Planets That Go Backwards ( from another group)

[Guest guest]

I've heard " through the grapevine " that Mercury is about to go " retro " . Anyone have thoughts on this? Okay. I thought so. LOL.

Planets That Go BackwardA planet that appears to move backward in the heavens for a period of

time is said to be retrograde. I've found retrograde periods uniquelyhelpful when working magic and considering magical timing.All the planets in our solar system appear at one time or another tostop--this is called making a " station " --and then move backward. After

a time, they stop again, or station, and appear to move forward, or turn " direct. " Because some planets have faster orbits than others, the timethey stop (station), turn retrograde, stop, and turn direct varies from

planet to planet.But in fact, planets never really go backward--it just looks like theydo. Retrogrades are all an illusion created by the orbit of our ownEarth.

Logically speaking, you would think that an illusion wouldn'taffect reality. But retrogrades have a profound affect on us. If youthink about it another way, there are actually many illusions thataffect reality. If we consider the human mind

we know that if you " believe " something, then you can create thatsomething in reality. This is what magic is all about.So what does a retrograde really mean to magical timing? When a planetturns retrograde, it is the universe's way of saying, " Hey! Hold up a

minute! Time to take a breather. Sit back and just chill! " Of course,we can't stop living just because a planet has decided to surf backwardfor a while, but in magical timing there are ways to use these

retrogrades to our advantage.To be honest, I love to observe how people act during planetaryretrogrades. It's sort of fun to sit there, watch everyone run aroundwith eyes twirling in their sockets, while you just relax and

smile likea Cheshire cat because you and the universe are sharing an amusingsecret, and you were prepared for it.MAGICAL TIPS FOR RETROGRADESTo take advantage of planetary retrogrades magically, you first need to

get yourself a good astrological almanac (or calendar). In it, you willsee symbols for each planet and a little symbol, an " R " with a little " x " through it, indicating the time it runs retrograde and a " D " beside

the planet when it turns direct.Once you've determined the time for each planet's backward passage, thebasic key for a retrograde is: " Don't start anything in the subjectarea that the retrograde planet corresponds to. " While you can finish

things up, if you start something that pertains to that planet's energywhile that planet is furiously backpedaling in the universe, then whatyou have started will more than likely have to be done all over again

when that planet turns

direct.Second tip: The day that a planet stations (stops) before it either goesbackward (retrograde) or forward (direct) all heck is going to breakloose involving the subjects that the planet corresponds to. Be

prepared!Third tip: The day a planet goes direct, your magic in the area of thatplanet's rule will act like a slingshot. Although Witches and magicalpeople always try to be specific when working magic, be extra careful

when a planet turns direct. Check and double-check what it is you trulywant to accomplish. The old adage, " Be careful what you wish for, " holds a great deal of meaning here.RETROGRADE PLANETS AND MAGIC

Although all planetary retrogrades have a general meaning, each will bedifferent in some way for every person because of: (1) your personalastrological blueprint--your natal chart; and (2) what house of life the

retrograde planet is currently visiting. These two factors can

getfairly complicated, and if you haven't really gotten into astrology, theglyphs in your almanac may look like gibberish. Still, you don't needto know everything to practice general magical timing. If you come to

like astrology, later on you can study on your own.Below I have described the general retrograde effects for the threefastest moving planets--Mercury, Venus, and Mars--in relation to magicaltiming. Although the slower-moving planets can have long-term effects

on certain parts of your life, their energies are not as noticeablebecause of the length of time they take to affect your everydayactivities. Mercury, Venus, and Mars retrogrades, however, are quitenoticeable in your day-to-day magical activities.

MERCURYMercury is the planet of communication, short distance travel, earlyeducation, and siblings. Primarily, Mercury is about how we communicatewith others; anything communications- centered is

subject to snafus whenMercury stations and turns retrograde. Computers go down, phones don'twork, cars poop out, travel plans are canceled, your alarm clock dies at2:00 a.m.--the list can be endless. A note you sent to a friend is

misinterpreted and now she's mad at you. Furthermore, aside from theMoon, Mercury is the fastest planetary body in the heavens. Mercury isnamed after the Greco-Roman god Mercury--he who is fleet of foot; he

moves at a lightning pace, and he flips backward and forward about threetimes a year so you will often encounter these problems.In magic, work with Mercury rather than against him. Think before youspeak. This is a time to read, study, contemplate, work on projects you

started earlier, and tie up loose ends on things already ongoing. Thisincludes magic involving investigative procedures, learning, stoppingthe flow of gossip, or reorganizing your notes for the big term paper

that's due next

month. As computer problems often crop up during theMercury retrograde, this will not be the time to buynew software or try to debug your system. Also, be careful of pickingup computer viruses. If something is moving too fast and you want to

slow it down, especially in the realm of communications, you can alwaysplace the Mercury retrograde symbol on a yellow candle, asking that asthe candle burns, the problem slows down until you have the answer you

need to proceed in a fair and honorable way.Magical friends of mine have noticed that brief arguments flare upbetween themselves and people they love the day before Mercury stationsto turn either way. On this day you might choose to sprinkle protection

powder around your house, boil a little basil in water on the stove tocreate sympathy, and avoid altercations with those you care about.Because Mercury is such a fast energy, these fights blow up and blowover quickly, yet

the hard feelings may remain until you resolve theproblem over the course of the retrograde, or during the followingMercury retrograde. When Mercury's fancy footing does the backwardshuffle you are free to think in an imaginative, independent way. Use

this energy for vision questing and daily meditations.VENUSVenus is the planet of love and relationships, but she also governs fastcash, material items to which you have a psychological attachment, and

your short-term savings. When Venus turns retrograde, she basicallypouts, is irritable, and downright difficult. Because she affectsrelationships, her stationing can have the same awkward effect onrelationships as stumbling Mercury. Your mother might not be as

easygoing as she usually is, your boyfriend may seem to be looking in adifferent direction, and your boss may have suddenly become anunreasonable soul.A Venus retrograde happens only every

year-and-a-half and lasts aboutforty days. During this time people are often attracted to the bizarre,unusual, and obscure. If it's weird, a Venus retrograde will expose it,for good or ill. A Venus retrograde is a good time to evaluate yourself

and how you react to your parents, spouse, boss, teachers, and friends.If you are trying to find a lost friend or family member, the Venusretrograde is the right time to start looking magically and mundanely.

Magic practices for love and relationships should concentrate onyourself--on doing your best to become a better, caring, open-mindedperson. Other magic during this time can include learning how to savemoney, how to spend money, and how to decide what you should and should

not value in your life. Talking to your guardian angel or totem animalduring a Venus retrograde about yourself, your life, and universal lovewill bring you rewards.During these forty days, people may be

crabby, overly shy, sociallyinept, or downright rude; yet, Venus is the goddess of creativity andthings of beauty. If you don't like what you see in the mirror, thenwork to change it. If you hate the color of your apartment and had

considered repainting it, repaint it now. As you paint, concentrate onfeelings of harmony and self-assurance.If you can't seem to hold on to your money, draw the Venus retrogradesymbol on a white candle, and place that candle on top of the money you

do have. Ask that you learn to slow down on your spending and hold onto your present savings. If you think that a love relationship ismoving too fast, draw the Venus retrograde symbol on a blue candle.Place the candle over a picture of yourself. Ask that the relationship

slow down until you can think clearly about who you want to associatewith and why you are really interested in that person. Ask for clarityof thought, Venus will grant your

desire.MARSMars is a particularly feisty fellow. He's the gasoline that fuels allsorts of things, ranging from athletics to war. Another Greco-Romangod, he doesn't take " no " for an answer in the nicest terms, but he is

very useful when we need action and lots of it! Mars turns retrogradeapproximately every two years and two months, so when he suddenly stopsshort and retreats, most humans are left with their mouths hanging

open--just as it's a shock when someone puts water in your gas; forgetthe " vroom, " we are now permanently set in putt-putt mode.While a Mars retrograde doesn't exactly act like other retrogrades (what

do you expect, he's the macho guy who likes to do things his way), andwhile his retrograde period can really confuse matters, in fact thistime period can be quite useful, especially if you are a magical

person. Since activities slow down, we can learn how to apply ourenergy in a productive

way, rather than wasting it on things that mayhave no real purpose in our lives. In particular, matters involvingkarma--every action having a reaction--can be dealt with now.Because Mars moves more slowly than the other planets we have discussed,

he will probably hit only one department in your life in particular, andbecause Mars deals with challenges and aggression, you may be presentedwith a bump in life you weren't particularly ready for. Old angers,

resentment, and arguments have a tendency to flare up during a Marsretrograde. How you handle that aggression determines whether or notyou will grow spiritually and take one step up that ladder of universal

love. During a Mars retrograde it is very hard to hold your anger atbay, and after the retrograde you may see things that you missed becauseyou were so busy looking at the problem that you forgot to look beyond

for the solution. During a Mars retrograde, you can't force

people tobehave in a specific way--you shouldn't anyway, but it is morepronounced during this time--and issues of right and wrong will seemmuddy and mixed up.Magically, the smartest thing to do during a Mars retrograde is to talk

to Spirit every day about your mission in life. Mars energy, channeledproperly, is not a bad thing. Remember, he's the gas in your cosmicengine. You would think that since Mars retreats and the general pace

of life slows down, people would be more complacent. Instead, they seemto go around squealing over the tiniest things. Indeed, this is oftenthe time when we must face our cosmic bullies.In the end, Mars retrograde energy can be channeled into personal

fortitude and actually provide you with the necessary cautionaryroadblocks so you can think before you act. During a Mars retrograde,Spirit will show you who your friends are and who doesn't care a whit

about you.by Silver

RavenWolf,copyright 2000