October 1st, 2022
Hello and well met! Welcome to October (or the first day of Halloween to some :0) ) The moon is a first quarter moon currently in Sagittarius! The first quarter moon is also an excellent time for spell work related to attracting/manifesting in your life. As the first quarter is also the halfway point between the new and full moon, it also represents a turning point, and a time to check in with plans you’ve laid or the path you’ve decided to take.
Since it is the first of the month, it is a good time to think of your intentions for the next 30 days and set some new short term goals. There are also currently six planets in retrograde: Mercury, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto.
This is a perfect time to discuss what a retrograde is and how it may affect you based on your natal chart.
When a planet is in retrograde, that means to us earthlings, the planet appears to reverse it’s orbit. This is an optical illusion caused by the distance between those planets and us on Earth, but to many practitioners and astrologers, it creates an interesting effect on people and their lives.
You may often hear laments about mercury in retrograde. Retrograde, due to their opposing nature, are often a time of frustration, setbacks, and inconvenience. Six planets in retrograde means a lot of changes and shifting at once, and not always for the better. Adam Levine and Ned Fulmer were both outed for cheating on their spouses during this six planet retrograde!
Mercury is a planet that enters retrograde fairly frequently and when it is, it is a bad time for contracts, big changes (including haircuts!) This is because Mercury is the ruler of communication in all forms, from negotiations to text messages to letters and emails. It is important to make sure you dot your i’s and cross your t’s during a Mercury retrograde, and double check any fine print before signing a contract. This does not mean you have to hide yourself away until it ends (in this case, tomorrow), but it does mean give yourself grace and patience if things go awry in your plans, and try to have patience with others. If anything, Mercury retrograde are a good time to self reflect and re-evaluate where you’re putting your energy.
Jupiter in retrograde lasts for four months and happens once per year, and it will finish its current retrograde in November. Jupiter, in contrast to Mercury, has a more positive retrograde experience. Being the planet of plenty (apt, due to it’s large size), the Jupiter retrograde is about looking back at the past experiences we’ve had and seeking out those opportunities we may have missed. Anything that may not have panned out before the retrograde will have a chance to reach a conclusion during this time. In a way, that looking back at past opportunities works in harmony with re-evaluating your energy/time in the Mercury retrograde.
Saturn is a planet of temperance. Where Jupiter is abundance, Saturn is duty, boundaries, and responsibilities. Similar to Jupiter, Saturn goes into retrograde once a year, but for four and a half months instead of four. Saturn’s retrograde will end October 22nd. Saturn’s retrograde is about doing the work without shortcuts and cutting corners, and finding what energy no longer serves us. Saturn wants us to slow down and understand that hard work is a part of the process. Saturn’s tough love is there to remind us that even though caring for ourselves isn’t always easy, we have to be honest with ourselves and understand that we’re on a karmic journey, there’s no need to rush.
Uranus is a planet that effects a generation, as it takes 84 years to complete its move through the zodiac. It is a planet of breakthroughs and breakdowns, of transits, changes, upsets, and innovation. During its retrograde, this is an excellent time to work on internal growth. Until January 22nd, Uranus will be there to inspire you to reach that next level of yourself.
Neptune is the planet of dreams, glamor, intuition, enchantment, art, artistry. A short retrograde that ends of December 3rd, Neptune is asking you to shake the illusions in your life and see things as they are, not as you want them to be. A straightforward retrograde if you ask me.
The final planet currently in retrograde is Pluto, and though it goes into retrograde once per year, it stays in retrograde for six months! Much like the dynamic of Hades and his queen, Pluto spends six months unearthing the emotions and wounds we may have kept hidden, wanting us to acknowledge them and process them properly. We may feel like we’re swinging between emotions, having a hard time finding baseline. This is why it will be important to engage in self-care and patience with ourselves at this time. Pluto leaves retrograde on January 29th 2023, so hang on for just a little longer!
If you have a copy of your birth chart, look at where each of these planets are in your birth chart. What sign are they in? What house? I highly recommend First House Rising for a full natal chart reading. Isavella is amazing and incredibly informative, and can give you insight to what the retrogrades could mean for you in your life.