All of the planets, at varying dates and lengths of time, go retrograde. It is an optical illusion but it appears as if the planet is moving backwards. The energy indicated by the planet will also be held back, creating delays to our progress and hesitations to our movements.
While retrograde planets can note disruptive times they also offer us an opportunity to reflect, to learn again or to go back to the past to collect something we have left behind.
Venus is currently retrograde, until Sept 6th. In this time we are to reflect upon what we value in our life. Are we taking for granted anyone or anything? Do we need to express our appreciation in some manner or form? How can we share more openly our feelings of love? Presently this is moving through the latter degrees of Leo, urging us to review our creative interests. How can we promote our skills and talents better? In what way can we bring greater appreciation to our natural abilities, sharing our creativity in a broader way?
Mercury will go retrograde from Sept 18th to Oct 10th. This will move through the degrees of Libra, 15’ to 1’. Mercury, when retrograde, is well known to be highly disruptive to all forms of electrical appliances, means of transport, documents and methods of communication. On the other side of this though it will give us a chance to review our communication to loved ones, partners and friends. Is there an important conversation that we have been delaying that needs to be accomplished? This marks a time to pause and reflect upon sharing information that often gets rushed over.
So while these retrograde periods can, in some light, be seen as detrimental, they do provide for us time to pause, to reflect, to learn again, adding depth to our understanding and slowing us down. In such hectic times where the speed of life is increasing, surely this is a good thing – these clouds certainly do have silver linings.