Reverses in the Natal Chart
The crucial word here is appears since, strictly speaking, no planet actually goes backwards in its orbit around the Sun. They don’t even slow down, in fact. Because the Earth orbits the Sun at a different rate than the other planets, retrograde-station-direct cycles are essentially illusions that arise from our vantage point on Earth.
More often than any other planet, Mercury goes into retrograde, but outer planets do it more regularly. Mercury can never be farther from the Sun than 28 degrees, and it always changes course when it is farther from the Sun. 710% of the time, Venus and Mars are in retrograde motion. For lengthy stretches of the year, Jupiter through Pluto are in retrograde motion.
A planet or body’s energies are directed inward while it is retrograde in the birth chart. However, there is something about the energies of the planet that the natives keep covert or hidden, even though they are frequently felt more intensely. When expressing the direct or overt energy of the planet, there may be shyness, embarrassment, or awkwardness.
The energies of the retrograde planet can occasionally cause delays in early life as well as denial, a lack of, or something missing. Saturn retrograde people may have experienced a lack of structure, discipline, or even an authoritative figure in their early years, and as a result, they may feel awkward in situations that require strict rules or etiquette. On the other hand, the outcome is similar if the native experienced very strict influences when they were youngerthey frequently feel guilty and worry excessively about fulfilling their obligations, what other people think of them, and how to follow the rules. That is one instance. Another scenario with Uranus retrograde prominent in the chart is where there may have been a lack of freedom, too many rules, or a lack of support for eccentricity and uniqueness in childhood, which resulted in the native’s expression of these traits in adulthood being constrained, choppy, and generally unnatural. When Venus is retrograde, it’s possible that the child was discouraged in some manner when they tried to express their love or become more appealing. It’s also possible that there wasn’t enough money or resources available.
In This Article...
Mercury Retrograde
Mercury is usually more keen and the sense of humor is more eccentric when it is retrograde at birth. When Mercury is retrograde in a person’s natal chart, they process information differently than when Mercury is direct. How many people have a retrograde Mercury at birth? approximately 18%.
It is common for people in this position to spend a lot of time thinking, verifying, and examining their thoughts and ideas before sharing them. Some people in this position battle with questions about their perceptions or their capacity to learn.
Venus Retrograde
Around 7-8% of the time that Venus is in retrograde, which means that 7-8% of births occur during Venus’s retrograde.
The emotional nature is intense when Venus is retrograde at birth. The act of socializing is never taken lightly. In their adolescence, they may exhibit some shyness due to feelings of uneasiness with small chat and social graces, as well as a dislike of superficialities. A person with a retrograde Venus values love greatly, but they may not express it clearly enough for others to understand exactly how passionately they can love. This individual is always more complex than they appear. They can occasionally conceal their romantic (and financial) lives in some way. Those who were born during Venus’s retrograde phase must be on the lookout for romantic self-destruction. An underlying sense of not being “good enough, beautiful enough, or loveable enough” might exist. There may be very deep insecurities. Self-love can be problematic. Fears can cause people to overcompensate by overeating, going on serial dates, etc., or they can have the reverse impact by making them believe they don’t require love. In one lifetime, the same person can swing from either pole. Of course, it is best to strike a balance. See more information on Venus Retrograde, including Venus Retrograde in the signs, in the Natal Chart.
Mars Retrograde
Being assertive or standing up for oneself can be difficult when Mars is retrograde at birth since it can arouse anxieties of being ineffectual. There may frequently be detours to take in order to achieve your goals. Despite being deeply ingrained, people frequently misjudge our want nature. Timing may be off frequently, or you may express your desires (or rage) in bursts rather than more freely, keeping these feelings to yourself and letting them fester until you lose control. You could come across too powerful or too weak depending on the situation, and you frequently think of the better thing to say or do afterwards, when you’re not under pressure. As working under pressure or with others can make you feel anxious, it is usually preferable to go at your own pace instead of following a schedule. As you become older, you could find highly original ways to physically express yourself or fairly effectively direct your energy in odd but useful directions.
Retrogrades become more frequent as the planets travel farther from us, and it is more typical for people to have these planets retrograde in their horoscopes.
Jupiter Retrograde
People with Jupiter retrograde in their birth charts have a propensity to have unique or diverse viewpoints, worldviews, or moral codes. Instead of learning from others, they would rather draw lessons from their own experiences and responses to them. They are planners who worry more than others about their future or the effects of their actions because they do not inherently believe in luck. They might have to learn that they are entitled to things that others would take for granted.
Saturn Retrograde
When Saturn is retrograde in the birth chart, feelings of guilt and self-doubt may be more frequent than usual. Internalized fears can cause people to put on a strong face so that others won’t perceive them as being vulnerable. Strong anxiety about disappointing other people, failing to fulfill their obligations, or ultimately making terrible decisions might also exist. Sometimes, discipline and order in childhood were lacking. In some ways, having Saturn retrograde in the chart has a similar effect to having a strong Uranus, where the native finds an excessively regimented or disciplined life unsettling. When they are in circumstances that call for protocol, etiquette, or particular sets of standards and rules, people born with Saturn retrograde may feel extremely uneasy or nervous.
Uranus Retrograde
Uranus retrograde can indicate a hesitance to adapt or a hidden skepticism of emerging ideas or advancements. While Uranus direct locals are more likely to flaunt their peculiarities, or at the very least to be proud of them, these folks may conceal them. Having Uranus in retrograde is comparable to having Saturn dominant in the chart, in certain aspects. With this posture, there may be a buildup of energy, so while they may follow the rules for a while, at some point they may have a fit of rebellion before returning to a more orderly, law-abiding lifestyle.
Neptune Retrograde
People with Neptune retrograde in their birth chart may have a tendency to suppress their weaknesses, spiritual side, or compassion because they feel awkward expressing them. These things may very well exist and go deep, but natives of Neptune retrograde prefer to keep them hidden. These folks may lack a strong sense of faith, making them inherently suspicious. They might anticipate the worse if they are left to fill in the blanks. As they worry about being let down, there can be a great risk of having unrealistically high expectations.
Pluto Retrograde
People with Pluto retrograde in their birth charts may be more likely than those with Pluto direct to dread being controlled, tricked, or misled by others. There might be a propensity for people to conceal these worries because doing so makes them feel more exposed. They may not always be in touch with this urge and don’t communicate their need for power or control to others as readily.
What do retrogrades in the birth chart mean?
ICYWW, a planet is said to be “retrograde” if Earth is orbiting it and it looks to be travelling backward from our perspective. All of the planets go through retrograde motion, but Mercury is the most prevalent and feared because of his numerous three- to four-yearly retrogrades, which frequently result in what Kavanagh refers to as “Mercury mischief.” “Every year, the larger, outer celestial bodiesincluding Saturn, Jupiter, Uranus, Pluto, and Chironmove backward for a significant amount of timetypically four to five months. Every alternate year, closer to Earth orbiting planets Venus and Mars go into retrograde.” She continues, “The sun and moon never go backwards.”
When a planet goes retrograde, its energy is effectively partly blocked from the outside, making it harder for living forms to express themselves there. Ambi Kavanagh is an astrologer.
What does it signify if your natal chart has one or more retrograde planets? Consider it a karmic lesson you must learn in this lifetime. It’s not all terrible news, and the chart doesn’t seem particularly bad either, according to Kavanagh. “When a planet is retrograde, its energy is effectively partially blocked from the outside, making it harder for the life areas that fall under its purview to express themselves. The soul of the chart holder opted to take on physical form in order to receive more profound lessons about the aspects of life that particular planet rules.”
On a natal chart, what does a retrograde look like?
Retrograde. It might as well be known as the “F word” in astrology. When you bring it up, you’ll start to hear groans.
Even individuals who are not well-versed in astrology appear to be aware of the transit nonsense that is Mercury retrograde. Murphy’s Law seems to be in full force at this time of year. What could go wrong frequently does.
We’re talking about that today. (We’ll discuss retrograde transits in a later post; in the meantime, if you’re interested in learning more about the Mercury retrograde transit, check out this post.)
When a planet is retrograde in your natal chart, it indicates that the energy is more inwardly focused or restrained rather than being projected outward. Even though the expression is usually hidden, the native may nevertheless experience it powerfully. Additionally, I think that the energy can occasionally be hard to control and come across as awkward or clumsy. It may even be wholly suppressed.
Retrograde planets in the birth chart are said to indicate that the native’s energy was suppressed while they were young, according to one school of thought. Consider the parent who warned their youngster about using their voice from outside within. You’re suddenly restricted rather than the loud you that you want to be. That is how it is.
What does it signify in your birth chart if Mercury is retrograde?
Many people are born with this in their natal chart since Mercury turns backwards in its motion regularly. They frequently find it difficult to communicate adequately with others since they are lost in their own mental worlds. For instance, they converse with themselves while the other person is, of course, unaware of it. Though they did not actually speak what they were thinking out loud, they imagine they did. Or they misunderstand what someone says because they extrapolate their own ideas onto the speaker’s words, or they failed to pay attention because they were preoccupied with their own thoughts.
Famous people who were born during Mercury’s retrograde include:
Are the planets in retrograde strong?
What does it signify when a planet is in retrograde motion? Simply said, during a planet’s retrograde motion, it is during this time that it is closest to Earth. As a result, anytime a planet appears to be moving backward, it transits close to Earth.
When viewed from Earth, planets in retrograde motion appear to pause and move backward for a while. In fact, planets are always moving forward. It is not possible. Retrograde planets appear to be going backward because we on Earth pass the planet by, which is why it appears they are. When you try to pass another car on the highway, however, you see that even though they are moving forward, they seem to be slowing down and reversing. Similar to planetary retrogression, that effect. The main distinction is that, in this example, cars follow a straight course while planets travel in a circle.
Chesta BalaMotional Strength
Are the planets in retrograde strong? The fact that retrograde planets are closest to Earth during the retrograde period gives them great strength. Therefore, during that time, the heavenly body has the greatest impact over us. As enormous celestial bodies, planets have an impact on us both physically and metaphysically. Astrology is used to explain the metaphysical component.
What does retrograde mean in astrology? In astrology, planets have a greater weight and are therefore capable of producing effects that are more powerful. A retrograde planet technically has additional power points known as Chesta Bala, or points of being close to the earth, in terms of Shadbala, or planetary strength level. As a result, we have unequivocal evidence that the retrograde planet is significantly more potent as a result of raising the Shadbala score.
Chesta Bala is one of the six strengths that make up the overall Shadbala score on the planet’s Shadbala scale. Chesta refers to the force necessary for the movement of the planet in this context. In other words, this strength is defined as how much physical effort the planet expends, which also strengthens its astrological impacts.
As a result, whenever a planet goes retrograde, it needs to exert more power or effort to continue moving, which gives it Chesta Bala.
How can you tell whether Mercury is retrograde in your birth chart?
It is well known that Mercury retrograde can sabotage any type of communication. Fortunately, it only occurs four times a year for three weeks at a time, but if you were born during Mercury retrograde, its affects may continue a bit longer. It turns out that not everything is awful because many extremely successful people were born while Mercury was in retrograde. Being born with Mercury retrograde in your natal chart can be a great gift, even though it may not initially seem that way. However, it can also make some aspects of your life more ambiguous.
Priorities first Look at your birth chart (you can make a natal chart on Cafe Astrology for free), then locate Mercury to see if you were born during Mercury’s backspin. The word “Rx” will appear above the Mercury symbol in your chart if Mercury was in retrograde when you were born.
What does that signify, then? “They frequently find it difficult to communicate with people because they are lost in their own thoughts. For instance, they converse with themselves while the other person is, of course, unaware of it. They think they spoke what they were thinking, but they did not truly do so “According to Astrology Booth’s website, astrologer Janet Booth. Or they misunderstand what someone says because they extrapolate their own ideas onto the speaker’s words, or they failed to pay attention because they were preoccupied with their internal debate.
This isn’t necessarily a bad thing because introspective people frequently exhibit extraordinary creativity. The late musical genius Prince was a Mercury-retro baby, claims Booth on her website. She said that people born during Mercury retrograde typically exhibit shyness as children but develop greater extroversion by the time they are in their early 20s. And this is the point at which the majority of artists let loose on the world.
What does it signify when a planet is retrograde?
A change in the planet’s apparent motion through the sky is referred to as retrograde motion. Because the planet doesn’t actually begin to revolve backward, it is not REAL. Because of how the planet and Earth are orbiting the Sun and their respective positions, it only seems to do so.
The planets typically go through the sky at night from west to east. This is known as retrograde motion. Perversely, the motion alters, and they now traverse the stars from east to west. We refer to this motion as retrograde. After a brief period of retrograde motion, the motion returns to becoming prograde. Within the context of a solar system that is centered on the Sun (heliocentric), this seemingly odd behavior is easily comprehended. In a heliocentric model, retrograde motion is explained by the fact that it happens roughly when a planet moving more quickly comes up to and passes a planet moving more slowly.
The graphic below illustrates how the planet Mars would appear to move in both prograde and retrograde motion. Keep in mind that this is all a result of the Earth’s orbit moving across space more quickly than Mars does. Therefore, the motion seems to go through the pro-retro-pro cycle as we close in on and eventually pass that planet in its orbit.
This effect is something you can see for yourself. Start off by standing next to a friend. Ask a friend to advance carefully. You now go forward more quickly. Consider how your acquaintance is moving in relation to you while you watch them. They initially walk away from you before appearing to be walking backward as you pass them, even though they are actually still traveling ahead.