I had an impulsive urge to write this article and I believe it was channelled through me thanks to Venus retrograde and Mercury retrograde who are currently being blamed for all sorts of issues in the world.
Venus and Mercury retrograde – what does “retrograde” actually mean?
You will see countless astrological analyses of these periods – the retrograde movement of planets is easily sensationalized and the media loves it. But it’s less important than it’s painted to be. A planet in retrograde is 20% less strong according to Ptolemy’s essential and accidental dignities. In comparison, a planet is 100% strong if in rulership, sometimes up to 150-180+% depending on its exaltation, triplicity, term and face status, or it could be in detriment or fall (-100%). Many factors need to be evaluated, including the aspects, house position, proximity to the sun, etc to determine a planet’s strength. The motion is only one of them.
Obviously planets don’t actually move backwards – they appear so to us observing them from earth. Mercury, for example, travels up to 28 degrees away from the sun from our perspective, that’s why when it gets too far it starts to appear as if it’s going backwards. That happens 3 times a year for about 3 weeks. We’ll have a separate article about his cycles and why the rx motion is nothing to be worried about and why it doesn’t mean you “can’t buy electronics and sign contracts” or that people with mercury rx in their natal chart are less intelligent.
Retrograde planets mark the periods when we have to switch the focus inwards in the areas of our lives they rule and where they transit – it’s time to re-visit, re-evaluate, re-plan, re-trace our steps and perfect what we’ve already started. It’s time to focus on our inner world more than the outer world, and connect with our deep rooted truth while tuning out the outside world. People are usually afraid of retrogrades because they are afraid of actually spending quality time on their own with no distractions. The process of seeing and accepting your truth and connecting to your intuition can be uncomfortable, especially in the society we live in now.
What is free will?
Let’s back up a little bit. Astrology shows us potentials. One and the same placement can have multiple meanings in how it manifests in the outside world. Everything in existence falls under one of the 12 archetypes (signs, houses and planets) so it’s impossible to predict with 100% accuracy unless you have psychic abilities as well. Horary comes close, because it’s quite specific. But horary only works accurately in short term timing questions. Why is that?
If you ask me if you will meet Chris Evans in the next 6 months, a horary chart will perfectly illustrate whether he knows who you are or if he cares about you at all. I can also tell you whether you’ll meet within 6 months and I can calculate the day of the meeting, if such will happen. But if you ask me if you will ever meet him until the rest of your life, the chart won’t show specifics or it won’t be radical (readable) or I’ll have a bunch of warning signs. Why? Because the future can only be read accurately short term. What psychics predict for the world in general, for example, is the dominant potential humanity has already stepped on. Collective and individual potentials can be changed though, especially individual ones, through free will. You may have stepped on a particular life path potential right now which ensures you’ll never meet Chris Evans. But through your free will in 2 days or 2 years you might decide to pack up your stuff and move to a house across his house. This would be stepping on a completely different life path potential with a different potential outcome. This is a blatant example. Note that you can change your lifepath potential simply by changing a belief to one that serves you, a perception to a positive one, or by doing shadow work and strengthening the relationships of your inner parts between them (If you’re interested in shadow work, I always recommend Teal Swan and her Completion Process). That’s of course the positive option.
How does free will connect with the idea of astrology and soul contracts then? Sorry to disappoint, but free will trumps potentials and soul contracts. Soul contracts are agreements your soul made with other individuals to play out a specific situation in order to gain experience and awareness. The purpose of life on earth is actualizing your free will as an individual, again in order to gain experience and awareness, and your soul knows this so it will never stop you from deviating from the path you initially chose for yourself. To the soul, experiencing one life is like watching a movie. Whatever you decide you don’t wish to experience now, you can experience in the next movie. You can have a soul contract with someone to be in a relationship with them in this life, but they can choose through their free will to reject you. We’re not discussing the karmic implications and how this could play out in future lives.
The most common question – Will my specific person come back during mercury/venus retrograde?
I often get asked to read synastry charts and I see many people in the astrological community and spiritual fields in general obsessed with reading a specific person, a potential romantic partner or a relationship. I’m not saying it as an outsider – I have previously fallen in that trap as well. This is quite understandable – connection is a basic human need, trauma bonding is prevalent in a society where mental health issues aren’t being addressed, and it’s true that some people have complicated soul contracts with each other. (Which doesn’t mean they don’t have a choice! Re the previous paragraph.)
But how can astrology help and when does it become detrimental to your mental health? Because you can have the perfect synastry or a soul mate/twin flame connection with someone and they can still choose not to be with you. You can ask 58 astrologers to look at the charts and tell you what wonderful potential you have with this person. You could also have the same wonderful potential with Chris Evans. Does that mean he is going to choose with his free will to be with you?
If somebody isn’t taking the necessary steps to actively choose you do you need to further analyse their decision? Does it matter if it’s because they have an unhealed childhood trauma, or because they met someone else, or because they simply don’t like you? Isn’t the fact that they don’t want you what should matter most to you? Why would you want to sacrifice your self-esteem and hurt the Venus and 2nd house energies in your chart in order to chase someone else?
Remedies work both ways, and the law of attraction is real. If you keep neglecting your inner child’s needs, your self-esteem and value in order to keep draining your energy towards another person, first of all how is that love? And second, how does that serve you? Because you are actively harming the Taurus, Libra, 2nd , 7th house and Venus areas of your chart, which is at least 2 (up to 5) areas in total, many more if you have planets or angles ruled by Venus.
My advice to these relationship questions during this Venus retrograde period is – turn inwards and acknowledge your own power. You can create, manifest and choose anything. I’ll write another article on the law of attraction and deliberate manifestation, but I’ve done it enough times to be able to back it up. You can manifest someone specific through the law of attraction using your free will, yes. But should you? Is it worth harming your Venusian energy? Is it really what you want? Isn’t it better to close the chapter, focus on yourself, and develop a strong healthy connection with yourself and healthy boundaries? Once you re-adjust your focus and change on the inside, the outside world follows suit. It cannot operate without following your free will through the law of attraction. It’s law. Once you do that, the same person might change their mind or circumstances, or you could meet someone better suited for you in the future.
Use the energy of Venus retrograde primarily to strengthen the relationship you have with yourself. This is what Venus Rx is about.