YOUR GUIDE ON HOW TO THRIVE THIS YEAR – DURING 8 PLANETS IN RETROGRADE

What Does 8 Planets in Retrograde Actually Mean and Why Should You Care?

This planetary positioning hasn’t happened in our solar system for over ten years, here is your guide to thriving during this pivotal time. 

When a planet goes retrograde, it visually appears to orbit around Earth backward but isn’t actually. It just appears this way in our solar system, and therefore in astrological charting. If you are a sensitive or intuitive person, then you have been feeling within the last six to ten months the major shifts not only on the planet by seeing the uprising of people demanding equality but also within your personal life!

When any planet moves into a retrograde position, it is a time that most people in the esoteric community have a strong negative connotation attached to it because it usually preempts a time of change; they talk about it being a destructive time!

For example, Mercury in Retrograde: you are instructed not to make any major decisions, not to travel, and not to make any big new purchases or sign any contracts. These periods when a planet goes Retrograde last about a month to six weeks but since all of the planets have decided to go virtually at once, the strategy of just waiting out the storm is really not an option.

You can follow those old rules if you would like but these influences from all of the planets are not going to go direct until December of 2016! Since July of 2015, starting with Venus, we have had and will have, every planet within our solar system go retrograde! We haven’t seen this many planets going retrograde in almost 10 years!

That is why I am here to give my opinion (take it with a grain of salt) and be your humble guide to the universe on how to survive emotionally and thrive physically, in a new resonance!

The first step is to understand what retrograde energy is actually trying to communicate to your personal energetic field and auric system. Within everything in the entire universe, is an in breath, and an outward breath, inhale and exhale, creation and death. One energy is about expansion and the other is about implosion or going back to the source.

When planets are direct they are in the Yang or the masculine-creation phase of energy; it is penetrative, action-oriented, and externally experienced. This form of collective consciousness supports you to work with other people, to be seen in front of others, and to be exposed to comfortable environments that are familiar enough to dominate your belief structure. This energy often encourages you to engage in an outward experience.

When a planet is retrograde, it is in the Yin or feminine-transformation version of when a planet is directly in our solar system, meaning it is a time for a more introverted and more independently experienced form of reality. This is a time that if you are used to getting guidance from external factors or finding your value or worth through other people, places, or things; these illusions will become extremely tangible and will manifest externally in your environment.

I think it is also difficult during this time because Planetary Retrograde positioning is feminine energy in a realm and paradigm that is based on masculine energy! Meaning retrograde energy wants you to live at the pace like you are on vacation at a tropical resort but most of us live at the pace of living in New York City. I know you have heard that “the divine feminine and masculine is wounded” if you are in the “new age” community (whatever that means) but this time is not only affecting the sensitive or intuitive community (although you will be more aware of it), the general human populous will be feeling these influences to slow down and look within as well.

These influences are a general shift in consciousness that affects all people whether they realize it or not. When a planet goes retrograde, it makes you more conscious of your thoughts and emotions. For example: If you are the type of person who has been running from seeing your true feelings about your life because you haven’t been listening to your passion, busying yourself with a nine-to-five job.

You preoccupy yourself externally with thinking that possessions, food, or addictions are going to cover the endless gaping hole inside of you. This is the time these planetary influences are going to rip down the veil of illusion and little by little reveal every suppressed aspect of yourself because it wants you to heal and live out your truest desires.

This influence is here to reveal that you are a spiritual being in a human body that has incarnated on a mission to heal past life, false beliefs that are fogging your dharma (your mission) and keeping you from living life in peace, love, and harmony. I feel that our solar system is strategically aligning itself, just like the lungs facilitate the inward breath and the exhale, to lead humanity to its own enlightenment over time. This energy period is a gentle time to let go, to look within, to release and renew our lives and the way we live them, to help heal ourselves and humanity.

Since July 2015, starting with Venus, we have had and will have every planet within our solar system go retrograde. Here is the rundown of each influence:

MERCURY RETROGRADE, the planet of Communication in Taurus until May 23rd

This influence tends to turn the mind into examining all of the aspects of yourself. It is like having a rewind button where your mind will run through all of the different areas of life that need to be reintegrated or the soul lessons that have been forgotten along your journey (This is a nice way of saying you may be rethinking everything in your life!).

The main thing to remember is that your mind is going to be paying attention to the details but the main reason is to find the overview to help you on the next step of your journey. Remember to surrender, and try integrated practices that connect you to the collective conscious during this time like meditation, praying, or manifestation practices. This is the time when your inner truth will be revealed to you if you just ask the right internal questions.

Usually, Mercury retrograde stifles or mixes up communication with others in the physical realm but if you are in tune with this influence you can often tap into the collective consciousness. You will be able to quite easily tie up loose ends in energy dynamics or create energetic closure with someone with whom you might have an unresolved non-communicated issue. Just imagine the other person you have had miscommunications with as an unseen mirror of yourself, you will be able to see aspects of the situation and the other person that you wouldn’t have been able to see so effortlessly if this planet was direct.

If you are open enough, this influence will be able to reveal how you may be reacting to certain people and situations out of habit rather than being open to see that each situation and person should be communicated with openly and without accessing wounds from the past.

Since spoken communication is on the back burner, the other forms of communication without words will come to the forefront! This is a great time to express yourself through creative outlets since you will have direct access to your deepest most internal creative processes. Things like writing music, singing, dancing, or making artwork will be quite therapeutic and come easily during this time.

Don’t worry, although this influence is about to end on May 23rd, you will have another chance to access the other realms of communication on either August 30 – September 22, 2016, where Mercury will be in the earth-sign Virgo or Dec 19, 2016 – Jan 8, 2017, in earth-sign Capricorn, which ends in the fire-sign Sagittarius.

 MARS RETROGRADE, the planet of Business and Sexual Energy in Sagittarius until June 29th

Mars, when it is direct, enhances our business transactions and makes sexuality purely a physical action.

If you are not sensitive to this influence it will make it very easy to become carried away with work, ignoring the fact that you have a physical body which creates limits to how much you can produce without rest or restoration of the body. It is important to remember to form a daily routine of plenty of sleep, a nutritious diet, and lots of outdoor grounding during this influence.

If you are quite in tune with subtle energies this will be a time of questioning what you do for a living and why. If you have a business, this is not necessarily the time to restructure your business on what you see during this time but a great period to be able to see areas that could be improved.

This is a favorable time to look at the overview of your company create new strategies and ask specific questions to open yourself up to the best way to restructure and implement those new systems once Mars goes direct again at the end of June.

Sex is another interesting area of influence during this time, this is the time to start exploring or integrating the unseen side of spirituality through sensuality and sexuality such as tantra.

Either with your own sexuality or intertwined with another, it is a great time to be able to reach other realms through orgasm. This time is one of the best times to find your soul mate if you are truly listening to your intuition because this influence numbs the external or physical aspects of sex and attraction.

Physical sensation will not be as gratifying and therefore makes the spiritual experience of a relationship with a person, more of a priority. You will be looking to connect deeper with any new potential partner or your current partner.

This is the time to really embrace the wisdom that your body is your temple! 

JUPITER RETROGRADE, the planet of Success just went direct but was retrograde in Virgo since October 2015

This influence, if you were sensitive to it, was the spark of life to create massive inner growth! Since this planet usually makes us more optimistic when it is direct, there was a possibility for more cynicism during this time. Most likely with a huge period of planning, replanning, and reconsidering before this influence went direct. Where you finally felt confident to actually take action on the ideas that you were exploring.

The planet of Jupiter is about our connection to the ability to manifest any reality you want. When we were in retrograde, this influence turned the manifestation energy inward to be able to be more intimately connected to this creation process.

If anyone was unconscious to this intimate fast track to create the life they wanted, they kept receiving seemingly the same lessons over and over again, thinking they had the worst luck during this time, when actually it was merely not being conscious of false beliefs trying to become illuminated and rewired!

If you realized this accelerated creation mechanism, you most likely achieved a lot of hard-learned lessons which turned into beautiful rewards during this time!

SATURN RETROGRADE, the planet of Practicality and Limitation in Sagittarius until August 12th

When faster-moving planets go retrograde it tends to create more chaos, specifically if you are not fully in the moment. But with these planetary giants, the retrograde tends to give more space to really slow down, finally, look within, and ask aligned internal questions.

When Saturn is direct, it is linked to helping you see your karma or the beliefs that cause you and therefore the collective unnecessary suffering. It is this planet that holds your hand to try to help you pass the tests of karmic cleansing while you are here in this plain of existence. Saturn is the planet of self-discipline to be able to reveal deep inner wisdom and compassion for yourself and others.

This influence usually helps you organize your internal emotions to be able to relate to others, outside of your soul wounds and your deepest soul’s desires. When Saturn goes retrograde there is a tendency for the society renegade in us all to come out to play!

This is an opportunity to redefine the old rules and beliefs that used to easily and unconsciously dictate our actions in day-to-day life. The rich inner world of our heart’s truest desires comes to the forefront and suddenly there are no illusions of separation or limitation in the way to achieving these goals!

This is a great time to feel into what has held you back in the past whether it is an old environment, person in your life, or belief. Use this time to open your heart and mind to the infinite possibilities to create the life you truly want!

 PLUTO RETROGRADE, the planet of Death and Transformation in Capricorn goes direct on September 26th, this planetary influence started on April 16th

This is a time of the revealing of secrets and facing shadows! Pluto is the great revealer of the mysterious, unseen, and repressed parts of the collective consciousness. When this planet is direct we see secrets like politicians having a marital affair being revealed at the drop of a hat! When Pluto is in retrograde this aspect turns inwards and shines the light on your internal skeletons in the closet.

Pluto retrograde urges you to shine the light on the shadows and unseen aspects of your psyche that need to be loved and healed. Point out in great detail within your mind, in situations with others, the unpleasant parts of your personality that you least like. You can finally see how much you are motivated by external factors to achieve status, money or letting someone have authority over you.

Your true motives of why you want something will come to the surface. An example would be, whether you are striving to look good for yourself or to get approval from others. You will also be able to see clearer the false stories you make around situations to be able to redefine and liberate yourself from repeated emotional pain.

The biggest key this planet holds is the offering of complete soul transformation if you are ready to see your deepest darkness and love it for all it is worth. Are you ready?

The upcoming events will be Neptune and Uranus going retrograde:

NEPTUNE RETROGRADE, the planet of Compassion and Idealism on June 14th

Personally, this is going to be my favorite planet going RETROGRADE!

Neptune is the planet of personal possibility and dreams! Neptune in retrograde makes it almost impossible to ignore the truth about a situation! Neptune is the planet of spiritual awakening! It will give you the courage to face the aspects of your life you previously would hide from because you were ashamed. For example: being in debt or in a relationship that doesn’t serve you!

This aspect, when it is direct, is usually fueling your dreams but when it is in retrograde it actually propels you to act on those dreams! You will easily be able to see what is actually attainable and what has been a story, making it easier to practically plan for any future actions.

 URANUS RETROGRADE,  the planet of Individuality and Introvertedness by July 30th

This planet’s name in retrograde should be FREEDOM!

After we do all the necessary homework with the previous planets in their retrograde positioning, we then arrive last but certainly not least at Uranus in retrograde! This planet really is the cherry on the soul evolution cake, it gives us the ability to look at our entire lives with a fresh perspective and throw away anything that isn’t needed.

If this sounds intimidating, don’t be afraid, this planet is another slow-moving giant and will allow you an entire five months of moving through this influence for it to take its life-shifting effect, one small change and one person at a time!

It is the time to face your worst fears, and replace them with your biggest loves, so you can become who you really are sent here to this planet to be, on both a personal and a global scale!

There is also Chiron the planet of Soul Wounds going retrograde on June 26th but this planet requires personal sessions to be able to explain thoroughly and specifically your journey.

These planetary transits are not going to be complete until December 29th of 2016, in my opinion, you don’t just wait for this storm out because this is less like a storm and more like an astral-event-filled year that could be complete to your soul’s benefit! The basics would be, to be more present with your thoughts, and integrate mindfulness practices to be able to create a deep internal listening. With your conscious internal dialog and taking care of yourself by pacing yourself this year you will be able to create a personal quantum leap!

When I look at the planets and their positioning, it is really heartwarming actually because it is like the planets are rooting for humanity! This astral rehab is all about taking more time for yourself; to become more of a gentle, loving, and caring person. It is an attempt to make it seemingly impossible or at least painful to continue the old patriarchal, dominating, imbalanced energy.

Releasing the “forcefully pushing forward to achieve” type of energy to ground us into a more balanced perspective of compassion to ourselves and others. Able to connect more to the Earth and yourself once again, to clear any un-cleansed karma with realistic day-to-day practices, and transcend old patterns to be able to reach a very attainable form of everyday enlightenment.

Hi gorgeous, my name is Charu Verma and I am a team member and writer for Universal Science. I see every person as an extension of my family. My passion is reminding humanity how to love, in hopes of igniting the memory that you are in fact a walking embodiment of universal perfection!