplation.
And finally Pluto ® the planet affiliated to the Phoenix Principle. This is the planet of death and rebirth, what we have inherited, and how we will use it in our lives. When retrograde it can show us what is hidden in our consciousness; what lies beneath the surface. It reveals our personal power, or lack of it. Time for transformation. No more time for blaming, but time for changing for the better.
So, what a transformational year we have before us. We can see through all the smoke and mirrors what needs changing, personally and in our world. We know we cannot look to our governments to guide us, to save us; but must look at ourselves for the change we wish to see in our world. So take this opportunity to fine tune your life, to be the revolution and take hold of the shift we are experiencing with Spirit guiding you from within.
Judy Crescenzo
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