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Astrologer's Notes:
Carin Martin, Astrologer:
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Retrograde
Part 1:
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by Carin Martin |
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"All journeys have secret destinations of which the
traveler is unaware."
Martin Buber
Retrograde, retrograde, still, in this day and age people with retrograde planets in their natal charts misunderstand their significance. That little Rx by the degree of the planet that means retrograde seems to elicit feelings of inferiority in some people as to the function of their natal planet. Perhaps this common misunderstanding about the meanings of retrograde natal planets is due to the popular knowledge about the infamous transits of Mercury in Retrograde. You often hear such statements as, "Oh of course the train is delayed. Mercury is in retrograde." Or, "Darned Mercury retrograde, my computer just crashed!" Thus when a natal planet is in retrograde, people assume the worst. But Mercury retrograde, the transit, and natal Mercury (or any other planet) retrograde are two very diverse and different entities.
As to transiting Mercury in retrograde, the transit is famous for mechanical breakdowns, miscommunications, and "Murphy's Law" in general. But the effects of transiting Mercury retrograde all depend upon what sign and degree Mercury is transiting and its aspect to your own natal or progressed chart. Not everyone experiences delays and mechanical mishaps, only those whose natal charts are aspected by the transit do so. True, transiting Mercury retrograde can be an annoyance with delays and mechanical breakdowns and sometimes it can even be dangerous. If it makes a strong aspect to your natal chart, then indeed, the transit can be troublesome. The effects range from stinging nettles of minor mechanical annoyances to costly or even dangerous events. The transit can also be a time of uncanny synchronistic occurrences or ironic successions of misadventures that turn Mercury retrograde into a Merc-a-saurus Rex of a monstrous time for you. Regardless of one's experiences with this transit, it is important to remember that transiting Mercury Retrograde bears little resemblance to natal Mercury or other natal planets in retrograde motion.
First let's look at what creates a retrograde.
Retro - back. Gradi - go. Go back, i.e. backwards.
As we all know, astrology is not astronomy. It is the mother of astronomy but the two parted ways long ago. All astrology is earth centered as it should be. It incorporates into its meanings stars and asteroids as well as planets and fixed points in the heavens. But it is about humanity and earthly events effecting humanity, so its scope comes from the viewpoint of the center of the human universe, our planet earth, not the cosmos. We know that planets do not literally go backward. We know that all planets follow an eliptical forward motion, and that is the astronomical scientific fact.
So why then do we have natal planets that astrology says are retrograde, going backward in their degrees? Because when viewing the planets from the earth there are times when a planet appears to stop, then go backward, then move forward again. You will see these three motions notated as:
Stationery- SRx when the planet is still just prior to going retrograde.
Retrograde- Rx when the planet has begun its illusion of backwards motion.
Stationery- SD when the planet is stationery just prior to going direct again.
Direct- D when the planet is once again moving forwards.
Even though this backward and forward motion is not an astronomical fact, it is an astrological fact that is created by an earth centered illusion. When viewed from the perspective of the earth the planet is moving backward and thus all of these four astrological terms- direct, stationery rx and stationery direct, and retrograde have meanings of their own.
But why do planets appear from the earth to move backward? Well for example, we know that Venus takes 224 1/2 days to complete her orbit of the sun. The earth takes 364 days to complete its orbit of the sun. Thus, Venus is in essence moving faster than the earth along its elliptical path around the sun. The common analogy to explain this is to think of Venus and Earth here as two trains driving on parallel tracks. When riding on the one moving train, as you pass the other moving train, it will first appear to not be moving at all, and then it will eventually appear to be moving backward though in actuality it is still moving forward. This illusion occurs with planets as viewed from the earth when they decrease in longitudinal motion and also when a planet changes it angular position in relation to the earth.
So since no planet actually goes backward, then no retrograde natal planet is at all "backward" in its function or strength. The illusion of retrograde does definitely have meaning in interpretation but it is not a necessarily a negative connotation. Unfortunately a disclaimer is needed at this point in the discussion. Ancient astrologers did actually interpret a retrograde natal planet as meaning that the planet was weak or debilitated. That astrology did at one time give to this anomaly a negative connotation and now recants that interpretation is not an arbitrary change of attitude. It makes perfect sense that since those early astrologers given their lack of knowledge of astronomy believed the planet was actually moving backward and thus, they interpreted a natal planet in retrograde as debilitated, weak or "backward".
We cannot fault astrology for having concepts that have changed over the years. After all, astrology is but a metaphorical system of character and events. Changing concepts to their exact opposite meaning is not solely a quirk of astrology. Look at medical history, if you dare. Certainly reversals there are of a far more serious nature. You need not go medieval and recount such practices as extreme blood letting of already weakened patients to cure their over abundance of a perceived "humor". You need only go back within the span of our life times to find medical assurances that were erroneous, even dangerous, and that have been completely reversed. One horror that comes to mind is the insistence upon laying babies on their stomachs to sleep- now that dangerous advice is totally reversed.
Unlike the above illogical medical advice, the recant of retrograde natal planets in astrological interpretation makes good common sense. There are many meanings to retrograde natal planets which we will discuss later. But the basic interpretation is this. The planet functions according to its sign, house and aspects just as a direct natal planet does, but the retrograde planet does so in a more subtle manner. The direct planet works its action outwardly, but the retrograde planet is instead inner directed.
The second meaning that I have found to hold true over the years is that a retrograde planet often is a "late bloomer", especially Mercury, Venus, and Mars. With this in mind, one can see why ancient astrologers found negative meanings for retrograde natal planets. People back then most often died before thirty years of age and never had the time to evolve into their full potential. Their "faster" more facile peers, those who's Mercury or Mars or Venus was direct at time of birth, could outshine them in youth, and youth was all the life they had essentially. But people now have a much longer life span; modern people with retrograde natal planets often vastly outshine their early victory peers but just not during the first bloom of youth. Usually it is later in life, in their thirties or sometimes later but definitely after their first Saturn return that teaches them what is important and what is not. It is after that experience that these people excel. The "late bloomer" needs the maturation that the Saturn return brings to find the fertile inner soil in order to bloom. The Saturn return of the late twenties, early thirties, teaches us what is important, what works for us, what does not and must be eliminated in our lives. We are less self conscious after such knowledge and this freedom from adolescent egocentricity allows us to develop our essential characters.
Think of it. How many of us know the high school sports hero or the prom queen who moves into middle age with little to show but their early, easily won glory? Unfortunately it is a common story. And how many high school "nerds" go on to great accomplishment and success? I guarantee you that that former nerd probably had Mercury or Mars in retrograde or that that former ugly duckling who is now a blossoming beauty had Venus in retrograde. I recall a girl in my own high school class who was teased to tears as a "bean pole" and as "birdie legs". She had Venus in Capricorn in retrograde. Starting in her mid thirties she became, and up to this day, she is, a well paid magazine model. Those long legs and that distinctive facial bone structure that made her such a gawky teenager later became her trademark as a distinctive beauty who photographed exquisitely.
Pity the peoples of the past whose life spans never gave them the opportunity for the development of maturity after the Saturn return. If we were all judged for life's accomplishments prior to thirty years old, how many of us would be Keats? Not many. The ancient astrologers were, unfortunately, right for their times but not for ours. This is just one example of changes in interpretation over the years that show that astrology is never stagnant but is instead an ever evolving art.
But back to the present and more about natal retrograde planets. First of all, you know astrologically the term "planet" deals with Mercury through Pluto even though astronomers now sometimes debate that Pluto is actually a real planet. Well, whether astronomically a ball of ice or a genuine planet; Pluto is a planet in astrology. The sun and the moon in both astronomy and astrology are not planets. Astronomically the sun is a star and the moon is its satellite- astrologically they are both called luminaries, not planets. And since all astrology is viewed from our own self centered humanistic viewpoint of the earth, neither of the luminaries ever appears to go backward, i.e. retrograde.
The average natal chart has two retrograde planets.
And what this retrograde motion at the time of birth means is that the planet and its sign significance are more subtle and thus mysterious in its action than it would be if the planet was direct. And often times, as I have mentioned earlier, this planet due to its subtleness becomes a "late bloomer", coming into its power after the first Saturn return of the late twenties early thirties. Keep that in mind when you judge your own supposed short comings and attribute them to your "weak" planets in retrograde. They may eventually become your salient talents.
Those born with no planets in retrograde often lack the subtlety in their appearance or character of those with retrograde natals. A common expression for those born with no retrograde planets is that "what you see is what you get." The late over top entertainer, Liberace, is a good example of someone with no natal retrograde planets. People loved his lack of subtly, and he certainly cashed in on it in a big way. After all, astrology believes in doing the best with what you have. Liberace, love him or deride him, made the most of his "in your face" lack of subtly. It was a short coming that he took to such an extreme that it worked for him and became his ultimate trademark.
Now that we have a handle on the phenomena of natal planets in retrograde, we will resume this discussion next month. Then we will continue with this train of thought by examining the meaning of each natal planet in retrograde. But for now, I amgoing to close since transiting Mercury is in retrograde, and I fear my bi yearly computer crash may come upon me at any moment. Until next time, as you examine your own natal retrograde planets please consider this:
Remember, Ginger Rogers did everything Fred Astaire did, but backwards and in high heels.
Faith Whittlesey
Next Month: Retrograde Part 2 |
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Carin Martin,
Astrologer
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Carin Martin has been an astrologer in private practice for over twenty-five years. She has also taught seminars in astrology as well as lead group workshops in self revelational archetypal astrology.
She has published on several subjects in the field of metaphysics and been interviewed both on radio and for national publications.
Calling herself the "eternal student" she has attended numerous workshops and seminars over years including those of Jungian James Hillman, as well as astrologers Liz Green and Steven Arroyo amongst many others.
Her private practice covers most areas of western astrology but in recent years she has gained a reputation for her work in the synastry of business and creative relationships and for avocational astrology.
An avid animal lover, she is currently working on a book about human and animal communication as well as several astrological projects.
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Send your questions to:
AstroCarinMartin
@aol.com
Please understand that due to time constraints, only questions chosen for the column will be answered.
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