Planets - astrology.TV

Mars, the Action Planet, normally spends four to six weeks traveling through each sign in the Zodiac. But when Mars goes retrograde -- and that’s only about nine percent of the time -- it spends more than six months in one sign! Talk about focus!

Let’s consider what happens when the most assertive, forward-moving planet in the solar system slows down, stops, and seems to start moving backward in its orbit.

This doesn’t seem to make Mars happy. To top it off, Mars is as close as possible to the Earth at this time, so when retrograde, it shines very brightly, all night long. This adds up to a very strong influence.

Of all the planets, Mars Retrograde indicates the need to ‘do it again.’ Actions and work that you’ve already done come back for revision, and current projects run into snags. You’ve got a long to-do list but can’t seem to get anything accomplished.

Your to-do list may seem like some sort of exasperating sticky-note that you can’t get rid of. It’s frustrating and annoying. Sometimes projects you’ve been working hard on will even come to an unexpected end.

Mars Retrograde can indicate anger and temper issues, and these feelings may be turned inward instead of being openly expressed. This can lead to all sorts of unfortunate effects, including temporary depression. Initiative can be thwarted during this time.

Not everyone will be affected equally. The sign in which Mars makes its retrograde matters a lot, both on a general level and also in determining who will be more personally affected by its retrograde motion.

Learn more about the other retrograde planets: Mercury retrograde, Venus retrograde, Mars retrograde, Jupiter retrograde, Saturn retrograde, Uranus retrograde, Neptune retrograde, Pluto retrograde

The second of the three ‘outer planets,’ Neptune is impossible to see with the naked eye, and was not discovered until 1846. Neptune is about the same size as Uranus but is twice as far away from the Sun. It is the outermost of the ‘gas giants’ -- planets composed only of gases, with no solid core.

Neptune orbits the Sun every 165 years, and has a nearly perfect circular orbit. A day on Neptune is roughly sixteen hours. It has eight moons. Like Saturn, it has outer rings, and it also radiates more than twice as much energy as it receives from the Sun, another similarity to Saturn. The ‘blue planet’ has wild storms with the strongest winds of all planets.

From our perspective here on Earth, Neptune appears to be retrograde 44% of the time, and as always, the most important times are the stationary points, when the planet appears to be standing still as it changes direction.

During the stations, it’s best to take stock of your emotional state. Consider your feelings and how you respond to crises. You may need to process your emotions, especially concerning a loss of something or someone in your life.

Neptune’s orbit is longer than the human life span, so astrologers don’t look at Neptune Returns. However, shorter divisions of the Neptune cycle, such as the Neptune Square that occurs around age forty to forty-two years of age, are important milestones.

During the Neptune Square, dreams and illusions get a reality check. No longer following pipe dreams, we tend to go for more realistic goals.

The retrograde Mercury in Aquarius can confuse the issues more than you would probably like. Rational thinking is possible, though you will have to work a great deal more in order to draw an accurate logical conclusion. You'll find that contradictions arise, which can challenge your perception of how things are.

Some of your preconceived notions may not be easy to substantiate. As you present your ideas, other opinions may defy your assumptions. Very few people like to have their belief system questioned, but that is exactly what is happening at this time.

The more you assert your views, the more you will butt heads with other cherished notions. Sometimes, in an attempt to convince another, you may take a far-out position that will alienate others from siding with you.

Use this planetary influence as an opportunity for intellectual growth. Instead of holding fast to outmoded suppositions, consider countering evidence with genuine curiosity. Do research, ask questions, and explore the facts presented to you.

Don't argue stubbornly out of pride or attachment to how things were. Change happens constantly. What was valid yesterday may not be valid today. You can't change the world if you can't change your own mind.

Learn more about Mercury retrograde in the signs: Mercury retrograde in Aries, Mercury retrograde in Taurus, Mercury retrograde in Gemini, Mercury retrograde in Cancer, Mercury retrograde in Leo, Mercury retrograde in Virgo, Mercury retrograde in Libra, Mercury retrograde in Scorpio, Mercury retrograde in Sagittarius, Mercury retrograde in Capricorn, Mercury retrograde in Aquarius, Mercury retrograde in Pisces

The retrograde Mercury in Gemini is a slippery influence that wreaks havoc on our information dependent society. Words have a way of being misconstrued or misunderstood during conversations. Sentences you speak have another meaning than the one you originally intended.

It almost seems as if you are speaking a different language than the person you are conversing with. What you can truly depend on, during this time, is that you can't depend on anything running smoothly.

Language, in all its various constructs, can be a quite a challenge. This includes writing, programming, and foreign languages. Speak slower and listen harder.

And don't think your computer is exempt from this planetary influence either. After all, our PCs are the great purveyors of information to us through the web. It too will frustrate you with crashes, loss of data, and general orneriness. Backup your files!

When you are frustrated enough to pull the plug on your computer and your mouth, stand back for a moment, and stop. Reroute your activities. Edit reports, rework passages on essays or articles, reread computer manuals for troubleshooting. Reconcile and apologize. Or watch a comedy with friends. In short, go with the flow, not against it.

Neptune, one of the two outermost planets, has such a long orbit that it spends fourteen years in one sign! Although we here on Earth can’t see this planet without a powerful telescope, astronomers have plotted its course with extreme accuracy.

Like all other planets, Neptune has a retrograde period; that is, if we could see it with the naked eye, it would appear to slow down, stop and then temporarily turn backward in its orbit. After five months, it slows down again, turns around and resumes its normal direction.

Since Neptune is retrograde forty-three percent of the time, by itself, it’s not an enormously important factor. But the stationary points -- the points at which the planet seems to turn around in its orbit -- are enormously important. It’s at these times when the energy of Neptune are most evident.

Since this pokey planet can spend months at the same Zodiac degree when it is stationary, astrologers look for the span of just a few days that pinpoints when Neptune actually begins moving from the stationary point. It’s on these days when you’re likely to see Neptune’s influence on the news -- drug raids, new developments in the healing arts, magicians and escape artists, criminal activity, the Mafia and the oil industry, to name just a few.

What about on a personal level? Neptune is related to your creativity and spiritual life. When Neptune is retrograde, you’re more likely to be attentive to these areas of your life, and give them voice. You may not present the efforts of your inspirations right away -- that may wait till Neptune has gone direct -- but you will cherish them all the more for waiting.

Keep a dream journal, for your dreams are likely to be vivid and meaningful during Neptune Retrograde, if you take the time to interpret them.

Learn more about the other retrograde planets: Mercury retrograde, Venus retrograde, Mars retrograde, Jupiter retrograde, Saturn retrograde, Uranus retrograde, Neptune retrograde, Pluto retrograde

Pluto, the planet of transformation and regeneration, is so very far away from the Sun that it takes almost 250 years to make its entire orbit around the fiery center of our solar system. It spends many years in one sign, and is so slow and far away that it is retrograde almost forty-five percent of the time.

You can’t see Pluto, of course, unless you happen to have access to a powerful telescope, but it’s hard to avoid feeling its influence -- especially when it’s at a dead standstill, spending up to four months in the same degree of the Zodiac, at what are called the stationary points of its cycle.

On the days when it finally seems to start cranking up and moving again -- whether it is going retrograde or direct -- Pluto themes are all over the headlines, and they aren’t usually very pretty: terrorist attacks, mining disasters, things long hidden coming to light. In short, scary stuff.

On a personal level, Pluto is all about personal growth and transformation. And let’s be honest: You can’t grow all the time without pausing occasionally to absorb and integrate the lessons you’ve been learning.

Pluto Retrograde periods are perfect for this. Personal evolution is a two-steps-forward, one-step-back process, and the pace is determined by the direct and retrograde motion of Pluto.

Occasionally the Pluto retrograde period is characterized by painful loss, or events and circumstances in your life that are far beyond your control. In many ways, Pluto represents factors that are much larger than any individual; it is the planet of human evolution, after all, and that trumps any single person.

But for most of us, most of the time, Pluto retrograde periods offer us the chance to delve deeply into our own inner resources and determine what is most important, when all is said and done.

Learn more about the other retrograde planets: Mercury retrograde, Venus retrograde, Mars retrograde, Jupiter retrograde, Saturn retrograde, Uranus retrograde, Neptune retrograde, Pluto retrograde

The retrograde Mercury in Leo triggers passionate displays of expression that are sure to cause reactions from you and from others. This fiery planetary influence inspires more emotion behind words and thoughts, which inspires passionate responses, which in turn, ignites the airspace with electricity.

You may or may not want to engage yourself in the thick of things, depending on your personality and mood. You're apt to say what you feel without a great deal of discretion. Your will is strong and you don't like to be silenced. You may be a more aggressive in pushing your agenda.

However, your force of will and manner of delivery may meet with some resistance from equally charged individuals with their own agenda. Your powers of persuasion may fail to have the desired effect that you wish. Instead of forging ahead with new proposals or engaging in a shouting match, your time could be more effectively utilized through creative channels.

Internalize your passion and release it through artistic mediums such as painting, writing, or music. Revisit an old creation that could use more time and attention then you previously allotted. Be careful with your spending habits at this time.

Uranus is the oddball of the solar system, in more ways than one. For starters, it rolls along its equator instead of spinning upright in its orbit, the way a proper planet does.

For another, the discovery of this almost-invisible planet rocked the astronomical world -- Saturn, previously the outermost clearly visible planet, was no longer the edge of our planetary panoply. Truly revolutionary!

Like all the other planets except the Sun and Moon, which are not truly planets, Uranus periodically turns retrograde in its orbit, seeming to stop in its tracks for about two weeks and then appearing to move backward along its path through the Zodiac.

After five months, it slows down again and seems to turn around once more, resuming travel in its original direction.

These points at which the planet seems to turn around -- and remember, retrogradation is only an optical illusion -- are called ‘stationary points,’ and are the times when the planet’s energies are most noticeable in the entire cycle of the planet.

When Uranus is stationary, watch both the news and your personal life for unbelievable headlines. It’s times like these that produced the saying, ‘Truth is stranger than fiction.’

During the retrograde period, our more outrageous inclinations may be less evident, though occasionally, for someone who’s normally rather repressed, this period will provide the opportunity to throw off the shackles of inhibition and allow a freer self to emerge. This is the ultimate triumph of Uranus Retrograde.

Learn more about the other retrograde planets: Mercury retrograde, Venus retrograde, Mars retrograde, Jupiter retrograde, Saturn retrograde, Uranus retrograde, Neptune retrograde, Pluto retrograde

Saturn, the planet of boundaries and life lessons, is retrograde about thirty-six percent of the time. When it’s retrograde, Saturn shines its baleful, beautiful yellowish light on us all night long.

Saturn already has the reputation of being a downer. How could four-and-a-half months of Saturn Retrograde possibly be a positive thing? Well, easily. Instead of getting more serious, folks back off a little bit. It’s a time to take a little breather from the usual breakneck pace that most people keep these days.

Don’t worry, you’ll still get plenty of work done; it’s not like Saturn changes personality during this period. It’s just that the sense of urgency and anxiety relaxes somewhat. Doesn’t that sound like a relief?

Sometimes old tasks come back to haunt you during Saturn Retrograde. If so, you’ll have to reorganize your priorities and keep your perspective. What’s important to do now, and what can wait? Let others, especially those in authority, know about the changes. Reduce your expectations somewhat. Don’t cave in altogether, though; that won’t make Saturn happy!

This is not a good time to break away and start something new, but it’s a fine time to plan for the projects you’ll begin when this planet goes direct again. Take the time to do things right on the first attempt. Watch for authority issues -- another domain of Saturn. As always, Saturn wants us to develop patience. It’s good for the soul!

The retrograde Mercury in Cancer can impede the flow of language in your daily interactions. Although you may normally be a brilliant speaker, this planetary period can muddle your thoughts and word usage. You may find it difficult to locate the proper word to convey exactly what it is that you mean.

You may not be particularly verbose, but you may feel a great deal more sensitive on an emotional level. What could happen at this time is that you become a bit touchy about subjects in your conversations with other people, which can lead you to retreat from social gatherings.

In an attempt to control your environment better, you may also unconsciously manipulate with words to get a desired result. The recipient will not be too pleased with your shenanigans. If you are spending more time at home, you may want to turn your focus on hands-on activities such as home repairs, interior remodeling, and cleaning.

This planetary influence is wonderful for domestic endeavors, especially any home project which has needed your attention for awhile. This would also be a good time for family reunions. However, don't sign leases for a new rental or buy a house at this time.