Mercury Retrograde, but this time it’s different

"i was born with mercury retrograde. some places say this is good, others say that it is bad, what is it?"
Name: Yuri

Short answer: neither.

Long answer:

Retrogrades are a controversial topic in Astrology, with varied interpretations of it. Let’s make a couple of inferences:

1. Retrograde motion makes planets slower, therefore more noticeable, or stronger.
2. Retrograde means moving backwards, so the effects tend to be “reversed” in some manner.

Both of these points tend to be an agreed basis on interpretating retrogrades, the problem comes in making the actual interpretation.

On point number 1, we have the classical issue of reductionism. Everything is good or bad, demons and angels, highs and lows. Nothing can be human or in-between. So people assume that “stronger” will always mean better, and “smaller” will always mean worse.

On a brash example, would having a stronger cancer be better? Nope, not really. Retrograde planets are stronger, period. Whether that is “good” or “bad” depends on the what, the when and the who.

On point number 2, what does reversion entails is the million dollar question. In my view, this deals with internalization and externalization. The qualities of a retrograde planet are internalized, meaning that a native relies more on his inner fortitude, than on external circumstances.

For instance, Saturn retrograde tends to make hard workers and people who aren’t easily put down by life. Saturn itself tends to create challenges and obstacles in life. A Saturn direct person tends to see these problems, and get boggled down by the unfairness of life. A Saturn retrograde person will tend to rise above, and want to work towards solving things, rather than blaming the circumstances.

Going into Mercury, what does retrograde entail?

Mercury deals with perception, the senses, communication, the nervous system. It deals a lot with noticing things, analyzing and seeing. Retrograde makes this stronger, so these people tend to notice more. On one hand, this gives great intelligence. On the other hand, issues of sensory overload or mental exhaustion can arise.

On the internalization front, Mercury here can be less communicative, natives might have a hard time making themselves heard or expressing themselves. A fear of telling your real thoughts can arise, and get in your way at times, as you yield to please people and forget about your own needs.

Overall, Mercury Retrograde in a natal chart tends to make highly intelligent people, who can excel in academia or any mental work. Still, the excessive mental activity can create some nervous issues, as well as things like anxiety. It can also lead to a fear of expressing yourself, which needs to be remedied and worked on, learning to show your true self (and true intentions) without fear is a big lesson with this placement.

Retrograde Galore

"mercury gets all the attention, tell us about other retrogrades"
Name: Lasagna 2

Short answer: Hi Lasagna 2, love you too, my darling.

Long answer:

The answer above is a really good intro and complement to this, but let’s make a retrogrades galore:

→ Mars retrograde: Coming this December! I like to explain Mars Retrograde with a garden hose. Open the faucet, cover the hose hole with your thumb. You will have a huge build-up of water, and pressure, that will seemingly explode when you remove your thumb. This is Mars retrograde.

Mars retrograde internalizes Mars, which is a planet that deals a lot with externalizing and making things. So we feel the anger, the lust, of Mars. But we build it up inside, instead of releasing it. There are less confrontations, less aggression and less turbulence with Mars retro. The few things that happen tend to be ineffective. But the anger is still there, building up inside.

When Mars goes direct, all that pressure is released, much like with our hose example. The weeks (sometimes months) after Mars goes direct tend to be times of trouble, aggression and conflict. As Mars retro built up all that pressure.

→ Pluto retrograde: Pluto deals a lot with inner fears or tensions that arise out of a need for control. Dealing a lot with the internal, retrograde tends to invert that, and Pluto gets externalized.

During Pluto retrograde, we are more inclined to face our fears in tangible manners. For instance, going after something we want, rather than just sitting and complaining. Getting yourself into the dating market, rather than just complaining about your love woes. Having hard conversations, etc.

On the other hand, Pluto retro tends to promote violence, as people similarly want to externalize their desires for power and security.

→ Jupiter and Saturn retrograde: Grouping these two together, when discussing their retrogrades, is interesting. As they represent positive and negative, in many ways. Jupiter is growth, Saturn is decay. Jupiter is glory and prosperity, Saturn is lack of recognition and poverty.

When Saturn goes retrograde, we tend to internalize the karmic conscient ways of Saturn. The idea that we make our own troubles, as well as our own fortune. Saturn retrograde is a strong time for problem solving, life improvement, as we tend to stop blaming external circumstances and focusing more on our own ways.

Jupiter retrograde makes us careful, we tend to spend less money, and we are fearful of pushing our luck, so we tend to plan and act in less flamboyant ways. People who get financial windfalls during Jupiter retrograde, tend to save it or invest it carefully, rather than making lavish mindless purchases.

When these two go retrograde together, it is easier to be productive and focused, as both of their cycles tend to stimulate hard work. In recent (not that much) years like 2018 and 2019, this happened for many months. This year, we will have October with both of them retrograde.

The Hardest Most Evil Meanie of Nakshatras

"i have moon in kritika, joni patry has just called it 'the most difficult nakshatra' is that true? 😧"
Name: april

Short answer: No, I don’t think so.

Long answer:

I’ve been around with Nakshatras. I’ve read, heard and researched a ridiculous amount of opinions on them. I can honestly say that I’ve never seen someone classifying Krittika like this, not even once, not even kinda.

Usually, the crown of “most difficult” is fought between Ashlesha and Purva Bhadrapada, with some other contenders occasionally popping by. And I haven’t seen Krittika appearing among the contenders.

Let’s remember some points about Krittika. It is represented by fire and a scalpel. It is ruled by Agni, the fire god. It has an energy akin to Mars, dealing with intensity, passion and force. This can be, and usually is, harnessed towards productive possibilities. But it can lead towards aggression, combativeness or violence.

There is potential for trouble, yes. But I wouldn’t even classify it as “one of the most difficult”, let alone the most difficult itself. Usually, these natives tend to harness their excessive energy, finding some outlet for their fieriness. A lot of them get involved in cooking (knifes, fire and yelling Gordon Ramsay style) or with fitness and sports. Competitive, fast paced work environments are a similar expression, with things like the stock market — on a more white collar route. The inner fire of Krittika placements is usually easy to handle, as long as the native finds an outlet. So no, I don’t think it is difficult, let alone the most difficult one.

On the why she said this, I can only speculate, as I couldn’t find where she said it. But I remember an interview with Joni, where she talked about equating the Fixed Stars (of western astrology) with the Nakshatras in her practice. Something that I would call questionable, to put it softly. My guess is she is equating this nakshatra with some disastrous fixed star meaning.

By principle, I like to think that things have names for a reason. Paul is not John. Paulette is not Paul. John is neither Paul or Paulette. They are all different people. Fixed Stars are one thing, Nakshatras are another. Fixed stars are points to be searched, and analyzed when a planet is conjunct them. Nakshatras are a zodiac of their own.

Fixed Stars are usually applied with a 3° orb of influence, sometimes even less than that. So a Fixed Star would span about 6° of influence in a sign. A Nakshatra spans 13 degrees and 20 minutes. Equating a Fixed Star, of about 6°, to an entire Nakshatra, of 13°20′, is questionable in many ways.

Could I wear my 10 year old cousin’s t-shirt? Yes, but it would be a cropped top on me, and some establishments might kick me out because of dress code, no matter how cute my belly button looks. It wouldn’t fit like a t-shirt, it wouldn’t be the same.

2025

"is 2025 the year of the rapture?"
Name: god

Short answer: No.

Middle answer: I got multiple questions about 2025, I kept the most fun one, too lazy to add more.

Long answer: