Planetary Retrogrades for 2018

What is retrograde you ask? Well its an illusion, where the planet appears to be rotating in reverse. Why does that matter? During retrograde the energy of the planet becomes inward. This energy is to be used to reflect inward, whether that be the past in this life or the past of another life. What am I reflecting on? That is determined by which planet is in retrograde, because each planet is responsible for ruling a certain aspect of our lives. Should I be worried when a planet goes into retrograde? Not necessarily, if you handle retrogrades properly, you can actually grow from the problems you encounter during retrograde. How do I survive when a planet goes into retrograde? Do research on the planet going into retrograde; find out the period of time it will be in retrograde and what aspect of your life the planet rules. Use this information to plan accordingly, you may even want to journal your experience throughout the retrograde. By doing this you may be able to recognize when it's happening without having to google it every time (I have mercury retrograde down pact.)

Which planet rules what? 

• Sun- Ego

• Moon- Inner child

• Mercury- Communication & Emotion

• Venus- Love & Money

• Mars- Aggression & Body or Physical Attraction

• Jupiter- Luck & Money

• Saturn- Karma

• Uranus- Enlightenment & Progression

• Neptune- Intuition & Compassion

• Pluto- Control & Spirituality

Now that we've got that out of the way, lets see what you need to know about the 5 planets in retrograde this month. 

Mercury Retrograde:

Besides disrupting communication and emotion, mercury throws off electronics as well. During this time expect your gadgets to freeze, glitch, or even break (you might want to put some extra money aside.) Our emotions may get in the way of what's actually going on, causing us to not process things clearly and over react. This is due to us becoming more conscious of whats being said or done than usual, by overthinking we tend to psych ourselves out and make larger problems out of little problems ( take a breath and address the situation when you're level headed.) Try to avoid making serious commitments during mercury retrograde, because of clouded judgement. Even your plans may not go accordingly, anticipate more traffic, construction, detours, and tardiness (basically be flexible and leave the house 10 minutes earlier.) 

Below I'm going to list all the dates mercury will be going into retrograde this year. Each year mercury goes into retrograde 3-4 times, for approximately 18-24 days. Keep in mind everyone is different, depending on your level of vibration the days you experience mercury retrograde may be more or less (I start to be affected almost a week prior.) 

Mercury Retrograde Dates:

Mercury Retrograde – March 22nd Mercury Direct – April 15th

Mercury Retrograde – July 26th Mercury Direct – August 19th

Mercury Retrograde – November 16th Mercury Direct – December 06th

Venus Retrograde:

Venus is responsible for all kinds of relationships we have; with ourselves, family, business, love, food, money etc. It also opens our eyes to our passions, so when this planet goes into retrograde we may find conflict in these aspects. Chances are you'll arguing with a loved one (more than you already do), have inner turmoil, or get some sort of block in your hobby. You're also going to be seeing things with a new set of eyes, so don't be surprised if you find out you really like that something you've always been putting off trying or no longer find enjoyment in what you used to. You might not want to do some major relationship adjustments while Venus is in retrograde such as; break up, divorce, engagement, marriage, quit a job, sell your home, sell your car, book a vacation, etc. 

Below I'm going to list all the dates Venus will be going into retrograde this year. Venus moves into retrograde approximately every 18 months, and lasts for 6 weeks.

Venus Retrograde Dates:

Venus Retrograde – October 5th

Venus Direct – November 16th

Jupiter Retrograde:

Luck and money are not the only things Jupiter can control, freedom, wisdom, and travel are too. When Jupiter goes into retrograde these aspects maybe tested, causing us to reflect on our beliefs and question them (Is there a heaven or a hell? Am I racist? Who am I?) If you've planned on traveling during Jupiter retrograde, don't be surprised if it's postponed, delayed, or even canceled. During Jupiter retrograde you should stay away from taking large risks such as; spending large sums of money, moving across country, quitting your job, etc.  

Below I'm going to list all the dates Jupiter will be going into retrograde this year. Jupiter goes into retrograde every year for about 120 days. 

Jupiter Retrograde Dates:

Jupiter Retrograde – March 08th Jupiter Direct – July 10th

Saturn Retrograde:

Saturn ruling Karma, will have us facing karmic debt. For some that will mean break downs while for others it will mean loss. Even carrying out your normal pace may result in having to re-do, so proceed with patience. You may perceive you are being punished and so now you want to retaliate, but this may not be the best decision. Loss of power or control may be overwhelming, but understand that is not the case. 

Below I'm going to list all the dates Saturn will be going into retrograde this year. Saturn moves into retrograde every year for about 140 days.

Saturn Retrograde Dates:

Saturn Retrograde – April 17th Saturn Direct – September 6th

Pluto Retrograde:

Pluto's rule on spirituality brings transformation, as it is in retrograde it will cause us to reflect deeply and address what no longer serves us well. Whether tht be people that keep popping up into our lives or food that we're eating that harms our bodies. At times Pluto's energy can almost seem over whelming, revealing the highest level of bad in us. The thirst for money, power, revenge and control may be at an all time high. Make sure you're thinking rationally, before you end in a situation where you're going to do something you'll regret. During this time you may want to dig deep and see what it is that you've repressed that is now bothering you, and address it in a healthy manner (no need to cause more unnecessary pain down the road.)

Below I'm going to list all the dates Pluto will be going into retrograde this year. Pluto goes into retrograde every year for about 5 to 6 months.

Pluto Retrograde Dates:

Pluto Retrograde – April 22 Pluto Direct – September 30

 Neptune Retrograde:​ Neptune Retrograde is all about karmic debt and spiritual growth. It is believed not only in this life you are paying off your karmic debt, but you are also paying off karmic debt from past lives as well. So you may notice a few things are happening either in your favor or not so much, but frequently during this time period. Karma is not punishing nor praising you, it is simply delivering what needs to be. As for the spiritual growth aspect, you may notice you have been day dreaming, actually dreaming, meditating, praying, etc. more often during this time than usual. Your subconsciously escaping realities woe's by retreated to the spiritual "dimension". Be mindful to stay compassionate towards other, as you may want to point fingers and falsely accuse others for your stress, troubles, or pitfalls at this time. Instead use Neptune retrograde positively, by monitoring your intuition, dreams, meditations, prayers, etc. and using this information to guide you though the retrograde. 

Neptune Retrograde Dates:

Neptune Retrograde- June 18th

Neptune Direct- November 24th

Uranus Retrograde: 

Uranus retrograde brings out the rebellion in us, once this planet goes into retrograde you may experience a desire for spontaneity, extreme change, or may even notice your starting to make impulsive decisions. Make sure you keep your ego in check, along with your bank account. This is a time for you to utilize Uranus retrograde to make those big changes in your life that are necessary, but in a positive way. Once you realize this retrograde is not happening to punish you, but to help you, you will be able to bright higher self-awareness about the things that are not beneficial to you. 

Uranus Retrograde Dates:

Uranus Retrograde- August 07th

Uranus Direct- January 06th

Mars Retrograde

Mars represents the principle of independence and action. This planet’s influence gives us the urge to initiate or begin something new. Unlike the energies of Mercury, which are mental, Mars is physical in its nature, and often associated with aggressive or impulsive behavior. The planet Mars rules action, energy, drive and determination. When Mars works positively in our lives, it gives us the ability to be assertive and act with courage and conviction.

Mars also rules our desire nature and sexuality; and the kind of person we’ll find sexually attractive.When Mars is retrograde, one’s normal energy and vitality are depleted. We begin to have doubts or regrets about any effort that we start - to the point where we’ll wish you could start all over again. During Mars retrograde it’s not the best time to start anything new, whether it’s job, a relationship or even an argument. If you’ve already started something, the Mars retrograde is a time to slow down and reassess what you want and desire before you take further action. It may be necessary to adjust your expectations and calmly work though any frustrations that get in the way of what you want to accomplish.

Mars Retrograde Dates

Mars Retrograde- June 26th

Mars Direct- August 27th