RETROGRADE PLANETS What They Show About Past Lives RETROGRADE PLANETS What does a natal retrograde planet say about our past life? What is it s interpretation for the house it occupies? What does it say about the house it rules in our chart? When we fir st started to study astrology, we were taught or we read a planet retrograde in our chart was ―different‖ in in someway rather than one being direct. There are various delineations given to these planets, depending on the teacher or author. Some people feel that the planet works on a more subconscious level than a direct planet. Others give the planet such a maligned interpretation that it makes individuals feel inferior in some way. Retrogrades are probably the most confusing aspects in astrology. In this lesson, we will explore some of those concepts and uncover meanings with regard to past lives. Retrogrades are a wonderful guide to discovering more past life information. It will show us how we are more in tune with the Universe. What is a retrograde planet? W hen a planet is on the other side of the Sun away from Earth, the t he planet is said to be retrograde and moving backward. The backward motion of a planet is only relative to the position of earth. In reality, realit y, the planet has not or never will move backward. For that very reason, I believe, a retrograde planet has been miscast in astrology. Individuals who study astrology always talk down about their retrograde planets. They treat them as some ―stepchild‖ in their chart. Only through viewing the retrograde planets in a new li ght, can we work with them in our chart on a different level. This lesson is designed to help you better understand how that can be done. The sign and house position and aspects of a planet retrograde would add more to the interpretation. But if you just only focus on the planet’s energy, retrograde planets point to the areas of concern. The karma expressed expressed in a retrograde planet is energy we are familiar with from our past life. Since the Sun and Moon are never retrograde in a chart, the f irst planet that we will consider is Mercury. MERCURY — — A A retrograde Mercury at birth denotes a person who has come into this incarnation with a ―knowing‖ of some sort. It may be viewed as a gift of insight into any subject. They need to use their intuition in life and go with their ―gut instincts‖. Often they are labeled as slow thinkers or someone who cannot retrieve information quickly but they basically take in knowledge and disseminate it differently. They have had experiences in their past life that are more helpful for them than to a person with a direct Mercury at birth. Karmically they have brought over in this life the instinct to ―know‖ how how to respond in the best manner for them. What they do learn in this life, in the form of new communication o r learning skills, will be carried over into the next life. Then if Mercury is direct natally in that life, they the y will be able to express it in the usual accepted manner. The house occupied by Mercury shows the area where you had this prior knowledge and your choice of environment where you wish to play it out in t his life. VENUS — VENUS — A A retrograde Venus gives the person the ability to be more subjective in their desires, who and how they love and concerns for financial freedom. The’ past life conditioned them in these areas to accept a different approach than others. Who and what they attract in their lives will suit them perfectly. perfectl y. A Venus retrograde only asks to ―do their own thing‖ and to have no judgment placed on them. When society does place rules in the area of Venus, the person can feel like an outcast. Their karma in this life is to find freedom of their choices as to who and how they love and how they meet their financial needs. MARS — — A A retrograde Mars will always take a different course of action in life. Past life karma has afforded them the instinct to get through this life i n a different manner than individuals who have a direct Mars. The person is not as direct in their t heir actions as other people. They would rather take the indirect approach to life and exert their drive and ambition from behind the scenes. They have the past life experiences to draw from for guidance. They have the ability to know the proper course of their actions. When life presents them opportunities for taking a new direction, they will succeed if left to their t heir own instincts. They are the individuals who cannot be pushed into making fast decisions. Mars is the planet where we can express those things in life that is
most important to us and it is the area we want to direct our energy. A retrograde Mars knows how they are to perform in this world and their choice of area of life. JUPITER — JUPITER — A A retrograde Jupiter can cause the individual to turn inward with their expression of life. Rather than outwardly express great joy and a celebration of life, the person seems to be so stoic and serious in their approach. There may be a conflict over religion or spiritual beliefs with them and those around them. With Jupiter being retrograde they may seem to take life more serious, but the indivi dual can face life with assurance of not overdoing. The person may have a comfortable presence of confidence without seeming to be arrogant. In their past life, the individual has learned the lesson of when to ―go for it‖ and when to ―lay in wait‖. The placement placemen t of Jupiter and where it rules is the t he area of an inwardly optimistic individual. From ―The Arizona Astrologer‖, March 2002 3 SATURN — — A A retrograde Saturn makes the individual seek a different kind of responsibility and purpose in life. The person may be challenged by either the father or other authority figures to take more responsibility for their actions. Through the past life li fe experiences, they answer their critics with a slow persistence of reaching their goals in life. W here the planet is by house and where it rules shows the area where they will have to str ive hard for success. A retrograde Saturn builds the character to accept small gains in the long l ong process of success. Security issues need to be addressed in their present life and only when the ego does not interfere, does the individual feel a sense of peace. Saturn’s sign in the chart is where the person needs to address the demands and responsibilities of life. URANUS — URANUS — A A retrograde Uranus gives the individual i ndividual the feeling of having more control over their life. Past life experiences have readied them for the unexpected. In doing this, they feel they can handle those things out of their control. They may appear more orthodox to those around them than individuals with a direct Uranus in their chart. The house of Aquarius and where Uranus falls in the chart marks the areas of insight into i nto spiritual laws of the Universe. In their past life, they were rebels and paid a heavy price for that. Now the y choose not be so rebellious and work within the rules of society. They are individuals who can make old things new for the world. An example would be taking a branch of study and making it usable for the masses. Having a retrograde Uranus in the chart can make the person inventive. They also may have the ability to develop principles of knowledge easier than others who may have a direct Uranus. This is because they perceive those things through their higher mind. NEPTUNE — NEPTUNE — A A retrograde Neptune gives the person a need to serve. They are the spiritual warriors of the Universe. Through sacrifice in t his life, t he person feels loved and useful. They need to be needed. They are ready in this life to pay the price for love and devotion. They can be extremely serving and postulant individuals. They learned this expression of service well in their last lifetime. The sign of Pisces and where Neptune is by house marks the areas in this lifetime that need to be addressed. They can call upon the mystic side of the Universe for guidance in their life, but the ease of it i t can make the person an addict to seeking help in this way. PLUTO — — A A retrograde Pluto brings in more souls than any other retrograde planet because it is farthest from the Sun, and the duration is the longest. These are souls who have come as a group to change the world. They were active in this pursuit in t heir last life and want a chance to complete it now. The house of Scorpio and where Pluto points to the places where the person has an advantage over others, because they have control over the direction of this intense energy. They do have the tendency to manipulate in very covert ways, but without the desire to be in charge. They only want to be part of the changes made in the world by their generati
Mercury retrograde insights Mercury represents non-emotional, rational, objective thought. Mercury is flexible, responsive, and adaptable. Part of its job is to help disburse information, so it rules perception, language, writing, editing, research, speaking and learning. Mercury also rules telecommunications, computing, software, electronic gadgets, shipping, couriers, and transportation, etc. So, it's a pretty important planet to just everyday living.
So, when Mercury goes retrograde, it scrambles information, causing static, confusion and forgetfulness. The effects are universal and all peoples feel its effect, regardless of their own signs. The signs Gemini and Virgo feel it slightly more because Mercury is their ruling planet and because they're such picky perfectionists and they really do expect their lives to go like clockwork. Mercury Rx periods is the revealing of things hidden [past crimes are revealed or criminals located who were hiding during these times, clues are found or researched that had been previously overlooked in the past]. Also, investigations can be horribly botched during those times too. Probably it's almost instinctual when detectives review and reveal during these times. Quote by Steven Forrest: "Mercury retrograde isn't bad; it just takes some planning to cooperate with the energies. It's meant to be spent assimilating experiences, reviewing the past, and redoing, in general. As a matter of fact, if you really want to get the most out of Mercury retrograde, confine your activities as much as possible to those that have "re" attached to the beginning of the word. Reschedule appointments, repair vehicles, return to the past, rewrite documents and agreements, and so forth." Mercury RX is a great time for writers to go back to their work and edit. You can find more mistakes during that time, and you might also come up with ideas to spice up your writing, make it stronger. It's also a good period to clean out files, closets, return to unfinished projects and reviewing them, spend more time mentally re-viewing things that have happened in the past, get in touch with old friends, and schedule class reunions. Some "don'ts" to get you through this period: don't start any new task or project (jobs began under a Mercury Rx period, even during a shadow period before or after, have always ended either being renegotiated usually not to our benefit or dropped altogether), don't plan any extended air flights or other lengthy trips, don't start any new medical procedures; if the appointment is for diagnostics or researching, by all means run with it and prefer to wait until after the Rx period to make major decisions. Sometimes, however, the only thing that can be changed or have power over an unresolved issue is to change the way to deal with it: acceptance, tolerance, avoidance, or forgiveness are the only constructive outlets.
Retrograde Mercury Whenever a retrograde Mercury is in a chart, the native will find t hat the manner in which he communicates to others and the tendency towards having an impractical approach to life are being repeated from a past lifetime. The retrograde Mercury will also bring to t he individual a nervous condition, a restlessness, as a carry over from a past lifetime; a tendency to go on not onl y nerve energy, but also to react in a nervous manner to all facets of li fe. This would bring about the quality of worry or fear. Every item or detail in a person’s life would be worried over, fussed about, etc. It shows that the person’s thought, approach or thinking process in the past, by being impractical, rash, impulsive, resulted in confusion and chaotic conditions in past lifetimes. If repeated now, the life would be characterized by the same confusion and chaos. It should always be remembered that the higher octave of Mercury prefers precision, orderliness, perfection. The lower octave of Mercury couldn’t care less, so that the person must learn to work through the higher octave of Mercury now. This is where the focus should be and what the person should attempt to achieve. One of the things to watch, with a retrograde Mercury, is that the person might strive, in overcoming this, to become too perfect, bringing upon himself frustration, since few can reach perfection. The native could very easily be falling short of his goals and would be subject to disappointment. There would be a tendency to evaluate others according to their degree of perfection. In an ordinary housewife, with a retrograde Mercury, she would be a fuss-budget, everything would have its place and have to be there – in drawers or neat little piles, etc. She could be the woman in the T.V. commercial who enters a room and says, ―My, you have cats, don’t you ?‖ She would be very quick to
criticize where others are concerned, since Mercury, as the ruler of Virgo, bases it all upon her own standards. In attempting to transmute retrograde Mercury, you could also invite additional karma by overcoming a certain trait and by swinging to the opposite polarity. The individual could transmute one and bring up something negative on the other end. Care should be used when converting negative qualities of retrograde planets into something positive. Sometimes, with a retrograde Mercury, you might have been a writer in the past – it does rules the written as well as the oral word – if in Scorpio, you probably wrote book such as the Marquis de Sade – pornographic literature. Many times, a person with a retrograde Mercury doesn’t care that he says or how he says it, what he writes or how he writes it, especially true if this Mercurial condition is posited in Leo. Leos are very blunt, direct and frank, anyway. It wouldn’t be the most constructive location for a retrograde Mercury, since ten the Leo certainly would use the power of the word to push people around. In Aries, the retrograde Mercury would enhance the bossiness, the lack of patience with others who can’t do a job as well as the native does it. In other words, it would bring in that impatient quality or lack of tolerance for people who are not as clever as the Arians. Also, some people can really verbally lash out at others. Aries does no do this as much as Virgo. Geminis can put people in their place very nicely. Although Aries are bossy and pushy, they are not as Virgos and Leos are. With a retrograde Mercury, it is quite possible that the person wrote in the past and would, in all probability, write the same thing again. This is because there is a tendency to repeat action from the past, nor only in character, but also in action. Remember, too, that Mercury always deals with the mundane, the practical, so that the etrograde Mercury would likewise be so involved. The person’s mental interests could be identical from the past and have the same manner of expression. Always to be remembered, with Mercury, is the service aspect. From the viewpoint of service, the person would probably be thrown into the same situation where service would be demanded of him, and it would be in the same type of service as given in the past. For example: If you were a teacher in the past (there can be an abuse in teaching), the tendency would be to be thrown into the same areas of teaching. There is a subconscious element (remember Virgo is t he natural ruler of the 6th house, which is opposite to the 12th house), so the person might have a subconscious reaction to stay away from that in which he did not succeed in the past. The tendency would be to come into this life with all influences channeling you into the instructional field, and the retrograde Mercury would cause you to attempt to avoid it. Remember, Mercury is the natural ruler of Virgo; Virgo rules the 6th house of service; it opposes the 12th house of the subconscious and karma – it all ties in. The lesson to the learned in this lifetime, with a retrograde Mercury, regardless of where it is located in the chart, is to conduct oneself in the right manner and for the right reasons – motives are very important when it come to a retrograde Mercury in a chart. First House: Retrograde Mercury in the 1st house would indicate that the person would find it difficult to make decisions, for it slows down the thinking. Normally, Mercury is a very fast planet and causes one to think fast, speak fast, each fast; everything is done quickly, even to making snap decisions. The negative condition of a retrograde Mercury in the 1st house states that the individual should not speak first and think afterwards. A retrograde Mercury in the 1st house would bring about negative quality traits and indicate that the person would have to learn patience, the proper use of discrimination, not to judge too quickly, to communicate constructively with people and, of course, to be of service to others.
It brings a restlessness and nervousness to the personality of the individual – a lack of continuity in effort. The person would tend to initiate many projects, but complete relatively few. If, at the person’s birth, Mercury was retrograde, and ten days later it went direct, it would mean that in the tenth year the person would be subject to change. This would be his potential at that time. This is based on the theory of a day for a year when doing progressions. All retrograde planets are focal points in the chart, so that, in this case, it makes the native’s tenth year important from the viewpoint of the Mercury qualities. Second House: This location would make for a rash, impulsive type of spender, a person whose values would fluctuate according to moods and events in his life, day by day. Since Mercury does emphasize the mundane sine of life, too much attention was placed on material security in the past, with little regard for the higher qualities of life. Observe, here, that retrograde Mercury in the 2nd house opposes the 8th house of higher values and higher learning in the search for truth, so that the lesson, with a retrograde Mercury in the 2nd house, is to exercise proper discrimination as to what is really important and what is not important, not to place attention on the external features of life as being the center of being. Third House: Retrograde Mercury here is emphasized since Gemini is the natural ruler of the 3rd house and Mercury rules Gemini. Probably the most important quality to be considered, with a retrograde Mercury in the 3rd house, is that of communication. What it indicates is that the i ndividual, in the past, did not communicate too well with others, mainly because of the combination of the qualities of Gemini and Virgo. The individual tended to discriminate improperly in that if someone were not intelligent enough, the native did not even bother with him. This is a normal Gemini trait anyway, for if Geminis feel you are not interesting, they don’t want to be bothered – they are snobbish only in an intellectual manner. They demand people be interesting – mentally. Retrograde Mercury in the 3rd house tells the individual that he must communicate with people on all levels of thought, for giving in communication is as important as receiving. Third house Mercury enjoys being stimulated intellectually, but must learn that it, too, must stimulate. In a minor way, this location of a retrograde Mercury shows a poor relationship with siblings and other relatives and neighbors. To transmute this would require the native assuming a more democratic and realistic approach in relationships with others. Fourth House: This shows that the person was responsible for much disharmony around him, since the 4th house defines how we influence others by our personality development (our home is not only the physical structure of the house, but also the auric field in which the physical body is housed). Retrograde Mercury in the 4th house tells that the individual was far too restless, impulsive, rash and often offensive in speech (especially if in Taurus or Scorpio) to those who came within his sphere of influence. Perhaps the esoteric interpretation of the glyph of Mercury is the best example for the lesson involved in retrograde Mercury in the 4th house. The crescent represents the personality: the circle represents the divinity or divine spark within; the cross is the cross of matter. In this glyph, Mercury represents being the instrument of our spiritual and mental equipment. Too often, we crucify the spiritual within us on the cross of physical life. Thus, the retrograde Mercury demands that the individual present himself positively and more spiritually in his contacts with others. Esoterically, Mercury represents the bi-polar quality; again emphasizing the need for balance which was not achieved in a past lifetime. This balance demonstrates itself through our auric field. Fifth House: Retrograde Mercury here could easily shows that the person was rather indiscreet,
careless, and untruthful in love affairs. The person did not discriminate very well, not communicate well, with those with whom there had been any romantic entanglements. Undoubtedly, the individual did not prefer the responsibilities involved in raising children, and could very easily have paid too much attention to the lighthearted pleasures of living, with little regard to t he responsibilities involved in life itself. Leo, being the natural ruler of the 5th house, could imply that false pride was a dominating characteristic of the past, and the retrograde Mercury emphasizes that this quality was the channel through which the individual communicated his personality to others. The lesson, with retrograde Mercury in the 5th house, is that of proper motives in romantic affairs, the assumption of responsibilities of those in our care, and the proper discrimination in pleasures. Sixth House: Retrograde Mercury in this position focuses attention on the nervousness, restlessness, and impatience on the past of the individual in a past lif etime. This person would have lacked discrimination and certainly would not have been one who enjoyed being of service to others. The individual certainly did not relate well with public needs or public interests, having little or no respect for the average human being. The tendency would have been to be far too critical, even to the point of being sarcastic, of public trends, those with whom he worked, or who worked under him. There would have been an inability to communicate properly with any of these because of a lack of rapport. All this is further emphasized by the fact that Virgo is the natural ruler of the 6th house and has dominion over discrimination and serviced. Therefore, the retrograde Mercury would bring in the qualities of being negatively discriminative, of judging too quickly, and of being too impatient. It could very well be, also, that a degree of mental snobbishness of Gemini would be involved here, indicating that, in a past life, the person held his f ellow man in contempt. The lesson to be learned, with retrograde Mercury in the 6th house, is patience, understanding, respect for social trends, to be of service where public needs are concerned, without hope for personal reward. Seventh House: This would indicate that, in the past, the individual was the cause of the dissolution of any partnership, be it job, or marriage. Undoubtedly, the important features concerned were, with retrograde Mercury, that of being overly critical, much too impatient, improper values, selfcenteredness, unreliability, and, very possibly, deceit, not only to others, but self-deception as well (opposite the 1st house of self). The person with a retrograde Mercury in the 7th house would certainly have not entertained the best of motives in any partnership established in a past lifetime, nor would that person have communicated his ideas properly and correctly. Retrograde Mercury in the 7th house requires that the individual be sincere, have proper motives, and rationalize carefully before entering into any partnership, be it marriage or job. Eighth House: Here, too, this position shows that the person entertained low, materialistic values in the past, was superficially interested in the search for truth, was the cause of his own undoing when it was concerned with how things ended, whether it be a job, a project, or a friendship, or life itself. The person’s impulsiveness, rashness in both speech and action, caused all things to end negatively. This could also have been the false prophet of the past. The lesson to be learned here is to be more rational in thought and action, so that all things are completed positively and completely, nothing is left undone, and there are no repercussions. It requires that the person be sincere in the search for truth and how he communicates this to others, how he disseminates knowledge in a correct way.
This person must be very discriminative as to what groups he becomes involved with – should avoid witchcraft groups, followers of Satan, seances, etc. Truth should be understood and clarified in a practical, down-to-earth manner. By being an example of truth, he could transmute retrograde Mercury in the 8th house in the finest way. Ninth House: Here, the rashness of Mercury is also emphasized. The person with retrograde Mercury in the 9th house could easily have been a tumble-weed in life, going from here to t here, with no direction, no purpose, no plan. Similar to a retrograde Jupiter, it could indicate the individual who was a religious fanatic or bigot in the past, tolerating no one else’s opinion except his own. Improper speech and action in religious beliefs or philosophy caused animosities and enemities in the past (it does square the 12th house of secret enemies). Here, again, you have superficial knowledge and a lack of application of knowledge to actual living conditions. The person, undoubtedly, was involved with negative groups, whose activities brought him into conflict with accepted situations and/or the law. An afflicted Mars to r etrograde Mercury would indicate that the person spent some time in confinement because of his actions and beliefs. The lesson to be learned, with retrograde Mercury in the 9th house, is a true search for hi gher knowledge and higher self, to live from the Christ center within, to see trut h in all of its variables, to learn and apply this learning to all areas of life in a practical, down-to-earth manner. This person should respect all religions and all philosophies, even though contrary to his own. Despite his own beliefs, there needs to be a respect for law and order and for established institutions. Retrograde Mercury here also shows that the person must respect the rights and freedoms of others. Tenth House: In so far as the person’s profession in the past was concerned, there was a tendency on the part of the person to be rather indecisive, irresponsible, perhaps shiftless, and so these qualities caused him to lose favor with superiors, bringing about a loss of position and a lack of advancement. These same qualities prevented the individual from achieving any degree of recognition in whatever field he chose to follow. It would be safe to say that there was a degree of craftiness and deceitfulness involved in not only the job, but also in any governmental affairs. This person could easily have been a minor official in some government position and use his authority and position for self-advancement materially. Retrograde Mercury in the 10th house stipulates discretion in speech, development of good perception, being observant and clever. Any person with a retrograde Mercury in the 10th house could be very successful in a commercial field, or in a governmental clerical type of situation, if he practices sincerity, honesty and dependability. By transmuting the negative qualities of retrograde Mercury in the 10th house, the person could do very well in some informational type of governmental service, or advertising. Incidentally, the retrograde Mercury in the 10th house emphasizes the karmic debt to the mother, and it is very important how this is worked out, since Mercury, retrograde or not, always indicates in a chart how we work out our karma, and this is the house of the mother, so there is a Karmic tie with the mother. The native of the chart must discover the means of working off this karma. Eleventh House: Retrograde Mercury in the 11th house deals with how we conducted our social life in the past, how we related in social functions, and what kind of friends we chose. Definitely, the fri ends were of a low type, more involved with physical activities – very possibly sexual activities – and more attention was placed upon the material types of social life – they were certainly not intellectually or culturally emphasized.
Many times, the retrograde Mercury in the 11th hose shows that the person deliberately chose or associated with inferior types of people so that he would be the center of attention, that these people would look up to him. Thus, the motives behind friends selected were negative and the social affairs and social activities would likewise be negative. It brings out the superficiality which often accompanies Mercury. The individual lacked good communication with his peers and superiors and so resorted to those less intelligent, less refined than he. The individual also tended to use others for his own pleasure and gain. The lesson of retrograde Mercury in the 11th house is in being discriminative in selecting friends, in being a sincere friend, and in evaluating people properly. Social activities should center around mentally stimulating ones, and the ability to communicate with people on all levels should be developed. Twelfth House: Primarily, retrograde Mercury in the 12th house shows that the individual did not work out any of his karma in a past lifetime. It tells that the subconscious soul qualities were neglected and not demonstrated in the person’s journey through life. Impulsive speech, rash actions, fals e discrimination developed many resentments and secret enemies. Being opposite to the 6th house, the native refused to accept the concept of service to others, and thus retarded his own spiritual development. Here, the retrograde Mercury’s lesson is that the outer should reflect the inner, than the soul qualities must be developed and demonstrated in service to others. Self-awareness should be developed and coupled with group awareness as an over-all direction in life. Again, a sense of discretion should be developed where speech and action are involved in relations with others. Since Mercury is always involved with discrimination and judgements, anyone with a retrograde Mercury in the 12th house must curb the tendency to judge too quickly and to evaluate others. Much attention should be placed on being aware of Karmic debts and working these out in the everyday facets of living.
Impact of Retrograde Jupiter in the Twelve Houses -1 One must always remember that Jupiter represents the principle of expansion as well as generosity, money, good judgment, religion, authority, and law. From t he viewpoint of expansion, a retrograde Jupiter would indicate that, in some fashion, self-expansion in the past was not achieved. The retrograde Jupiter would also indicate that, in a past life, you remained the same person throughout that lifetime, without any change or self-development. Jupiter always represents where we should work our Karma through the expansion of self. The person never developed himself in a past lifetime and, thus, incarnated now as the same type of person that he was in the past. An entire lifetime was wasted and the tendency might be to waste this lifetime, unless the energy of retrograde Jupiter is transmuted. With a retrograde Jupiter, the person is redoing a lifetime from the past. Opportunities are in every lifetime and in every chart, but the individual determines his lives, for there is free-well. A person can either become a slave to his chart, can overcome it, or does not have to live up to any of it. As you sow, so shall you reap. First House: Since we are again dealing with negative character traits, retrograde Jupiter in the 1st house would indicate that the native of the chart developed negative personality traits in a past lifetime, was unrefined and unreliable in judgment. The tendency of retrograde Jupiter to bring about a form of dishonesty or a lack of a sense of Justice towards others would depend largely upon the sign in which Jupiter would be posited in the 1st house.
Since Jupiter, as the natural ruler of the 9th house, also would be involved with a philosophical attitude, or irreligious inclination, a retrograde condition would make for a lack of sound philosophical approach to life, a strange, unorthodox religious approach, and a neglect of higher mind qualities. The person would tend to dissipate the energy of a retrograde Jupiter, often leading to alcoholism. A question could very easily be posed here as to the basic honesty of the individual with regard to himself in relation to the rest of the world. Here self-deception could be quite noticeable and rather obvious. The lesson to be learned, with a retrograde Jupiter in the 1st house, is to develop an awareness of self, to find a level of reality in which the individual would ―know himself.‖ Second House: Retrograde Jupiter here relates to the material aspect of life since Jupiter represents money. This implies the proper use of money or the lack of value of money and possessions in the past. Stringiness, miserliness, the ―Silas Marner‖ aspect of the past would be involved, having money and not using it properly, in other words. It could imply, also, that the individual in the past had ― good luck,‖ could have inherited fortunes, and dissipated it all. Money implies responsibility, and the retrograde Jupiter shows that the responsibility of money (and possessions) was not properly assumed in past lifetimes. Since Taurus is the natural ruler of the 2nd house, with Venus as the ruler of Taurus, it could indicate that the individual spent money unwisely on foolish, gaudy, ―showy‖ type of home decorations, jewelry, etc. Since retrograde Jupiter here opposes the 8th house, part of the karma involved relates to exposure in the past to Occult Metaphysics, but the individual either rejected it or neglected it. The lesson to be learned, with retrograde Jupiter in the 2nd house, is to re-evaluate ideas about money and its proper use, true appreciation of whatever the native possesses, and the need for a definite alignment with higher truth in Metaphysical research. Third House: Here the retrograde Jupiter is opposing the 9th house of higher education and religion and law. It definitely shows that good judgment was not used in whatever field of study the individual might have pursued, on either a lower or higher level of structured education. It also shows that, religiously the individual opposed organized religion, not so much from the faculty of reason, but rather the lack of good judgment and analysis. Here, the sign that Jupiter is in would demonstrate the reason for the lack of faith. The element of prejudice also enters, as a subtle influence, when retrograde Jupiter is in the 3rd house, since it causes reaction in the 9th house. Retrograde Jupiter tells that the relationships with brothers and sisters left much to be desired with, certainly, a lack of tact, dignity and honor in connection with siblings and other relatives. The native certainly was not a responsible individual, could not keep confidences and, so, was untrustworthy. It certainly proves that the individual would not avail himself of the learning facilities which would have brought about a development facilities which would have brought about a development of skills and traits of character and personality. This location of Jupiter is important in that it completes the development of the ―I‖ in relationship with the rest of the world (house 4,5,6). Therefore, the retrograde Jupiter tells that the native’s development of the ―I‖ concept resolved itself into a self -centeredness rather than a self-awareness, so that the
relationships, as indicated by the rest of the quartiles of the horoscope, centered around an egocentric direction of energy. The individual saw the world in relationship to himself rather than seeing himself in relationship to the world. This is further emphasized by the fact that Jupiter is the natural ruler of Sagittarius, a self-centered sign of the Zodiac. The lesson to be learned with retrograde Jupiter in the 3rd house is the proper realization of the ―self,‖ which would have to begin with the immediate family members, schoolmates, neighbours, etc. The energy of Jupiter would have to be directed with purposeful determination towards worthwhile goals, and he would have a develop a tactful, dignified, sincere channel of communication with t hose who enter into his sphere of influence. Fourth House: Retrograde Jupiter in the 4th house stresses that, in the past, the development of the ―I‖ concept was accomplished along negative lines. The individual lacked compassion, generosity, sociability, broadmindedness. It shows that the environment established in any home relationship was very much a one-sided affair, for the individual had to be the absolute ruler with absolute power. There was no room for differences of opinion or consideration of others’ need s or wants in so far as this individual was concerned in the past. Although disliking restraint himself, he imposed restraints, limitations, discipline on others under him within the home circle.
Impact of Retrograde Jupiter in the Twelve Houses -2 Since the 4th house does represent not only the physical home structure, but also the structure through which the soul and spirit function in the individual, this framework of being was so constructed in the past that the individual was certainly rather obnoxious to live with and/or to associate with. The lesson to be learned with retrograde Jupiter in the 4th house is a fi rm consideration for others who fall within the realm of his authority and anyone who enters his presence. Fifth House: This location shows that the individual denied to children, in the past, the proper training and a true feeling of love. There never was a stable father or mother image for any offspring to respect or an example for them to follow. Retrograde Jupiter here shows that the relationships with the opposite sex were for physical gratification and, if very negatively aspected, exposed the individual to all sorts of negative social diseases because of indiscriminate involvement with the opposite sex. This could i ndicate excessive activity in the areas of sex, unconventional sexual practices, lack of precautionary health measures. The sign that the retrograde Jupiter is in would qualify whether the individual took too many risks (the gambling type) or was far too conservative – would not change, would not step out in new directions. Pleasurable involvements would also have been along the lines of very common types of recreation. The lesson of Jupiter retrograde in the 5thhouse: Compassion, understanding, wisdom in the training of and involvement with children: good judgment, good taste in involvements with members of the opposite sex; discrimination in determining what to do at what time and how to do it. Sixth House: Since Jupiter is one of the important planets from the viewpoint of health, a retrograde condition of Jupiter here indicates that the health was neglected in the past. This person could easily have enjoyed a healthy body and, through misuse of this body, unwise dietary procedures, poor discrimination in work habits, brought about health problems in this lifetime. There could be a blood condition and a liver condition which could be the result of overindulgence in alcohol. Overindulgence could also be involved with certain types of foods, requiring more attention to dietary laws (Virgo). Since the 6th house, in the man, represents health, service, the public, the individual did not relate well to the mainstreams of public thought, or public wants and needs. He certainly did not enjoy the respect of those around him, those he worked with, or those who worked under him. The idea of service was
certainly not a strong quality in the past, unless by being of service was a reflection of his own personality so that he could bask in some sort of glory for having so performed the service. Since the 6thhouse, in the man, represents health, service, the public, the individual did not relate well to the mainstreams of public thought, or public wants and needs. He certainly did not enjoy the respect of those around him, those he worked with, or those who worked under him. The idea of service was certainly not a strong quality in the past, unless by being of service was a reflection of his own personality so that he could bask in some sort of glory for having so performed the service. The lesson of the retrograde Jupiter in the 6thhouse shows the need for extreme caution in health matters, the need to establish good relationships with people in general and to be able to identify himself with public opinion and to be of service wherever possible, without hope or reward.
Impact of Retrograde Jupiter in the Twelve Houses -3 Seventh House: This position would indicate partnerships (especially marriage) were not based on trustworthiness or sincerity. It clearly indicates that the person, in the past, was not t hat faithful in any marriage contact or in any business partnership or in his partnership with life. Again, it shows that a self-centeredness was involved for personal gratification and promotion, rather than fair play where others are concerned. The ―we‖ concept of the 3rd quartile was not fr om the viewpoint of ―what I can do for others,‖ but rather from the viewpoint of ―what can others do for me. ‖ It would be safe to say that the individual with retrograde Jupiter in the 7th house was certainly not a generous partner keeping a strict control over the purse strings. Through misjudgment, the retrograde Jupiter would indicate the suffering of money, losses in the past in any business venture or partnership of any kind. The question raised here is: Would any retrograde Jupiter ever consider relinquishing authority to another ? Could he every not dominate ? It is very possible that, in the past, the person could have married for financial gain rather than for a true l ove. The lesson to be learned with retrograde Jupiter in the 7th house is sincerity, honesty, the development of a sense of fair play in whatever contracts he might enter into with others, and to balance his wants and needs with the wants and needs of others. Eighth House: This would imply that, in some past incarnation, the individual was involved in negative metaphysical activities, such as witch-craft (in its lower octave) or Satanism, or could easily have been a denier of metaphysical truth and teachings. This could have been the unreasonable, orthodox religionist who entertained no room for beliefs that were not consistent with his own. It shows, also, that whatever the individual ended, in the past, whether it be a job, a friendship, or a project, he did it with a degree of poor judgment, poor taste. He was his own worst enemy in the manner in which he finalized anything. There was a definite fear of the unknown and death, in particular. Again, the dominance and/or the misuse of authority was involved in handling other people’s money. Certain signs on the cusp of the 8th house would very easily indicate past lifetimes of embezzlement, absconding with public funds, misusing money in general. The lesson to be learned with retrograde Jupiter in the 8th house: A sincere search for truth, coupled with a sense of discrimination as to what is real truth, what groups teach and perpetuate truth, so that the individual would not become involved in negative study groups; to end all things with dignity and poise and good taste; to handle affairs of others in such a manner that there would be an image of confidence and trust where the person is concerned; in the proper search for truth, to discover the reality of death as a beginning and not an ending.
Impact of Retrograde Jupiter in the Twelve Houses -4
Ninth House: This indicates that, in so far as the person’s philosophy was concerned, it was a philosophy that centered around himself – life was for himself only. In so far as religion is concerned, the approach was dogmatic-a person who accepted religion in blind faith without reason. There was no room for the opinions of others when it came to religion, bringing in a form of prejudice and bias religiously. The person had certain ideas on law and order – his ideas, what he felt was right or wrong. Here we become involved with the concept of freedom, and the retrograde Jupiter clearly shows that the person abused freedom by thinking only in terms of what he wanted to do for his own good rather than what had to be done for the good of all. The higher self, or Christ principle, was pushed aside and permitted to demonstrate. The person did not value or avail himself of the opportunities of mental development, whether in a structured educational program or in an intellectual search for knowledge. The lesson to be learned here is the development of a philosophy of life which incorporates others. This can be the subtle implication of the 3rd quartile, of the development of the ―we‖ concept. The person must consider that different religions serve different individuals according to the level of their development. The gleaning of knowledge should not be ignored nor gathered solely f rom the viewpoint of curiosity. The stress should be the application of knowledge to life (wisdom). Tenth House: Here, again, it shows that the individual was his own worst enemy in past lifetimes. His character was one of dishonor rather than honor, irresponsibility rather than responsibility. Poor judgments, lack of dignity, lack of honesty, did not earn him the respect of his superiors and certainly prevented the individual from making professional or career progress. There was much frustration and disappointment in whatever field the person entered. It could easily have brought him into difficulty with the government due to his dishonesty and lack of respect for authority. The lesson to be learned with retrograde Jupiter in the10th house is to conduct himself so that he will earn the respect of his superiors, thus enabling him to achieve both financial success in his profession and advancement in position. The proper regard for honor and prestige is necessary here. Stress should not be made on all of this from the viewpoint of material progress only. Respect for order, procedure, law etc., is necessary.
mpact of Retrograde Jupiter in the Twelve Houses -5 Eleventh House: The native of the chart, undoubtedly, involved himself with people of low nature, low quality in character, low moral students. There are several reasons why this had developed. The person, himself, could have had these same qualities, or, because of an inferiority complex or lack of achievement, the native surrounded himself with inferior people who would then feed the selfcenteredness involved in the retrograde Jupiter. Social activities were negative, leaning more towards alcoholism and immoralit y. The lesson to be learned, with retrograde Jupiter in the 11th house: Wise discrimination in the choice of friends and associates; social activities and/or r ecreational pleasure should exhibit good taste, good judgment, good standards. There must be a trustworthiness in the person’s relationships with friends and associates. Twelfth House: This position doubly emphasizes the Karmic aspect, since this is the house of Karma. Jupiter, under any circumstances, implies where Karma should be worked out. A retrograde Jupiter in the 12th house shows that the individual had this opportunity in the past many times and neglected to work it out. Energy was misused in frivolous and wasteful activities. No attempt was made to identify himself with any type of spiritual concept or truth or direction in life. The retrograde Jupiter tells that the individual stressed more the external features of living rather than balancing the inner with the outer. Subconsciously, the ―I‖ still controlled and directed all of the activities of the individual. Inner ideals were, undoubtedly, poorly structured or of a very temporary nature and of low quality.
The lesson to be learned, with retrograde Jupiter in the 12th house: Permitted the higher self, through the Christ consciousness, to demonstrate the soul qualities. These would then have to be integrated with the outer self or the personality, and the personality would then become a living example of the ―word made flesh.‖ It implies the need for true spirituality, true compassion, true brotherhood. By being in the 12th house (Pisces is the natural ruler), the individual must assume the personal responsibility of accomplishing this.
Mars retrograde Mars retrograde Mars retrograde in astrology Mars is the planet of energy, action, desire, sports and wars. When Mars turns to retrograde motion, the overall atmosphere changes, people have lower physical energy, they get tired and feel stressed more easily and they need more time to relax and recover. The mood, the desires, the initiative, the ambition, they all seem to function on a lower l evel and therefore all new projects started during this period seem to lack stamina and focus. The same happens on the sexual level: the libido decreases for a while, but then comes back to normal after the end of this period. All new Martian actions fail in a much higher proportion (surgical operations, starting a sport, lawsuit, war). Also, it is not recommended to buy mechanical stuff. As Mars is retrograde, all this Martian energy is now internalized, uncontrolled subconscious agressivity can burst out. Instincts are not as reliable as before, so acting out of impulse is not recommended. The best way to use the Mars retrograde period is to make plans, to work on details and then to wait the end of this period in order to materialize them. People should relax, study, take care of their health, do some yoga exercises or practice other techniques that use the internal or spiritual energy. The keyword of the period is patience. One just has to wait for it to pass in order to gets things done.
Impact of Retrograde Mars A retrograde Mars, anywhere in a natal chart, indicates that the individual either misused or neglected the use of the energy which is always resident in the Mars influence. The energy of Mars is usually directed into either positive, direct, aggressive action in life, or into the areas of sexual gratification, temper, or violence. The location of the retrograde Mars, according to house position and sign, would differentiate what qualities of Mars would be emphasized and what qualities would be negated. Often, house position and sign involvement tend to stress certain qualities of a planet more than others, and this is where correlation and discrimination enter into the delineation of the planet, whether direct or retrograde. Negative character traits of Mars could include an animalistic nature, an over-sensual character, a r ash, impulsive, violent temper. Negative Mars, retrograde or direct, brings an offensive nature to the native of the chart, who would also be prone to accidents. It emphasizes coarseness, impatience and irritability. First House: Retrograde Mars, negatively aspected, makes the individual too aggressive, boastful, temperamental, subject to emotional flare-ups, and very combative in his relationship with others. Here, the sign would demonstrate the type of personality developed through past incarnations. The personality represents the outer self; here is how the world views the individual; thus, the retrograde Mars tells that the personality, in the past, was misused in developing negative personality traits which would exhibit themselves in this lifetime through violent reactions, impulsiveness of action, quick resentment to what other people think and say to the individual, the restless drive, and, often indiscriminate waste of energy, which could be channeled into negative sexual drive and practices.
All of the personal actions and reactions from past lifetimes are going to be repeated in this lifetime, and the tendency is to be repetitive in action, continuously struggling for the same thing that the individual fought for before. Naturally, the same troubles, identical personal problems, and the same arguments will be repeated. This energy of retrograde Mars could be both creative and procreative. It could indicate a personality that was very much over-sexed in the past. Second House: Retrograde Mars shows the lack of development of values in the past, a lack of appreciation for things, for beauty. Too much attention, in the past, was put upon the drive for security and material possessions; the tendency to display your success to others, often in a gaudy, showy fashion. This could indicate a lack of good taste in the past. Undoubtedly, the native of the chart with an afflicted, retrograde Mars here cheated, and could have used underhanded techniques to obtain success and accumulate material wealth. Mars posited in the 2nd house, direct or retrograde, states that the individual has the ability to make money. Its aspects and retrograde conditions would clarify how h e made that money. A negative Pluto to retrograde Mars would tell that the individual had been involved with criminal, syndicate activities in the past and would possibly be so involved in this lifetime, whether consciously or unconsciously. It also tells that legacies, in the past, were misused and, so, in this lifetime, the subject would be cheated out of legacies or denied legacies because of the negative qualities emphasized by retrograde Mars. These qualities would offend those who might, normally, include the person in a will but, because of the rashness of his personality, he would often find himself eliminated, or not mentioned in a will, or cut out of the will entirely. The lesson of a retrograde Mars in the 2nd house is the constructive use of the energy drives to acquire material security, but very important with this would be the philosophy of the use of these material possessions. Retrograde Mars in the 2nd house cautions the individual against self-advancement at the expense of others. By concentrating on security through his own efforts and not by depending on other people, or other people’s needs, they can be self -made successes. Third House: Retrograde Mars shows there was a very poor relationship between the native of the chart and his brothers and sisters and other relatives. It shows the type of individual who lacked selfdiscipline and, thus, was a problem in any structured social organization, such as the community or schools. This would be the problem child in primary and secondary school systems. The person would resent being told what to do, would resent teacher supervision, would resent any time schedule of work that would need to be done at any specific time. Retrograde Mars shows the lack of discipline from the past, whether it is educational, religious, or social. This would be the t ype of child who would be the ―holy terror‖ of the neighborhood, the reluctant Sunday School student, t he restless trouble-maker in a public school system. The retrograde condition also indicates that the person did not communicate well in speech or writing with brothers and sisters, relatives, schoolmates, teachers, neighbors, etc. In this lifetime, the person would be in a constant sea of confusion and chaos, always fighting with those around him. He used all these people in the past to his own advantage and, so, in this lifetime, would find t hat he would be much disliked by relatives and others outside of the family organization. The lesson of retrograde Mars here revolves around self-discipline, channeling of the mind into mental pursuits such as science, math, or anything that requires analysis or in-depth pursuit. The native needs
to develop patience and diplomacy and should guard his words and what he writes. Fourth House: With retrograde Mars here, the negative qualities brought from the past would center around the fact that the individual was a father image in past lif etimes, but was domineering, aggressive, even cruel. The home environment would have been harsh, restrictive, despotically controlled. The person was an autocratic ruler of the home, with little or no consideration for the rights and privileges of those within the home circle. He would not allow any differences of opinion; he was a disciplinarian to the point of being unreasonable, he wanted everything his own way. Since this position squares the 1st house of personality, the same character trait demonstrated themselves wherever the person went. He auric field of this individual would have been charged with vibrations of these negative traits and, thus, anyone who entered into his sphere of influence would react to these traits and/or suffer because of them. Remember that our auric field and our physical body represent our ―home‖ in this lifetime. The native of the chart would be subject to an irate father (his retribution), insecure, unstable home conditions, and a home environment which would be chaotic and unhappy. Since the Moon is the natural ruler of the 4th house, the retrograde Mars relates to the karmic debt of the native to the mother, whom he neglected in the past, or to whom he was even physically cruel. The lesson of retrograde Mars in the 4th house obliges the native to provide the necessary environment factors which would produce good home conditions. These factors would i nvolve not only the material features of the home, but also the correct atmosphere for happy home existence. This must be done, regardless of whether there is any obvious appreciation or not. Fifth House: Retrograde Mars here would stress three particular affairs of the 5th house: love affairs, children, pleasure. In love affairs, in the past, the individual used members of the opposite sex purely for selfgratification. The subtle influence of Leo, as the natural ruler of the 5th house, is felt here since Leos have to dominate, the retrograde Mars in the 5th house assumes some of this quality of dominance from the Leo. In any love affair, the retrograde Mars shows that the individual had to be the dominant one. It squares the 2nd house, ruled by Taurus, so that the animalistic nature could also be part of the problem carried over from the past. Be especially aware of the planet aspecting retrograde Mars here, for this would condition the type of sexual practices and/or perversions. Unusual sexual practices, rape, homosexuality, lesbianism, child abuse sexually, can all the determined by the planet aspecting retrograde Mars and the sign on the cusp. As far as children are concerned, the retrograde Mars did not appreciate children in the past, was impatient, temperamental, and cruel (child abuse). If retrograde Mars is in a barren sign in the 5th house, there would be problem in having children in this lifetime, because of the lack of appreciation or the abuse of the children in the past. In the pursuit of pleasures, retrograde Mars in the 5th house showed a tendency to pursue those pleasures which were coarse and common, many of them related to sexual drives. Since this position of retrograde Mars is directly opposite to the 11th house of friends and social activities, they would center around these negative traits. The person would be attracted to people of similar nature, would be interested in similar pursuits as practiced in the past. The lesson to be learned with retrograde Mars in the 5th house is the proper channeling of the energy, in relation to love affairs, children and pleasurable pursuits, consideration for others, sincerity of purpose and motive, and creative activities, which should characterize the attempt of the motive to transmute this retrograde Mars in the 5th house.
Sixth House: Retrograde Mars in the 6th house relates mainly to health, the public, and working conditions. Healthwise, in the past, the individual enjoyed good constitutional health, was physically strong, etc. It show that he dissipated the energy and neglected the health. The care of the body represents a province and obligation given to us by the Cosmic, for the should evolves through the experiences of the physical body in life. It represents a charge which we must handle well. In the past, this was neglected, so the individual would suffer ill health and be accident prone in this l ifetime (check the sign on the cusp). Negative planetary aspects to retrograde Mars in the 6th house would indicate what ailments the native would be subject to. Publicwise, retrograde Mars tells that the individual was contemptuous of public opinion, public needs, public wants. Again, it shows that the person used a public position, or any position, for selfadvancement. He individual did not hold his co-workers, or those who worked for him in high regard and did not establish a healthy rapport with either group. Again, the qualities of negative retrograde Mars and indicate what type of relationship was established (temper, violence, etc.). This could also be the individual who mistreated animals in the past. The lesson to be learned with retrograde Mars in the 6th house is to be aware of the physical condition of the body, but not to overdo it (Virgo is the natural ruler of the 6th house). The swing of the pendulum could bring the individual to the point of becoming a hypochondriac if he permits the Virgo trait to dominate. Proper diet and proper exercise should be practiced. Tact and diplomacy should be developed in creating harmonious circumstances between the native and his co-workers, between the native and those who work under him. Patience, respect for others, and service without hope for reward, should be the direction of retrograde Mars energy in the 6th house.
Seventh House: Retrograde Mars here indicates the native, in t he past, used any form of partnership, marriage, business or life itself, for self-advancement. Any partnership had to revolve around the person’s will, desires, interests. There was little or no consideration for these qualities where to hers were concerned. Marriage could easily have been entered into purely from a physical animalistic drive. The partner would have been merely a vessel for self-gratification of the native. The relationship would have been violently emotional, over-passionate, argumentative. The aspects of planets to retrograde Mars here could indicate unusual sexual practices in the marriage, unusual marital unions (homosexual, lesbian, adultery). Businesswise, this person would have been extremely aggressive and domineering in a business partnership and, again, depending on the sign, might have been not too honest or reliable in partnerships. This person could easily have cheated a business partner, because Mars does rule theft. In this lifetime, disharmony would exist in partnerships, bringing loss, frustration, disappointment. The lesson to be learned with retrograde Mars in the 7th house is consideration for others, honesty, and sincerity in partnerships of any kind, and that the physical drive in marriage should be tempered with kindness, consideration, and thoughtfulness. One’s attitudes towards life would have to be revised and more attention focused on the search for truth (Mars - Scorpio - 8th house affairs).
Eighth House: The necessity for the transmutations of retrograde Mars qualities is especially pointed
out by its location in the 8th house, for this is the natural position of Mars, since it rules the lower octave of Scorpio, and Scorpio rules the 8th house. The position doubly emphasizes the affairs of the 8th house with retrograde Mars. It stresses the Karma involved. Since it is also the house of regeneration, the need for the transmutation of the retrograde Mars qualities is doubly stressed. The retrograde Mars, from past lifetimes, shows that whatever ended for the individual, whether a job, a friendship, or life itself (death) ended violently, with much confusion, resentment, impulsiveness, and emotion. In other words, the person, in a past lifetime, would have ended a friendship through an argument, would have lost a job because of temper, which resulted in inability to get along with others, and death itself could have been involved with much suffering and pain. It shows, also, that in some activity of past lifetimes, he misused other people’s money. This could have been the con-artist of the past, cheating widows and children, using public funds for his own benefit. It shows that the individual, somewhere in the dim past, involved himself in a negative search for truth. This could have involved him in destructive organizations such as ―Satan’s children‖, witchcraft, black magic, etc. In this lifetime, the retrograde Mars would bring the individual similar experiences in the manner in which things end and the same in life, friendships, jobs, etc. There would be many temptations put in his way to test his honesty (Treasurer of organizations, etc.). The person would be attracted towards the glamour and phenomena aspects of metaphysics, astrology, etc. and would have to exercise much discrimination as to the source of truth. The lesson of retrograde Mars in the 8th house is the development of respect, sincerity of motive, honesty. Through the use of tact and diplomacy, all things would end more harmoniously, and more beneficially for the native. Involvement in organizations which are truly metaphysical and constructive in their search for truth would transmute all of the qualities of retrograde Mars, and even result in a protective spiritual energy for the end of life.
Ninth House: Retrograde Mars here could imply an individual who practiced religion either so dogmatically that he would grant no one else the right to his own opinion in religion, or was militantly antireligious. Much here depends on the planets aspecting it and th e signs involved to determine which of these two it would have been. If it were the religious dogmatist, through careful correlation, the delineation of this retrograde Mars could indicate a person who religiously persecuted others, who could easily have sat on the Court Bench of the Spanish Inquisition, thus imposing physical violence upon others who differed in religious beliefs. The philosophy of life was undoubtedly a strong, aggressive, and offensive approach. Again, the individual was self-centered, with little consideration for other people. It would show impatience and impulsiveness in any educational pursuit. Since it squares the 12th house, the retrograde Mars would show that the individual, through impulsive and irrational actions, was confined. Planetary aspects and signs would define whether this was prison, mental institutions, hospitals, etc. A negative Pluto to retrograde Mars would involve the criminal act, resulting in prison confinement. Negative Uranus or Mercury could involve mental disturbances. The lesson of retrograde Mars in the 9th house is to respect opinions and beliefs of others, to acquire a workable, practical philosophy of life which could be applied to everyday experiences, to broaden the person’s perspective in educational pursuits, to find that balance between enlightened freedom and the rights of others, to so conduct oneself that there would be proper values mentally, emotionally, physically, and morally, thus averting any danger of any type of confinement. It also implies the alignment of the energy of Mars with the higher self, involving the Christ principle.
Tenth House: Retrograde Mars here would indicate that, in the past, the individual flowed from job to job, did not assume the full responsibility of the job requirements, misused any authority granted to him in his job, stressed too much the material self-advancement of his profession – in other words, not what he could do for the job, but what the job could do for him. This could easily have been a military person in the past, achieving honor in battle or in mi litary affairs, but, regardless of either being in the military service or in a profession, the violent temper, the impulsiveness, being self-opinionated, caused the individual to lose prestige and respect from those who were his superiors. Honor was a superficial quality, practiced only externally. It could indicate that the individual was involved in government positions where statistics might have been involved, or analysis, military affairs and supplies. He could very easily have misused these for his own advantage, even to the point of thievery, while pretending to be a paragon of virtue. This could be the corrupt government official, especially if Neptune is negative to retrograde Mars. If this were in Scorpio, Pisces or Gemini – could this not be the potentially great surgeon or physician who disregarded the philosophy of the Hippocratic Oath, seeking only self -promotion and fame, rather than true service ? Very negative, it would indicate the sadistic surgeon who would perform without any anesthesia, etc. The lesson of retrograde Mars in the 10th house is continuity of effort, steadiness of purpose, honesty in motives. Fame and honour should be side effects rather than the goals in the professional drive. Advancement in position and respect by superiors will be the effect of the practice of all of the above.
Eleventh House: Retrograde Mars in the 11th house shows that, in the past, the individual enjoyed the friendship of inferior types of people, crude, coarse, unrefined. Perhaps too much attention was placed on the external features of friends and social activities, rather than the true meaning behind them. Again, depending upon what planetary aspects and signs are there, the nature of the social activities could be clearly defined as to whether they are sexual activities, wild drinking parties etc. Retrograde Mars in Pisces would place little value on friendship itself. If it were in Leo, the retrograde Mars would show that the individual dominated friends, controlled friends, dictated to them and, of course, this raised resentment. If in Cancer, the retrograde Mars shows too much emotional involvement with friends, too much possessiveness where they were concerned, too much involvement in their personal lives. If in Scorpio, retrograde Mars indicates the individual held most of his fellow man in contempt and was extremely snobbish. The lesson of retrograde Mars in the 11th house requires the transmutation of social activities and social involvement constructively, morally, spiritually. It requires that the person acquire true values where people are concerned – to use friends, not to abuse them. A native with retrograde Mars in the 11th house should never associate with inferior types of people but, at the same time, must understand that these people, too, are evolving in their own way. They could very possibly need the direction that the person with a retrograde Mars could provide, remaining detached, however, from close involvement. Twelfth House: Retrograde Mars here indicates, from the viewpoint of health alone, since it is opposite the 6th house, that the individual was his own worst enemy in the past. He did not know how to conserve his energy in the past and he assumed more than he could properly handle. The tendency was to over-exhaust himself and go on nerve energy, to the point of near collapse. If Leo were on the cusp of the 12th house, it stresses the arrogance of Leo, the pushiness where the individual has to be the center of attention, and these are the inner drives and energies that we are involved with. This is the house of the true soul and a Karma. The purpose of the energy of Mars is to provide the
driving power or the motor energy to cope with life and to experience and to evolve. It shows that in the past this energy was mishandled and thus Karma was not worked out, but more accumulated. The person failed to meet the challenges of life. He did not use his knowledge and experiences in service to others. In this lifetime, he would be inwardly very impatient, suffer many personal frustrations and disappointments, and would find it very difficult to achieve full self-expression. The lesson of retrograde Mars in the 12th house is to learn humility, to be of service to others without seeking return, to correlate the inner-self with the outer self, as a unified whole.
Venus retrograde Venus retrograde What is Venus retrograde? From time to time, due to the relative motion of the Earth and Venus around the Sun, as we look to t he sky, Venus appears to make a stop and go backwards. This is the so called retrograde movement, it happens every 18 months or so, and it lasts for about 40 days, which represents 7% of the time. Of all planets, Venus is the one that has the shorter retrograde movement. What would be the astrological influence of Venus' retrograde movement? By definition, Venus is the planet of love and marriage, of relationships and diplomacy, of art and beauty, of fashion and luxury, of money and pleasures. Going backwards, the venusian influence is diminished, disturbed or internalized, so that the above mentioned areas are afflicted in a way or another. During this time, feelings are not easily expressed, everyone seems to need more affection and love; also, those with relational issues will have to face the reality. The general advise is to focus on older relationships, to try to make them work, or to understand our true feelings. It will be harder to understand what others feel, though. We may meet old friends or someone we loved or cared for a long t ime ago, which might reactivate old feelings, possibly forgotten. The artistic sensibility is lower than normal or perverted, so that we might buy clothes or artwork that we'll reject after Venus goes back to direct motion. Therefore it is advised not to buy jewelery or other similar expensive stuff, as we might regret it later. However, Venus retrograde is a good time to buy antiques, artwork of historical value or just second-hand art objects, if you can evaluate them correctly. What is definitely to avoid during this time? Weddings, opening of a fashion store, beauty salon, art gallery, launching of a women magazine, buying expensive items of venusian nature, radical changes of the personal look, house redecorations, big parties or other important social events, investments and so on. What should we do, then? • clean-up the house and decide which old objects of sentimental value to keep and which to throw away or sell. • renegociate a contract or a bank loan (but we shouldn't apply for a new one) • discuss and clarify things in the current relationship, as our understanding on own feelings is increased, which is not true about others' feelings, requiring open and sincere communication • ask genuinely for forgiveness for our mistakes • contact friends or other persons we care about in order to continue the relationship • develop our capability to love anyone unconditionally, by meditations, prayers and other spiritual activities
Vakri Grahas - Retrograde Planets Vakri Grahas - Retrograde Planets by
Komilla Sutton Planets from the point of view of the earth will slow down and become stationary. Then they appear to move backward in the sky this motion is known as retrograde motion of the planets. This apparent retrograde movement is due to the motion of the earth’s orbit. The Sun and the Moon never retrograde. Rahu Ketu always move in retrograde motion. Retrograde planets in the natal chart or ephemeris are marked by R or Rx. Mars R or Jupiter Rx both indicates that these planets were retrograde at the time of the chart. Saturn retrogrades for 140 days and remains stationary 5 day before and after. Jupiter retrogrades 120 days is stationary 5 days before and after. Mars retrogrades for 80 days and is stationary 3 to 4 days before and after. Venus is retrograde for 42 days and is stationary approximately two days before and after. Mercury retrogrades for 24 days and is stationary one day before and after. Each planet has it’s own percentage of time when it must retrograde. They are Saturn 36.39%, Jupiter 30.24%, Mercury 19.76%, Mars 9.33% and Venus 7.22%. The Sanskrit name for retrograde planets is known as Vakri. Vakri means twisted, crooked, winding, roundabout, indirect, evasive and ambiguous. Vakra Asana in Yoga twists the body from back to front. Usually this asana are done to strengthen the spine and make them flexible. The potential of the retrograde planets is to be flexible, to twist thing around, to make them unclear, to teach its message in an indirect way, to view life in a different way to others. By doing it correctly they can str engthen themselves and become adaptable, original, innovative and different. On the negative side they can be twisted thinkers, crooked and dishonest. The individual can deal with the quality of their retrograde planets in a positive manner or can use their potential in a totally negative way. The essence is there to do good or bad in the planet but it is up to the individual to use this in the right way. Rahu Ketu are forever moving backwards and this has lead to them being described negatively in the classics. But they also have the potential to view everything in a complete different manner and therefore can be quite innovative and make individual reach heights that they never thought they would conquer, by going against the grain. Rahu Ketu are usually comfortable with their nature as they only travel the retrograde way. Sun and Moon always go direct so it is only the five other planets, which are used to going direct usually that can turn retrograde. The five planets Mars, Mercury, Jupiter, Venus and Saturn express the practical reality of our life. They are the planets that form the Pancha Mahapurusha Yoga that bestows greatness on earth. The rule the Pancha Mahabhutas, the five primary elements that influence our physical body but also sheath the eternal consciousness. These elements control our organs of desires, emotions and senses. They can keep us grounded in gross reality but if we start to use their energy spiritually they become infused with a different power. Bhuta Element Planet Aakash Ether Jupiter Vayu Air Saturn, Rahu Tejas Fire Mars,Sun, Ketu Apas Water Venus, Moon Prithvi Earth Mercury The Bhuta also rule the Chakras, the subtle body. Chakras influence our senses. The fulfillment of the sensuous nature keeps the individual tied to the cycle of happiness and unhappiness. The more we allow the sense to rule us, the more the doors to our astral self remain shut. Understanding and controlling the senses will give indication of whether we are able to open the gates to the hi gher self. Chakra Tattva Graha Indriyan Jnanendriyan Karmendriyan Element Planet Sense Sense organ Work organ
Vishuddhi Aakash Jupiter Hearing Ear Mouth (speech) Anahata Vayu Saturn, Rahu Touch Skin Hands Manipura Tejas Mars,Sun, Ketu Sight Eyes Feet and legs Swadhisthana Apas Venus, Moon Taste Tongue Genitals Muladhara Prithvi Mercury Smell Nose Anus Retrograde planets influence the primary structure of the human consciousness and its relationship with its human life. By blocking the chakras and the complicating the Pancha Mahabhutas, they create disconnection and imbalances, inability to control the senses. An individual has to understand their retrograde planets and nurture them to bring back the harmony. Vedic Astrology classics say that retrograde planets are strong. The quality of the planet changes when it turns retrograde. Retrograde planets are closest to earth; therefore their impact on the individual is the strongest. Strong to do what? Two influences of retrograde planets need to be taken into account – their affect in the natal chart and by transit. The individual with retrograde planets does not always know how to control its energy. Therefore they struggle to express the planets qualities - overemphasizing them or being in denial of their positive qualities or misusing their power. Knowing how to deal with the retrograde in the natal chart is the key. Retrogrades by transit can influence everyone whether we have them in our chart or not. A straight thinking person can suddenly change their ways under the influence of retrograde Mercury. So we all have to learn to cope with the retrograde transit and be aware of them annually. A planet in debilitation if retrograde acts like an exalted one and an exalted planet like a debilitated one. The reason: debilitated planets have the potential to be unethical and negative, when they twist around, they start behaving in the opposite manner. Whereas an exalted planet is a good guy, when he gets twisted he inherits the potential do bad. The benefics who are usually the positive influences can become ambiguous, non-spiritual, disobedient by being retrograde whereas the malefic can definitely become more negative due to their retrogression. Controlling the malefics in Vakri is a lot more difficult. The main aspect I have noticed about retrogrades is that they do not follow tradition and in the ancient times when astrology was written, those who did not follow tradition were considered bad and unethical. Whereas now, we honour those who go outside the box, who are non- traditionalists. So the influence of retrogrades has to be thought from the point of view of the society we live in. Also we must celebrate their potential to be original, different (according to their karakas) and at the same time try to control their negative aspects. Also don’t forget the houses the retrograde planets rule. Retrograde planet dasha can bring about health issues; they also can bring diminishing returns. The start of the dasha may appear very good, but the quality of the dasha can reduce as it progresses. Natal planets in Retrograde Mars retrogrades once in two years. Retrograde Mars in natal chart can bring out power issues, how to deal with conflict and aggression and anger. As Mars has male energy, its retrogression can create problems with how you deal with maleness within. It is often seen in charts of females who have problems with their sexuality- they can be overtly aggressive or completely suppress their masculine side whereby creating imbalance in personality. Men have to watch they do not become too aggressive and angry. As Mars is about power, its retrogressions give a lot of power yet the individual does not understand their own power and how to use it properly. This can lead to its misuse. Mars rules Agni (fire) element so its retrogression can create too much fire or complete exhaustion. They have to watch their metabolism. It can get speeded up or be totally dull. The chakra is Manipura, which deal with balance, vision and energy. Retrograde Mars will block the way this chakra works and create problems on a subtle level. Mars deals with logic and here the logic can get skewered or twisted. It can also make a person whose logic is unconventional but at the same time very powerful and they can reach places where others cannot as they have the ability to see things from backward to forward. Mercury retrograde promotes either a person talking too much or not at all. Mercury is the karaka of
speech and intellect. Their thinking can also be different. They may be very bright thinkers, but not know how to express that or drive other crazy with their ideas, thinking they are the only ones who are the intelligent ones. Mercury’s combustion can create more problems. Mercury travels close to the Sun and it is most likely to be combust. Combust and retrograde can make a person very prone to burn out and also unsure of how to deal with their Mercury. Not an easy situation to be in. Mercury rules the prithvi (earth) bhuta. Prithvi deals with practical and stable. Prithvi also controls the Muladhara chakra. Mercury retrograde can make someone impractical and they are more likely to make their position unstable than those whose Mercury is direct. Retrograde Mercury would show some blocks to the Muladhara chakra. Jupiter is the guru or the teacher. Jupiter retrograde usually never knows when to stop giving advice. They can be very knowledgeable yet they do not know how to use this knowledge in the right way. They can also mistrust their own wisdom. On a positive level they can give look at issues with a ve ry different viewpoint. They will also give advice that is unconventional and different. As Jupiter is the karaka of children, it can show children who are different. The classics say that if Jupiter is retrograde, it will definitely give children despite what else is promised otherwise in the chart. This aspect does not always pan out but we can research it further. Jupiter as a karaka of husbands in a female chart will give a husband who is different. On an extreme negative level, they can bring twisted thinking into the relationship. Jupiter rules the Aakash element. Aakash deals with t he knowledge, wisdom, our ability to purify, to repel the negative forces. Jupiter being retrograde weakens the ability to use this tattva. Vishuddhi chakra will become blocked and this make us feel unprotected and make some wrong choices. Vishuddhi also purifies the poisons; here the poisons of the mind do not always get the right filter. So we do not know how to stop them from polluting our life. Venus is the karaka for marriage. It being retrograde does make us choose unusual alliances. We may have an unconventional view of them or when in marriage or relationship do not know how to express our love well. Venus also deals with femininity and women with Venus retrograde do not always understand how to be truly feminine. They can become overtly masculine or forget to dress feminine and be feminine. We see this often in male homosexual charts as they want something different from their relationships and their concept of the women in their lif e is different. Venus rules Apas, the water element. The human body is composed of over 85% water. Water deals with emotions, taste, happiness and peace. Retrograde Venus can create problems with all these. The Swadhisthana chakra is also blocked. Saturn retrograde usually do not know when to stop working. Or they may not like work at all. As Saturn is the karaka of misery, it is important that one must not give into a negative attitude to lif e and embrace depression as a habit. Saturn is usually depicted as the poor man. The poor are usually hungry - for food, for material goods, for good things in life. Saturn retrogression can make individuals hungry with desire, wanting more and more even when the hunger has been appeased and they may b e materially very well off. They need to watch for greed. Saturn rules Vayu ement. Vayu is air and Vayu needs to be used constructively otherwise it can become unnecessarily destructive. Retrogrades do not know how to use their energy so if they do not take care, Saturn can become destructive force for them. Anahata chakra teaches dispassion and detachment. When this chakra is blocked by retrogression then they can find it difficult to detach. Rahu Ketu are forever retrograde and you can read about them in the Rahu Ketu article on the website or my book Lunar Nodes- Crisis and Redemption. click for rahu ketu article Retrogrades and Stationary Motions Even if you do not have natal planets in retrograde, you can experience them during their retrograde transit. They can temporarily block the elements and create problems in the subconscious if we are not aware of them. The two most difficult retrogrades are Mercury and Saturn. Mercury as it happens so often and Saturn as it can transit over one point of the chart again and again; and create lots of problems. It is important to know retrogression of planets in a given year. The retrograde motion of
your dasha ruler can change the direction of events. Retrogrades indicate a concentration of energy in the part of the zodiac where they are active. If you have planets in that area then they will have major impact. Retrogrades make life appear to be stuck in limbo, neither moving forward or backward. Saturn and Jupiter retrograde once a year and Mars and Venus one every two years. Mercury retrogrades at least three times a year. Retrograde Planets in Transit While analysing the transit effect of the retrograde planets remember the following: 1. Always be aware of Mercury retrograde. They are stress points in the year. Mercury retrograde creates communication problems and makes life uncomfortable. Stress, arguments, delayed journeys all can make life troublesome during the Mercury retrograde. So do problems with computers, Internet, and other technologies. Double check all appointments, travel programme and journeysremember not to stop your life. Decisions made during Mercury retrograde can be changed after it goes direct. Stress levels can climb sky high. Arguments can result from crossed wires. Mercury retrogrades at least 3 times a year so its awareness has a huge say in the quality of your life. Gemini and Virgo need to be doubly conscious, it will make their life a lot easier. 2006 retrogrades for Mercury are from 4 to 27 July 2006 and 28 October to 18th November 2006. 2. When planets retrograde over the gandanta points. Saturn will transit the gandanta point between Cancer and Capricorn from 22 October 2006 to 17 November 2006, and then it will station near the gandanta point at 1º07’ Leo on 7 December 2006. It will again retrograde back on the Gandanta degrees from 25 December 2006 to 22 January 2007 and the last time for 9 Jul y to 22 July 2007. This shows Saturn in a very unstable situation. From October 2006 to January 2007 it will bring instability in the world. We need to watch this time for an unstable property market, political upheaval and major changes in the world order. If natal planets are placed in those degrees, there can be added pressures on them. 3. The stationary points of Saturn- before and after retrogression. Does it effect any of your planets? If a natal planet is on the same degree as Saturn stations, then you can expect that to be a major i ssue to contend with. This becomes even more important during difficult Saturn transits like Sade Sati, which is itself a troublesome transit. Saturn stationing over the exact degree of the Moon will bring untold mental stress. The house rulership and placement of the Moon will show where the problem is about. Also Saturn can transit over the same point three times, which concentrates the energy of its difficult influence. 4. The stationary points of Jupiter. This can positively enhance good qualities. It can make people think in wrong ways. Or encourage the possibility of getting wrong advice. Traditionally in India, marriage, auspicious events and new ventures are not planned when Jupiter i s retrograde. 5. The stationary points of Mars. This can lead to war or aggressive tendencies. Mars retrograde can increase stubbornness and can herald a time for war. The Kosovo War March 1999 began with the station and retrogression of Mars and ended when Mars went forward. 6. The impact on dasha, antar and prayantara dasha rulers. Past issues can become dominant. There can be a change in the direction of life. 7. When your Lagna ruler retrogrades, it will have a major impact on your inner self. Venus retrograde indicates a focus on past relationships. Venus brings problems with relationships. It is not a good time to marry. 8. If there are other difficult aspects accompany the stations. In November 2004, Saturn retrograded at the time it was in an exact 4 - 10 aspect with Mars and a major train accident took place in UK. In October 2005, Mars retrogrades (1st October) around the time of a solar eclipse (3rd October); there was the Pakistan earthquake. Two aspects creating a powerful synergy.
Retrograde planets Retrograde is the apparent motion of a graha that is going backwards in its travels around the sun as viewed from the earth. So if you went out tonight and found Jupiter, it is 1 6° Scorpio. Then looked at Jupiter say the 5th of August, Jupiter would be 15°58' Scorpio, as if it was going backwards in the zodiac. This has been the condition of Jupiter for some months now, and it just so happens it begins its forward motion this month, 6th of August at 9:35 GMT if my calculations are correct. I mention this time as Jupiter is then neither going back or forward, some say sama, even-ness or stand still and a perfect time to experience turiya for those that practice meditative techniques. As Jupiter is the owner of Akasha,and is Brihaspiti, Guru is in a Moksha house of Scorpio, it is a very favorable time , samdhya occurs.. Any way back to retro. We say it is retrograde because if my vantage point was a top view say above the Sun and I was able to view all the graha's movement, all would be traveling with normal motion around the sun. Some planets more circular then others, and some at an angle to the plane of the sun, but none would be going the opposite way of the pack. This Retrograde in jyotish gives chesta bala or the strength/power to strive and work hard. [ hard for me is consistency, with focus, alacrity, etc. and the more Sani is involved the work could mean toil and labor]; the operative word here is strive. This condition may be a mackle [ a blur, or double impression] when considered. or experienced. Sometimes the hard work bares fruit and sometimes it does not. Like all things in Jyotish multiple things have to be weighed accordingly. What are some of these things? Is the graha in retrograde a natural benefic ( like Jupiter) or a malefic like Saturn? And as usual doe s the graha fall in a trine ( 1st, 5 th or 9th), a kendra or angle as its called ( 1,4,7, 10th house) or a dusthana , that of the 6th, 9th, and 12th houses (bhavas). A retrograde planet in general is an indication of the denial of its fruits ( but not always and every time - I will outline this below). That is , the retrograde graha tends to reverse its indications of its deliverable, expectation and/or its karaka ~ signification. Lets say one has a retrograde graha in the 11th house, the house of gains. This may indicate that effort s by legitimate means, will not bare fruit. This person may do hard work (chesta bala) consistently, but ends up with meager results. What may occur? going to illegitimate means (a.k.a. Tony Soprano life style perhaps?) It is considered fortunate if a malefic and retrograde, is a kendra or tr ine, and debilitated (we call debilitated neecha) this is a blessing one brings forward from a past life. It takes the malefic and reverses its maleficence, to benefic status. Yet , here's the pickle, if this malefic ends up in a dusthana ( 6th , 8th, or 12th) then the opposite is true and you are back to grief that has been brought forward from the past. Now what is the past? for some, it could mean from childhood, for others it could mean a past birth. To this one looks to divisional charts , the varga charts in Jyotish that do not appear in Western Astrology methods. So the conditions do matter. Neecha planets are welcomed for the sadhu, and abhorred for the acquisition of material gain. It all depends on ones orientation.... this neecha condition gives some of the most favorarble yogas one can experience. Jaimini says tasmin ucche neecha ca Srimantaha, or if a planet is exalted or debilitated, it will give good and reasonable finance. Retrograde in Western Astrology I am no expert on this matter, but its my understanding a retrograde planet then gives aspects to the houses as if the graha was in the last house it occupied. What does this mean? Lets consider the the 7th house, all graha's less ketu as he has no head to 'see' gives a look, an aspect, or dristi, to the 7th house from its current position. So , as Jupiter is in Scorpio as we stated above, it would give an aspect, a look at 100% of its strength to the 7th house from that location , or it would aspect Taurus. So if its retrograde, the Western approach says it aspects as if it was in Libra, the previous house it occupied, and then would give dristi to Aries, the 7th house from Libra, and the 6th house fro m Scorpio. To this, my parampara does not subscribe to this rule. Perhaps others on HDF have an opinion in this matter.
