Retrograde
Retrograde motion is the apparent backward movement by which a planet seems to reverse course in the sky, seen from Earth. It is an optical effect caused by differing orbital speeds, not a real reversal. In astrology, a retrograde planet invites a return, a review and an inward turn toward whatever it governs. Mercury retrograde is the best-known case.
An optical effect
When Earth overtakes a slower planet on its orbit, that planet appears to move backward, a bit like a train you pass seems to slide in reverse. Nothing truly reverses in the sky. This is worth holding in mind: retrograde is not a curse falling on you, just a point of view from our own planet.
A time for review
Astrologers read these periods as an invitation to slow down and revisit: reread a project, reconnect a thread, rethink a direction. The prefix re says it well. Rather than dreading Mercury retrograde, you can make it a time to look again at what asks for a second glance, without pressure.
Sources
- , Planets in Transit (1976)
- , The Inner Sky (1984)