Uranus went retrograde today, and to acknowledge the about face of the planet of rebel rousing and revolution, I'm revisiting this blogpost and accompanying Zodiac Soundtrack which I published back in June. If there's a rule that says I can't share this with you again, I intend to break it! What are Saturday nights in NYC for if not to take a Walk on the Wildside? Although Mercury and Venus have, since my original observations on the subject gone direct, with Uranus joining the remaining retrograders, we are once again feeling the effects of a 5 planet retrograde concert, with Mars stationery and champing at the bit to race backwards past the heavyweights.
So I'm going to treat myself to a second chance at sharing my thoughts on the synchronous troupe of planets we've seen or felt or fancied, and continue to see or feel or fancy returning toward whence they came so significantly this year and REPOST THIS POST. Whether it's your first or second time here, welcome and I hope you have fun.
As I was saying back in June ...
Mercury went Retrograde again yesterday. If Astrology were a one hit wonder, I think Mercury Retrograde would be that hit; of all the astrologic transits, it’s the one most commonly referred to in the mainstream. Most people don’t consider their birthday a Solar Return and while certain phases of the moon are widely acknowledged in everyday parlance, folklore and song, I feel they’re not regarded by most astrologically.
Somehow, Mercury, the fastest moving planet in our galaxy has become famous even among astrologically disinterested parties over the past couple of decades, for turning retrograde and, well, making its presence felt. Many feel a Mercury Retrograde is something to be survived, especially if one happens to be a phone, a computer, a printer or a planned event. However, Mercury is not famous for being a transit which is actually fatal, in fact all of us have survived many — multiply your current age by 3 to give you a ballpark figure on just how many. I’ve survived over 150!
That said, the familiarity of returning to this condition of Mercury brings with it an expectation of communications and travel plans being thwarted, and being a less than ideal time to embark upon something new. Retrogrades seem to be a time of frustration and setbacks. Those who’ve taken their observations and investigations a step further may be apprised of the modern astrological tenets which suggest that Mercury Retrogrades are a good time to revisit, repeat, review and reconnect; a time when figures or situations from the past may reappear … English speaking astrologers of our time suggest words containing the prefix “re” will be applicable at this time. And a casual investigation of astrology may have revealed to you the nature of the Mercury Retrograde — the retrograde planet is, during this phase of its orbit around the sun, at its closest to the Earth. It is said that this is why its energy can be felt more strongly at these times. Retrograde planets are not, in fact, moving backwards. There is an illusion that the planet, when viewed from earth, is reversing its motion. It’s the same principle as when two trains are close together and stationary; if you’re a passenger in one that moves forward first, it appears that the other is moving backwards.
I say retrograde planets, because all the planets in our solar system “go retrograde” at times during their orbits, albeit at different intervals and for different periods of time.
In astrology different characteristics are ascribed to these retrograde periods. You’ve probably experienced with a Mercury retrograde, the events you’re expecting tend to appear right on time, even as nothing else does. Venus, the planet which rules, among many other things, our love lives, started her retrograde motion back in mid May and on the day it happened I woke up to communications from two long ago done with romantic interests. Since re-lationship is another "re" word, we may encounter at the time of a Venus retrograde, the many convoluted phases of a relationship - it ain't over til it's over, and one might consider relationships are never over, even after breakups, as we carry the lessons and energies forward with us for a lifetime or lifetimes, depending on your position on lifetimes. That said, there are endless songs which reflect the back and forth motions of love.
Right on the heels of Venus, Jupiter turned retrograde the following day, making a backwash of four planets, given that Saturn and Pluto were already retrograde. These simultaneous retrogrades add to the intensity we’ve been experiencing all year. Now we have Mercury joining the pack and by June 22, 2020, Neptune will have also turned retrograde in the sign of Pisces. For two days, until Venus goes direct (the retrograde is over — she “stations”, or stands still, and begins to move forward again on her “normal” orbit), there are six planets retrograde and this, like so many of the astrological and astronomical phenomena we’ve experienced so far in 2020 and will continue to feel through the end of the year, is rare and extreme.
Since this is a great time, if you have the luxury, to be still and listen to some music, I made a Zodiac Soundtrack for this Retrograde Season. It was hard to choose between the thousands of songs with themes that reflect a retrograde, because after all, looking back, going back, revisiting and all those other “re” words, are in fact a normal part of life. Pausing and reflecting is a necessary part of growth. Hopefully you can find the time to do so in peace.
