THE WRATH OF RETROGRADES

For those of you who don’t exactly keep up with astrology, retrogrades occur when it appears that a planet is moving backwards. Clearly, this is not the case, but to us, it seems like it due to optical illusion. When a planet is in retrograde, this gives us the opportunity to reflect within and think about our own lives. In August, 6 planets were in retrograde, but now that it is September, there are only three: Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune.

Saturn, which will be ending very soon on September 6, has been in effect since April by now, and it has recently been pushing hard for changes in professional life. Whether you are just at the ending of a long-term project or trying to figure out what to do next, Saturn is that force telling you to get it together, besides your conscience in general.

Neptune retrograde will be ending on November 24, so we’ve got a while with this one still. As a very emotional planet, also known as the “Planet of Dreams,” emotional health and well-being take center stage and demand to be taken care of as a first priority. Balance is key, and as the other planets try to balance out needy Neptune, it’s important to not neglect a strong connection with reality along with all of these inner reflections.

Finally, Uranus just began on August 7 and therefore will be staying the longest – until January 6, to be exact. This retrograde is definitely a strong one; Uranus is known as the “Planet of Immense Change.” Basically, things are about to change for some of us, according to the planets, and these changes could be inner, in the things around us, or both.

What does all of this mean for the signs? Taurus, Virgo, and Capricorn will be affected more than the others during these three retrogrades. As a Virgo, I know that this month is one that is set up by the planets to be a very productive one for me. Along with these big events, other changes in the stars also mean even more shifts, like Mercury will be in Virgo from September 5 until September 21, and if all of the buzz from Mercury retrograde didn’t already teach you, Mercury is not an easy planet to face. For my fellow Virgos and I, this predicted positive September could potentially take a wrong turn without the right balance. If all goes well, we should be extremely productive and feel successful for the remainder of the month, but otherwise, without this balance, our birthday month for those of us in September will be filled with ups and downs. Personally, Saturn, Neptune, Uranus, and Mercury are all starting to take their toll on me.

Even if you aren’t a Virgo, other signs will be feeling these changes as well. Along with me, Tauruses and Capricorns will be struggling. For Gemini and Sagittarius, the stress and ambition is starting to decrease with Saturn retrograde soon to end. Naturally emotional Pisces will be a bit more unbalanced than usual until January, and Aquarius will face more changes than anyone in Uranus retrograde.