What it means when a planet appears to reverse through the sky.
☿ · 3–4× per year
Mercury
Mercury rules communication, contracts, travel, and technology. When it retrogrades (~3 weeks), these areas tend to snag. Slow down, re-read before sending, avoid signing major contracts. A good time to review, revise, and reconnect rather than launch.
♀ · every ~18 months
Venus
Venus rules relationships, values, beauty, and money. It retrogrades for about 6 weeks. Old relationships may resurface and you might question what you want from partnership. More useful as a period for reassessing what you value than for new beginnings.
♂ · every ~2 years
Mars
Mars rules drive, ambition, and physical energy. It retrogrades for 2–3 months. Forward momentum slows — projects stall, motivation dips. Pushing hard tends to backfire. Better used for strategy: reviewing your approach and completing unfinished work.
♃ · once a year
Jupiter
Jupiter rules expansion, opportunity, and belief. It retrogrades for about 4 months. Where Jupiter normally pushes outward growth, the retrograde turns that energy inward — toward personal philosophy and revisiting beliefs you've held for a long time.
♄ · once a year
Saturn
Saturn rules structure, discipline, and long-term commitments. It retrogrades for about 4.5 months. Unresolved responsibilities tend to resurface. Less about new restrictions and more about reviewing the structures you've already built. Where are you cutting corners?