Planets in Retrograde: What They Mean and What Is Retrograde Now

At almost any moment, one or more planets are retrograde, appearing to move backwards through the zodiac from our view on Earth. It is an optical effect of orbital speeds, not a real reversal, but astrologers read it as a time when that planet's themes slow down and turn inward for review. This page explains what retrograde means, which planets go retrograde and how often, and what each one asks you to revisit. To see exactly which planets are retrograde today, open the live calendar below.

What Does It Mean When a Planet Is in Retrograde?

All planets orbit the Sun in the same direction. Because Earth and the other planets travel at different speeds, there are stretches when another planet appears, from Earth, to slow, stop, and drift backwards against the fixed stars, before slowing again and resuming forward motion. Nothing in space actually reverses. Astrologically, the planet that appears to go backwards is said to withdraw its usual outward energy, so its themes come up for reflection, revision, and completion rather than fresh starts. The area of life affected depends on the planet and on the house it falls in for your own chart.

Which Planets Go Retrograde, and How Often?

Every planet except the Sun and Moon goes retrograde. The faster inner planets do so briefly and occasionally, while the slow outer planets are retrograde for months every year. Here is the rhythm for each.

Because the outer planets are each retrograde for several months at a stretch, it is normal for several planets to be retrograde at the same time. What people usually notice most is Mercury, because it is frequent and touches the everyday.

Mercury Retrograde

The most talked-about retrograde. Mercury turns retrograde three to four times a year for about three weeks, and communication, travel, technology, and plans tend to need extra care. See the full dates and meaning on the Mercury retrograde calendar.

Venus Retrograde

Venus retrogrades roughly every eighteen months for about six weeks, bringing love, money, values, and sometimes people from the past back for review. See the Venus retrograde guide.

Mars Retrograde

Mars retrogrades about once every two years for two to two and a half months, slowing drive, ambition, and desire, and surfacing old anger and stalled goals. See the Mars retrograde calendar.

Jupiter, Saturn, and the Outer Planets

Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto each go retrograde once a year for several months. These retrogrades are so regular and so long that they are felt less as sudden disruption and more as a slow, inward turn: a yearly stretch to reconsider growth and belief (Jupiter), duty and structure (Saturn), freedom and change (Uranus), dreams and boundaries (Neptune), and power and transformation (Pluto). Because they move slowly, their retrogrades shape the background mood of the year rather than the details of a single week.

What to Do When Planets Are in Retrograde

A retrograde is a review period, not a curse. Whatever the planet, the guidance rhymes: slow down, revisit what already exists, finish what you started, and hold off on brand-new commitments in that planet's area of life until it turns direct. Mercury asks you to double-check words and plans, Venus to reconsider a relationship or purchase, Mars to rework a goal rather than force it, and the outer planets to reflect on the larger themes they govern.

Frequently Asked Questions

Related Readings

To follow the sky in detail, browse the wider transits and eclipses calendar, check Mercury, Venus, and Mars retrograde individually, or generate your own transits and progressions report to see how these retrogrades land in your chart.