Understanding Retrogrades in Astrology: A Beginner’s Guide

So, I don’t really know much about Astrology, and I’ve been meaning to change that. I know Astrology knowledge can help with knowing when and how to work magic. I wanted to start with retrogrades because Topaz always freaks out about Mercury going into retrograde, and I want to finally understand what the big deal is.

Retrogradus, backward step, is the Latin form(origin?) for retrograde. It is when a planet appears to be moving backwards in the sky. The illusion happens when planets pass Earth, or Earth passes another planet, when in closer proximity than normal. The closer the planet is, like Venus, Mercury, and Mars, the more extreme these loop changes look. Many of the outer planets are constantly in retrograde, about 40% of the time (1/3 of the time for Jupiter and Saturn). The closer the planet, the more a retrograde will affect energy (be it lessened or intensified). Retrogrades are usually seen as a negative thing, a time for chaos to reign supreme. But there are ways to help yourself during this time.

Now, I need to give basics about the planets to properly explain their retrogrades. So, here’s the crash course!

Sun
Ruler of Leo, the sun stands for the self, main concerns, and vitality.

Moon
Ruler of Cancer, the moon stands for emotions, instincts, and habits.

Mercury
The ruler of Virgo and Gemini, Mercury is the planet of communication, intellect, and reason.

Venus
Ruler of Taurus and Libra, Venus is the planets of love, beauty, and art. 

Mars
Ruler of Aries, old ruler of Scorpio, Mars is the planet of action, desire, and aggression.

Jupiter
Ruler of Sagittarius, old ruler of Pisces, Jupiter is the planet of expansion, optimism, and abundance.

Saturn
Ruler of Capricorn, old ruler of Aquarius, Saturn is the planet of restriction, pessimism, and structure.

Uranus
Modern ruler of Aquarius, Uranus is the planet of rebellion, eccentricity, and upheaval.

Neptune
Modern ruler of Pisces, Neptune is the planet of imagination, dreams, and delusions.

Pluto
Modern ruler of Scorpio, Pluto is the planet of transformation, obsession, and power.

From here retrogrades are a lot like reversed tarot cards. You invert the meanings, and that warns you what not to do during the time of retrograde. It honestly seems straight forward now that I’ve looked it up, I wish I would have done this much sooner. 

What do you all think? Did you know about retrogrades before now or is this your first crash course? Or do you know something more? Let me know, teach me!