Astrology Explored

November 25, 2008

I am an Aries that has a natal chart with five retrogrades. Does that mean I
have many challenges in this lifetime? So far, it seems that way.

Birthdate: 3/26/59
Birthtime: 4:00 a.m.
Birthplace: Staten Island, New York, USA

Dear Ms. Aries,

I think it is interesting that I get to do this chart as the Moon is in Scorpio, shining its light on a part of your chart that I don’t think you are looking at very much, and which may be the source of your concerns.

Your planets are positioned like this:

Sun 04 Aries
Moon 26 Libra 20
Mercury 10 Aries 24 R
Venus 06 Taurus 37
Mars 21 Gemini 42
Jupiter 01 Sagittarius 54 R
Saturn 06 Capricorn 41
Uranus 12 Leo 29 R
Neptune 06 Scorpio 23 R
Pluto 02 Virgo 12 R
Chiron 25 Aquarius 29

You have four planets in retrograde motion, one of them being Jupiter, and the other two the impersonal planets Neptune and Pluto. Since the moon’s nodes are always in retrograde motion, we don’t even look at that. The biggie for you is tiny Mercury, which represents your thinking processes, in retrograde motion, which we’ll get to in a minute. Let’s just say, these retrograde planets act more like sticky flypaper, tacking in place the flyaway elements of your fiery, action oriented Aries Sun.

Mercury in your chart is retrograde in its motion, meaning that as the Earth overtakes the position of Mercury in the solar system, Mercury appears from spaceship Earth to be traveling backwards. Since Mercury is much closer to the Sun, it doesn’t stay that way, but it does take about three weeks for Mercury to catch up back with the Earth. This is the time period where communications are easily disrupted, and plans made are often plans revised. The person with Mercury retrograde in their chart often feels out of step with society for most of the year. It is as if you are hearing society’s message with earwax clogging up your ears, garbled, not making out the meaning of what people are trying to tell you. So many times you take missteps because what you thought was clear wasn’t. “Don’t you understand?” you’ve heard over and over. No you don’t.

On top of this, Pluto and Neptune form a yod to your Sun, leaving you with a sense of manifest destiny, of something special you are to achieve, but which, frustratingly seems out of reach.

Yet, your natal chart is loaded with so many trines, that in a sense, you are like the cat that keeps landing on their feet. No matter what the Universe throws at you, you come out OK, though you may not feel like that.

My advice is to study your Neptune and Pluto positions carefully and understands those aspects of your personality. It is not for you to fit into society, so struggling with this will only cause you grief. You’ve not paid as much attention as you should to your psychic abilities You will find more peace of mind by exploring your very potent psychic gifts rather than suppress them.

If you would like me to answer a question on these pages, please send your birth date, birth time, and birth place to Starrynightastro@aol.com.

Follow me on Twitter!