By the end of this week, four planets will be in retrograde. Three of them, Pluto, Saturn and Jupiter, are slow moving outer planets that regularly go retrograde. Each of those planets individually doesn't necessarily impact us in a big way personally, besides the days around their direction shift, but with 3 at once and Venus joining in, things could feel weird. Specifically much more introspection, not feeling super productive, and lots of shifts.
What does retrograde mean?
Every planet in our solar system at some time appears to be moving backwards in the sky from our perspective on Earth. Appearances can be deceiving though, because in actuality they're maintaining their forward motion and speed in their orbit. This illusion of backwards motion is because we're orbiting around the Sun at a different speed than the other planets. Imagine you're in a train looking out the window. Your train passes another train going at a slower speed, and it appears as though the slower train is actually moving backwards, though you're both moving forward. This combined with the placement of the planets in their orbit around the sun relative to us, causes what we view as retrogrades.
In the days and weeks leading up to a retrograde (or a planet moving direct again), there can be some disorientation in the area that planet rules. This is called the Shadow Period, because the planet is going forward through the sky in the place where it's about to go backward (or returning forward where what it just went backward when going direct again). Right before the planet switches directions, it begins to slow down and this period can be the wonkiest of the entire retrograde. Just as the planet's reversal is due to our perspective, so too can retrogrades be about our perspective shifting in the areas of our life the planet rules. The easy way to understand retrogrades is that the energy of the planet is focused inwards on ourselves instead of externally out into our world. So how will all these retrogrades affect you? Let's break down each planet and then put it all together.
Pluto Retrograde: April 25 - October 4 in Capricorn
Pluto goes retrograde yearly and spends four to five months traveling backwards. That means it's retrograde about 40% of the time, so this isn't uncommon at all. Pluto is known as the planet of transformation, destruction, and rebirth and when it's retrograde the changes are occurring within us. We are called to dive below the surface into our subconscious and examine our deeply held beliefs. We can release what no longer serves through deep reflection. This can be a challenging process, but the more we can surrender to it and let go, the deeper the transformation.
Have you heard of shadow work? Pluto loves that unconscious digging, bringing our darkness into the light to be fully seen and no longer hidden or denied. The more we've stuffed into our subconscious back pocket, the harder this purge can be, but it's so important. Pluto especially likes making us look at themes of power, fame, wealth, dominance, and influence. These aren't inherently negative things, but they can definitely be used for harm or we can deny our desires for them for fear of being judged. Since Pluto is retrograde in Capricorn, the sign of authority, structure and responsibility, you might also find yourself contemplating the way society, big businesses, and governments need to change and how you will interact with them going forward. As this is a long retrograde (over 5 months), this probably won't feel like a sudden revelation, but something you're slowly working on and repeatedly noticing as a theme.
Pluto spends a long time in each sign, and the last time it was in Capricorn was from 1762-1778. Anything radical shift in governments and authority during that time? Oh just the birth of the United States of America! Things are sure to be eventful until Pluto enters Aquarius in 2023.
Saturn Retrograde: May 11 - September 29 in Aquarius/Capricorn
Saturn retrograde is another regular occurrence, happening each year for approximately 4-1/2 months or about 38% of the time. Saturn is the planet of structure, disciple, order, and responsibilities, and during a retrograde it's the time for us to look at how we're implementing these themes in our life. Saturn is like a stern father, making sure we learn from our mistakes and hold to our responsibilities while urging patience and self-restraint. You might be thinking more about limitations and restrictions, especially with the current world lock-down, as well as rules, structures, foundations, and traditions. It's also known as the mentor planet, guiding you to discipline and showing you where there's more work to be done. This retrograde begins in progressive Aquarius, then in July Saturn travels back into practical Capricorn. This can cause exploration of systems of authority, first on a humanitarian level, then a practical one. There is a chance the minimalism of this time in isolation might carry over in ways that help our planet, blending the limitations of Saturn with the global perspective of Aquarius.
As we came up on Saturn's retrograde, you might have become very aware of your responsibilities, potentially feeling them as burdens, especially if you're not deeply connected to the purpose behind them. Lack of motivation is a typical symptom, so be gentle with yourself. As we settle into the new normal for the next 4ish months, we'll have more space to review our responsibilities and make sure we have a good “why” behind them. This isn't a good time to take on more work, unless you're making space for thing that are more aligned. Don't add - restructure and reduce. Let yourself simplify and slow down. Be okay with delays. This is like a slow burning Mercury retrograde when it comes to productivity, as editing our current projects or returning to old projects is a good idea, but starting brand new major projects isn't recommended.
You may become aware of boundaries (or the lack thereof), and find yourself questioning why things are that way. This can lead to a deeper sense of personal responsibility, seeing how we can do things differently in the future. Saturn rules karma and can sometimes be a harsh teacher, forcing you to look at things you would rather not see about yourself as it pertains to responsibility. Saturn asks you to get serious about whether you're actually working towards your goals, or if you're a bit off the mark. What's your current trajectory? Its time to recalibrate now. How does structure enable your freedom? How can you be more in alignment with your goals in your daily life?
Venus Retrograde: May 13 - June 25 in Gemini
Venus goes retrograde every 19 months for a total of six weeks or 42 days. This means Venus is retrograde the least of any planet, spending only 7% of the time going backwards in the sky. That mixed with the fact that she's a personal planet means we feel these effects much more acutely than the other retrogrades this week.
Venus is the only planet named after a Goddess, and she rules love and luxury, showing us what we value in life. When she goes backwards, our love life and finances can get a bit weird. This is especially felt in love connections: current relationships are challenging, old lovers slip into your DMs, and new loves are not always what they seem. Don't make any big decisions in your love life, whether it's endings or beginnings. Take things slow. This is also not the time to make dramatic changes in appearance (no quarantine bangs!). Old flames coming back can bring closure and give you a chance to rethink how you acted in that situation. This is a time to release baggage, not create new luggage, so don't run back into your ex's arms.
This retrograde is happening in the communicative sign of Gemini, so expect lots of conversations about love and finances coming up. Not only is Venus in Gemini, but Mercury and the North Node are already hanging out there and the Sun is about to join them. Get used to the phrase “We need to talk”! This is the time to explore how we communicate in our relationships and with ourselves. If we have a hard time speaking nicely to ourselves, it makes it hard to be nice to others (or receive their love). Don't hold back from speaking your truth and sharing your values. While challenging, if you can make it through this time, you'll come out so much stronger (or clearer on why you need to part).
Remember, retrogrades shift our focus internally, so this is also the time to explore self-love and how we value ourselves most of all. Venus rules everything femme, beauty and sensuality, yes, but when the Evening Star travels backwards, disappears and reemerges again as the Morning Star, she enters the realm of the dark feminine, our shadows, our wounds, our rage, and our shame. This is also an exploration of our relationship to the feminine, so wounds from lovers or our mothers might come up to be healed.
Venus was connected to the Sumerian Goddess Inanna and when Venus goes retrograde it was thought Inanna was traveling into the underworld to meet her dark sister Ereshkigal. This journey is commonly seen as the exploration of our shadow self. Chani Nicholas beautifully explains the Inanna myth in her article from the last Venus retrograde in 2018:
“Called one day by her sister, Ereshkigal, goddess of the underworld, Inanna descends to her realm. Ereshkigal is the opposite to Inanna’s beauty, glory, and adoration. She is the sister betrayed. Feared. Unloved. Alone. Rejected. Her pain has distorted her. Her hunger for love left unjustly unfulfilled. Ereshkigal is the aspect of Inanna, the aspect of us all, that lives just under the surface waiting for our consciousness to open to its call.
“When she reaches her sister in the underworld, Inanna is met with a death stare that annihilates her. Her corpse is then hung on meat hooks, left to rot where no one can reach her. The only beings that come to her aid are two magical helpers who appease Ereshkigal by witnessing her pain, acknowledging it and mirroring her struggle back to her. These beings echo Ereshkigal’s cries and wails. For the first time Ereshkigal is relieved of her pain because she is related to. Accepted. Given some compassion for her struggle. In return for this kindness she gifts them Inanna’s body and the goddess is reborn. Ascending to the Great Above, Inanna is renewed, but is never the same. Now fully awakened by coming into contact with the pain of her other half, Innana is, for the first time, a Queen truly worthy of her crown.
“Ereshkigal is the deep reservoirs of power that lay within the unconscious. We cannot come into contact with our full potential until we are willing to descend into our underworlds, reckoning with the truth of what has happened to us. The struggle of marrying the unconscious and the conscious, the Queen of the Great Above, and the Queen of the Great Below, is a process of transformation so intense and painful we can only do it in the underworld. We need deep caverns, incubators, and safe places to grieve and reunite with ourselves.”
We need to speak this pain when retrograde Venus is transiting Gemini. Share your shadow work, look for people to mirror your pain back and to be your ally as you go into the dark. We could see an increase of people processing their shadow work and sharing the full spectrum of the feminine experience through poetry, essays and inspiring videos. Maybe that person is you.
Similarly to the structure of Saturn, this is a good time to make a budget and get some structure around your finances while Venus is retrograde. Be wary of big, expensive purchases or redecorating. There's a chance that once Venus moves forward again, you'll have some buyer remorse. Also, remember transformative, shadowy Pluto also in retrograde? What deeper issues about power and control in your love life need to be examined? Be open to new insight on this idea. Why do you crave what you do in love? Are there any patterns that repeat that you need to see your part within?
Jupiter Retrograde: May 14 - September 12 in Capricorn
Jupiter goes retrograde every thirteen months and spends four months traveling backwards, meaning it's retrograde about 30% of the time. Jupiter is the planet of expansion. While retrograde, its less focused on external expansion and instead turns inwards to expand you spiritually and emotionally. Philosophical reflection and introspection on your happiness, growth, and success is highlighted during this time. How aligned are you with your values? Where can you expand your personal practice? Its also currently conjunct Pluto (as it is most of 2020). Pluto is the planet of power and transformation so expect some major shifts in your beliefs around authority. You are your own authority. How can you step more into your power?
Retrograde Jupiter calls us to examine our worldview, rewarding big-picture thinking. What is your true passion and purpose? You may find yourself redefining what it means to be happy. This can be a time of deep spiritual and philosophical growth on a personal level. If you realize you've wandered from your guiding values and principles, now's the time to make adjustments and reconnect to your inner guides. Jupiter is the guru, seeker and teacher, and during it's retrograde it reminds you that ultimate truth can be found within. Go deeper into the unknown.
One thing to be careful of when Jupiter is involved is excess in any form. Jupiter amplifies whatever you have going on, whether for good or ill, so be mindful about what you're cultivating during this time. For instance, the last time Jupiter went retrograde in Capricorn was the summer of 2008, when the subprime mortgage crisis reached critical levels (expansion of bad loans, consumerism, and house sizes). Make sure your desires are in alignment with your higher purpose!
The Jupiter-Pluto conjunction is a major feature not only of this retrograde period, but of 2020 as a whole, as they are exactly conjunct an unusual three times in a row on April 5, June 30, and November 12, though only the June conjunction finds them both retrograde. This combo typically causes big, radical expansion of things that need to change. Big issues get bigger and unavoidable. The dominos begin to fall and major shifts occur. When they are retrograde, these shifts are occurring within. But don't be fooled, while it may be personal, these changes hugely impact the collective and set us up for even bigger shifts as a whole. These expansions aren't all bad. This pairing can also make you more focused, driven, generous, and spiritually expansive.
What themes are emerging?
Retrogrades are always about turning inwards, so introspection is definitely a theme. There's a lot of focus on making sure you are in alignment with your goals both on a practical level (Saturn) and a philosophical level (Jupiter). The heavy Capricorn energy with Pluto, Jupiter and eventually Saturn has us analyzing how we interact with authority, structure, government, rules, and our career.
Capricorn and Saturn both have very paternal vibes, so we might be bumping up against the patriarchy and ways its no longer serving us (Pluto transformation). Saturn and Capricorn are both rather restrictive so we may see a consolidation of resources and contraction, even as we seek expansion. In fact this time of limited consumption of fuel, food, and external entertainment might be something we carry forward as a way to live more in alignment with our spiritual ideals.
We are going though a big personal shift to get us ready for a larger collective shift that is coming once the planets go direct again, followed by Pluto and Jupiter being conjunct for their final time on November 12th and then Jupiter and Saturn both transition into Aquarius and meeting up on December 21st. The stage is being set for some major shifts, this is the time to personally prepare yourself for them.
Another theme during this retrograde period through June is the major Gemini vibes with Venus, Mercury and the Sun all transiting this sign. This is helping us find our voice and express what we need to feel loved and supported through this challenging time. Another notable aspect in Gemini is the North Node, which just switched from Cancer to Gemini on May 5th.
The Lunar Nodes will be in Gemini and Sagittarius for the next two years, so this intellectual communication train ain't stopping anytime soon. When the North Node is in Gemini we're invited to embrace our voice, learn new things, strengthen our bonds to our chosen friend-family, explore our slice of the world (local travel), and be open to different perspectives.
At the same time, the South Node in Sagittarius has us releasing rigid dogma that's out-lived it's purpose and surrendering the need to control the future while grounding into the present and not losing sight of what's in front of us in favor of philosophical theory and “best practices”. Long-distance travel is also not supported during this transit, which is not a surprise given the state of the world at the moment.
On the horizon we have a few more retrogrades on their way with Mercury going retrograde in Cancer on June 18th until July 12th and Neptune turning retrograde in Pisces on June 23rd until November 28th. To stay up to date on New Moons, Full Moons and other astrology nuggets, join my Inner Circle and receive my free ebook Secrets to Manifest Your Dreams by popping in your email below or by clicking here.
Hope you navigate these retrogrades with grace, leaving this period more deeply in alignment with your purpose, full of self love, confidently sharing your truth and ready to face any big shifts coming our way. If you want assistance finding your way, you can book a Tarot Reading with me here. Use the code $10OFF to save $10 on your reading. This coupon is valid through the coronavirus pandemic because we all need a break and some loving guidance right now.
