℞ Planetary Retrogrades
Everything you need to know about retrograde planets — what they actually mean astronomically, what they mean astrologically, the myths that need debunking, and practical guidance for navigating each one. No fear-mongering. Real astronomy meets real astrology.
Complete Retrograde Guides
☿
Mercury Retrograde
Communication, Technology & Travel
3-4x per year · ~3 weeks
♀
Venus Retrograde
Love, Beauty & Values
About every 19 months · ~40 days
♂
Mars Retrograde
Action, Ambition & Anger
Every 26 months · ~2.5 months
♃
Jupiter Retrograde
Growth, Luck & Wisdom
Once per year · ~4 months
♄
Saturn Retrograde
Discipline, Structure & Time
Once per year · ~4.5 months
♅♆♇
Outer Planets Retrograde
Uranus, Neptune & Pluto
~Half of every year · 5-6 months each
Retrogrades by Element
How Mercury, Venus, and Mars retrogrades affect each element group differently.
🔥
Mercury Rx in Fire Signs
Aries, Leo, Sagittarius
🌍
Mercury Rx in Earth Signs
Taurus, Virgo, Capricorn
💨
Mercury Rx in Air Signs
Gemini, Libra, Aquarius
🌊
Mercury Rx in Water Signs
Cancer, Scorpio, Pisces
🔥
Venus Rx in Fire Signs
Aries, Leo, Sagittarius
🌍
Venus Rx in Earth Signs
Taurus, Virgo, Capricorn
💨
Venus Rx in Air Signs
Gemini, Libra, Aquarius
🌊
Venus Rx in Water Signs
Cancer, Scorpio, Pisces
🔥
Mars Rx in Fire Signs
Aries, Leo, Sagittarius
🌍
Mars Rx in Earth Signs
Taurus, Virgo, Capricorn
💨
Mars Rx in Air Signs
Gemini, Libra, Aquarius
🌊
Mars Rx in Water Signs
Cancer, Scorpio, Pisces
Retrograde Guides by Sign
60 in-depth guides for every planet-sign retrograde combination. What each retrograde means, how it affects you, relationships, career, and practical do's and don'ts.
☿ Mercury Retrograde by Sign
♈
Mercury Rx in Aries
When Impulse Demands a Second Look
♉
Mercury Rx in Taurus
When Comfort Zones Get Questioned
♊
Mercury Rx in Gemini
The Trickster Comes Home
♋
Mercury Rx in Cancer
When Memory Rewrites the Present
♌
Mercury Rx in Leo
When the Spotlight Flickers
♍
Mercury Rx in Virgo
The Editor Gets Edited
♎
Mercury Rx in Libra
When Diplomacy Needs a Rewrite
♏
Mercury Rx in Scorpio
When Secrets Surface
♐
Mercury Rx in Sagittarius
When Big Ideas Need Grounding
♑
Mercury Rx in Capricorn
When Ambition Meets Accountability
♒
Mercury Rx in Aquarius
When the Future Needs Debugging
♓
Mercury Rx in Pisces
When Logic Dissolves Into Intuition
♀ Venus Retrograde by Sign
♈
Venus Rx in Aries
When Desire Demands Revision
♉
Venus Rx in Taurus
When Beauty Returns to Basics
♊
Venus Rx in Gemini
When Charm Gets a Reality Check
♋
Venus Rx in Cancer
When the Heart Comes Home
♌
Venus Rx in Leo
When Love Stops Performing
♍
Venus Rx in Virgo
When Love Learns Imperfection
♎
Venus Rx in Libra
When the Scales Need Rebalancing
♏
Venus Rx in Scorpio
When Love Confronts Its Shadows
♐
Venus Rx in Sagittarius
When Adventure Meets Accountability
♑
Venus Rx in Capricorn
When Love Gets Serious About Its Foundations
♒
Venus Rx in Aquarius
When Love Questions Convention
♓
Venus Rx in Pisces
When Love Remembers It's Sacred
♂ Mars Retrograde by Sign
♈
Mars Rx in Aries
When the Warrior Turns Inward
♉
Mars Rx in Taurus
When Force Meets Patience
♊
Mars Rx in Gemini
When Words Become Weapons That Misfire
♋
Mars Rx in Cancer
When the Defender Drops the Guard
♌
Mars Rx in Leo
When Courage Requires Humility
♍
Mars Rx in Virgo
When Effort Demands Precision
♎
Mars Rx in Libra
When the Fighter Seeks Peace
♏
Mars Rx in Scorpio
When Power Confronts Its Shadow
♐
Mars Rx in Sagittarius
When the Crusade Pauses for Reflection
♑
Mars Rx in Capricorn
When Ambition Meets Its Architect
♒
Mars Rx in Aquarius
When the Revolutionary Reconsiders
♓
Mars Rx in Pisces
When the Warrior Surrenders to Something Greater
♃ Jupiter Retrograde by Sign
♈
Jupiter Rx in Aries
When Expansion Learns Restraint
♉
Jupiter Rx in Taurus
When Abundance Audits Itself
♊
Jupiter Rx in Gemini
When Wisdom Narrows Its Focus
♋
Jupiter Rx in Cancer
When Growth Comes Home
♌
Jupiter Rx in Leo
When Greatness Gets Grounded
♍
Jupiter Rx in Virgo
When Growth Demands Precision
♎
Jupiter Rx in Libra
When Justice Takes a Second Look
♏
Jupiter Rx in Scorpio
When Transformation Goes Deeper
♐
Jupiter Rx in Sagittarius
When the Teacher Becomes the Student
♑
Jupiter Rx in Capricorn
When Ambition Develops Wisdom
♒
Jupiter Rx in Aquarius
When Vision Finds Its Foundations
♓
Jupiter Rx in Pisces
When Faith Returns to Its Source
♄ Saturn Retrograde by Sign
♈
Saturn Rx in Aries
When Discipline Meets the Pioneer
♉
Saturn Rx in Taurus
When Security Gets Stress-Tested
♊
Saturn Rx in Gemini
When Communication Gets Structured
♋
Saturn Rx in Cancer
When Emotional Walls Get Inspected
♌
Saturn Rx in Leo
When Authority Examines Its Heart
♍
Saturn Rx in Virgo
When the System Audits Itself
♎
Saturn Rx in Libra
When Commitment Gets Real
♏
Saturn Rx in Scorpio
When Power Structures Face Accountability
♐
Saturn Rx in Sagittarius
When Belief Systems Get Stress-Tested
♑
Saturn Rx in Capricorn
When the Architect Reviews the Blueprint
♒
Saturn Rx in Aquarius
When Progress Proves Its Principles
♓
Saturn Rx in Pisces
When Spirit Builds Its Temple
What Is Retrograde Motion?
Retrograde motion is an optical illusion caused by the relative orbital speeds of Earth and other planets. When a planet appears to move backward across the sky, it hasn't actually changed direction — Earth has overtaken it (for outer planets) or been overtaken by it (for inner planets like Mercury and Venus).