Retrogrades and Going Backwards -- Venus and Mars, plus a little Mercury

by Milky Way Maid

Lately I have been getting hints to pay attention to retrogrades. This past weekend I watched a DVD of a 2007 film titled “The Dark Backward”; it was nothing about astrology, of course, just a weird comedy about a guy who grows a third arm on his back and tries to boost his career as a stand-up comic with it. Then there was a chapter in a book, “The Professor, the Banker, and the Suicide King” (about the biggest poker stakes games in Vegas ever played) called The Last Lesson of Professor Backward. Then I finally pick up my copy of Dell Horoscope, the April issue, and find an article on planet retrogrades.

Aha, I say to myself, this must be what all those hints are about. I knew of course that Mars is currently retrograding. Mars had its retrograde station on Sunday, Dec. 20, at 8:27 am ET, at 19 degrees 42 minutes of proud Leo. This was right after an exciting Venus square Uranus on Saturday, so I imagine there were a lot of nascent romances that failed to get off the ground after an interesting start that Saturday. BUT fear not, things could revive again once Mars is direct and reaches that 19 degree point.

ALSO, romances that DID start while Mars was retrograde can fizzle once Mars goes direct. (This all depends on aspects in effect at first meeting.)

Anyway, Mars goes back to the beginning of Leo and turns direct Wed., March 10 at 12:09 pm ET, at about zero degrees 18 minutes of Leo. It will not reach the retrograde degree until mid-May! BTW the critical degrees of fixed signs are 8 and 22 degrees; Mars contacted that point the first couple days of February (in retrograde motion) and will grind over that point again April 18-21. It will hit 22 Leo on May 22-24. So if you have natal planets at those degrees, keep an eye peeled for what transpires. Leo rules show business, actors, casinos, gamblers, and celebs in general.

This fall Venus will go retrograde for six weeks, from Oct. 8-Nov. 18, going direct the same day that Jupiter goes direct in Pisces. Venus goes retro at 13 degrees Scorpio, a sign she is not really comfortable in, and goes direct in her home sign Libra at 27 degrees. Venus wants to put her relationships on an equal footing, in a loving, positive, and socially-recognized level. It has nothing to do with what others think of her, it has to do with being a grownup and taking responsibility for the health and well-being of the relationship. As a friend recently wrote in a blog, the primary consideration in the relationship has to be the relationship itself, not the well-being of either party. You do whatever is needed to feed and nurture the relationship, and you do it willingly.

The late degree of Libra also strongly suggests that many relationships will turn into marriages or at least committed live-in arrangements. Weddings to desirable 'catches' can occur under these late degrees.

Mercury goes retro for about 9 weeks of the year, for three weeks at a time. Dates when old Merc goes retro are/were: (Dec. 2009) till Jan 15 at 5 degrees Capricorn, April 18 at 12 degrees Taurus till May 11 at 2 degrees Taurus, Aug. 20 at 19 degrees Virgo till Sept. 12 at 5 degrees Virgo, and Dec.10 at almost 6 degrees Capricorn till Dec.19 at 19 degrees Sag.

I see Mercury retrogrades as positive periods when one can catch up and re-examine the data to catch errors. Good for catching errors in bank statements, etc. or spreadsheets at work. It's a lot of extra work to fix the errors but it has to be done. One also stands a good chance of finding out the real story behind the official story, so investigative work is favored, too.

Shoppers like it because prices are discounted, tho they have to look over the goods carefully for flaws or to make sure it will fit. And some of us love to take vacations when Mercury is retrograde because we know we will be coming back home!