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Pluto, Saturn, Jupiter, and Venus Retrograde - What Does it Mean?

Many of us have just been able to come up for air after that super intense Scorpio Full moon, only to be now lambasted with Saturn, Venus & Jupiter retrogrades that begin this week. (Pluto has been Retrograde since April 25th.) This amount of backward motion in the heavens can make us feel like the past is really being thrown in our face, forcing us to make change and create new boundaries.

Confused about what all this means? Read on for some more detailed info about retrogrades and how they affect us:


What does it mean when a planet “goes retrograde?“

In the night sky, we are used to seeing celestial bodies like the moon, the stars, and the planets move from east to west - the sun does this too - it’s something we’re all aware of, but don’t pay it much attention. When a planet “goes retrograde” it appears as though (from our perspective on earth) that the planet changes direction, and moves from west to east across the sky.
These retrograde planets tend to cause energetic disruptions for people, oftentimes begging us to pay attention and reflect on specific parts of our inner health.


What planets are retrograde now?

Planets only “go retrograde“ for a certain amount of time before they resume their “regular course” across the sky. When this happens we say the planet “goes direct.” We are blessed (or cursed, depending on your perspective) to have four planets go retrograde nearly simultaneously:

Pluto: April 25 to October 4
Saturn: May 10 to September 28
Jupiter: May 14 to September 12
Venus: May 13 to June 25

 

How will this affect me?

A retrograde planet can expose places where we need to work. For some people this feels “bad“ and can be very challenging, while others view these same circumstances as opportunity. It all depends on how adverse to change you are.
Each planet has a certain character, a general mood with which they influence our personality and circumstances. When that planet is “moving backwards” it throws a lot of things in our face, so there are a few things to watch out for.

Pluto: Pluto generally represents “death and rebirth” in terms of an individual's personal journey. During Pluto retrograde expect to have the darkest parts of yourself brought to light. Your obsessions, traumas, secrets, and sexuality will be brought up for evaluation. Use this time as an opportunity to assess how you give your power away in each of these areas, and don’t be afraid to let some aspects of yourself “die.” There just may be something uniquely you that could rise from the ashes.

Saturn: Karma and time. These things can be devastatingly restrictive, yet in the same breath, lay the path to freedom. Unapologetically, retrograde Saturn will call you to reflect on your responsibilities to self and others, examine how you deal with physical and emotional restrictions, and call out any lack of self-confidence and discipline. Saturn can be brutal, but you’ll always know exactly where you stand. An interesting way to think about Saturn is to “learn about who you are not.”

Jupiter: In Jupiter we find our belief systems, life philosophy, and personal growth. In retrograde, expect Jupiter to bring long term life goals under scrutiny - This is an opportunity to decide if “what you want” is really what you want. Define or redefine your plan to find what truly brings you joy. This may be a time to let go of out-dated belief systems that are no longer relevant to your soul’s evolution.

Venus: Venus really represents how you value yourself. These values affect your relationships with people (romantic, platonic, business), finances (money and material goods), and your own self-image. Self-care is of the utmost importance during Venus retrograde, but also expect to find conflict (and opportunity to grow) in your close personal relationships. Be aware, your decision making may be clouded in a “can’t see the forest for the trees” scenario.

 

Is there anything I can do to help myself?

Retrograde times can be fun and challenging. Use whatever mindfulness exercises work for you, along with pen and journal, and be curious. Sit with your emotions, however rough, ugly, scary, beautiful, or joyous they may be, and write them down. Just write for yourself – no need to explain anything like someone else is going to make sense of it - just dump it on the page. Use each of these planets as a window into yourself and see what you find in there. Most of all…be curious about what these different energies bring up in you!

We’re always here to support you on your journey of self-discovery. We sometimes include information about your personal natal and transit charts as part of our tuning sessions, to help you understand yourself and your motivations better. If you have questions or are interested in booking a session, please send us a message.

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