No Need to Panic. Retrogrades Are Simply A Time to Reflect
I’m sure you’ve seen all the memes and social posts about the simultaneous 5-planet retrograde but it’s not an uncommon thing. So many sensationalize retrogrades and create unnecessary panic, instead of explaining what it means for us and how to arm ourselves with the tools to navigate this cosmic weather.
No need to panic.
Retrograde simply means reverse.
A planet “appears” to be in a backspin, making it seem as if it’s orbit is in the opposite direction. With this in mind, retrograde periods are quite an auscipious time for reflection. We are prompted to revisit old intentions and incomplete projects. All we put off because the work “appears” too daunting. Welp, retrogrades highlight these moments and places the onus on us. We are encouraged to move intuitively during this time since logic and reasoning (particulary during Mercury’s Retrograde) “appears” to be scattered.
Fact: all retrograde periods don’t mean the demise of civilization as we know it — not even Mercury.
It’s all about finding our center, getting back in alignment with our own unique frequency, really honing in on how we’re creating this human experience for ourselves.
Because I love how Tarot and Astrology intertwine, the coordinating cards aligned with the retrograde planets are The Magician (Mercury), The Wheel of Fortune (Jupiter), and The World (Saturn). Since Neptune and Pluto were discovered years later, the zodiacs they rule are paired, which are Death (Scorpio/Pluto) and The Moon (Pisces/Neptune).
Tarot in “retrograde” can be equivalent to a card in reverse. While many practitioners shy away from reversals, I believe it provides perspective. We have upswings and downswings (as we’ll learn with the Wheel of Fortune) in our human experience, so a card in reverse only highlights an imbalance and what we must do to get back on track.
So what does Tarot say about the retrogrades?
Let’s begin with Mercury.
Mercury and The Magician
Mercury’s retrograde transit first begins in Leo, represented by the Strength card and Cancer, represented by the Chariot. A Magician in reverse is out of sorts with their own inner magic, blindsided by the illusions of others or those created internally. Because a Magician is a medium between the Divine and the Earthly realm, we’re challenged to tap into our inner strength and reveal our bold and expressive nature. The Leo in the Strength card calls us to be brave and confident. We must speak our truth without diversion and allow our true passion to eke through our words. This isn’t a time to mince words or be overly dramatic. Stand firm in where you are and remain unapologetic. The challenge of our inner strength, will determine if we’re able to move forward with our truth and compassion, despite the chaos.
The energy of the Chariot invokes our spirit of perserverance. We’re called to use our intuitive abilities to push passed obstacles and seek our Divine army in battle. The Chariot also highlights duality and the ability to shift between our dark and light aspects as a tool of strategy over our aggressor. The harmonization of our multiple selves is the key to unlock the stagnation in our communication, mental agility, and forward movement. As we reflect on our expressive nature, how can we comfortably say what must be said and be content with the outcome? We’re encouraged to use creative ingenuity to speak with directness and cycle through emotional excess. Clear the only thing that can be managed is ourselves.
Jupiter and The Wheel of Fortune
Jupiter currently sits in its home of Sagittarius during its retrograde. Sagittarius is associated with the Temperance card. The Wheel of Fortune highlights our karmic cycles, good fortune, and expansion. We’re reminded there is always an upswing and a downswing, however, the cycle indicates both are temporary in their own right. Temperance is a time of renewal. We’re in a space to learn and gather new fruits of knowledge to take with us and apply in our next phase. This space of preparation may lead to murky paths that challenge our higher consciouness. Can we use this knowledge to navigate terrain that “appears” new but carries the same lessons? The Wheel of Fortune’s spin may not necessarily indicate our downfall, in particular, but a prompt that challenges us to vibrate passed the bullshit. Can we see the blessing in the lesson and make conscious decisions that attribute to our growth? Jupiter’s expansion highlights good fortune, but we must see past illusions of Neptune in order to receive it. This retrograde period prompts us to learn all we can to prepare for the next cycle of Universe-ordered tests.
Saturn and The World, Pluto and Death
Saturn and Pluto both sit in Capricorn during their retrograde period. Capricorn in Tarot is represented by the Devil, the most misunderstood card next to Death (Pluto/Scorpio) and the Tower (Mars). This is an interesting transit as both Saturn and Pluto will retrograde in Capricorn at least once more, before Saturn transits into Aquarius in 2020. The World in Tarot represents completion and the end of a karmic cycle; however the energy of the Devil could possibly keep us repeating lessons, never reaching the end. The Devil is a space of gratification and indulgence — our pleasure principle. We hold structure here and if our foundation is built upon false narratives and delusion, the fall to Earth can be a hard one. Our ego can either be a space of mental imprisonment or a signpost to alert our inner compass of roadblocks ahead. A shift is in order and without the capacity to soothe our ego, we find ourselves cycling through different variations of the same lessons. It’s up to us to use the information from our Temperance stage to recognize our triggers and transmute.
Death (Pluto/Scorpio) the with Devil unearths our deepest desires and secrets. Can we face who we truly are and make the necessary shifts or will we succumb to the ugliness and cower in fear. The Death card always indicates a beginning and an end. It’s a hard card to absorb because we often believe it is literal, but really, the Divine asks: what in our lives needs to expire in order to make room for what we need? The Temperance proceeds Death in the Fool’s Journey, so there’s synchronicity here. We must be willing to reveal our nastiness, our indulgences, and be honest about what no longer has room. What roots have withered and died; yet, we still cling tight, attempting to breathe life in what no longer exists. There’s a hard transformation here if we allow our old skin to shed, but the ego-led space of the Devil may keep you bound to your insecurities if you’re not willing to do the work. So that shady ex, isn’t prompted by Mercury, but Saturn and Pluto.
Be mindful of what this means for you.
Neptune and The Moon
Neptune’s current transit in its home of Pisces, leads its retrograde period through the Moon’s light and shadow. Pisces is represented by the Moon in Tarot which highlights the journey of our shadow and challenges any illusions we’ve held onto in order to stay safe within our ego. Our fear of darkness only emphasizes our apprehension of the unknown. The Moon’s light illuminates these fears and challenges us to face them head on. Resistance here only further delays the inevitable. Neptune’s retrograde seeks to dismantle these illusions and reveal the truths hidden in the abyss of our subconscious. We’re diving deep during this period to face our reality and not be swayed by what feels good. The pressures of our deep subconscious can reveal monstrous creatures hidden within our emotional ocean floor and we are encouraged to find the strength to love those ugly parts, as they only seek to be understood. What ways do we use these hidden truths to create adverse boundaries and self-sabotage? How can we transmute the energy of our fears and use the illusions as a guide to sharpen our intuitive knowing, as opposed to finding comfort in what we want to be true.
Fear of your darkness, only prevents you from tapping into your light.
We are encouraged by the Divine to reset, refresh, reconcile, and remove what no longer has space in our lives. No manifestation can grow in a crowded garden. In order for our seeds to grow, we must be willing to re-pot ourselves in more fertile ground and that can only be found by digging through the dry, ashy surface and unlocking our true nature.
No need to panic.
Trust me, you’ve got this.
With love.
