Jupiter, that huge, gaseous planet, was named for the king of the gods (Latin - in Greek, Zeus), and as such, is the planet of plenty. Jupiter is the thinking-person's planet. As the guardian of the abstract mind, this planet rules higher learning, and bestows upon us a yen for exploring ideas, both intellectually and spiritually. It's been in retrograde since January, and stations direct on May 9. Because retrograde means going backward, some may have been experiencing a feeling of being tested, perhaps in the area of self-control. However, this is mainly a beneficial retrograde, suggesting a period of increase in areas of wealth, travel, love, and/or breaking addictions.
Saturn, lord of time and Karma, is also Jupiter's father in the Roman tradition (Zeus' father, the Titan Cronus, in Greek mythology). Saturn stationed retrograde on March 26, and will station direct on August 15. This retrograde, Saturn is in Sagittarius, which means that we'll all be slowing down to contemplate just what we believe in, and that we may become pressured by circumstances to fully commit to where we're going, or, conversely, pull back. Whatever we decide, know that although the work involved in making these decisions will be hard, at the end you'll be able to put into practice what you've learned. The tag line for this period would be "timing is everything".
Mars, lord of war, stationed retrograde yesterday, April 17, and will station direct on June 29. Mars typically personifies vitality, motivation, and the desire to act, but when retrograde, his normal outward nature is turned inward, and informs us to be our most authentic selves. This is a period of review, reassessment, and internal inspection, again, as in Saturn, leads us to question our beliefs. How are your beliefs enhancing your life? Are you being guided by your spiritual consciousness, or are you allowing other peoples' dogma to limit and restrict you? All food for thought during this most introspective of times.
Pluto, Roman god of the underworld (Hades, in Greek mythology) stations retrograde today, 4/18. A tag line for this period would be "keep your wits about you", but this should be a positive experience in general. When Pluto is transiting retrograde, we are urged to let go of attitudes, thinking or communication patterns, security drives, rigid emotions; a time to undergo an internal form of house cleaning. It is a good time to research into our own Souls in order to determine exactly what we do or do not need, again, like all three of the above planets. Pluto retrograde is a good time for internal cleansings, detoxifying diets, Eastern disciplines that put you in touch with the inner self and even intense psychological reforms. Never had a Reikki session? Now's the time to do it! There is also an aspect of danger to those afflicted with diabetes, or similar issues with blood sugar, and are advised to be watchful.
Mercury, the Roman god of messengers and communication, stations retrograde on April 28. At this point in time, there will be five planets in retrograde, something that hasn't happened in 10 years! Mercury retrograde normally means that Murphy's Law holds sway, that anything than can go wrong, will go wrong, particularly in the areas of machinery, travel, and communication. Hold that thought, though - because this time around, our Mercury retrograde is being softened by Taurus, the lover of all things beautiful. Often times retrogrades are said be the time to avoid starting anything new—jobs, or relationships. This three to five week period is all about review, and that is precisely why while starting something new may not be a good idea—going back to something old is always encouraged. There are no coincidences during retrogrades—the biggest challenge we face is simply to follow the direction that our hearts are pulling us. A good tag line for this would be "love is all that matters". The questions you're asking yourself as a result of the other retrograde planets find a possible answer here, because Mercury in Taurus can assist in identifying that which is of true value to you.
To top off all five planets going retrograde, there's a full moon in Scorpio on April 22. The planet ruling the sun sign Scorpio is Mars, in retrograde during this full moon, and is also the second full moon in Mars this year. This is a time of extremes, so success here could be all-or-nothing, or the survival of the fittest. It's time to strengthen our physic immune system, echoing lessons from Pluto, above. This full moon points to a fear of negative karma and fated events holding you back from making progress. This impact of Saturn square North Node on the full moon is reinforced by having five retrograde planets during this moon phase. It's not all bad, though - it does present an opportunity to rise above fear and prejudice by focusing on your maternal, caring and instinctive side. Being inclusive instead of separating people into groups in not the easy way forward. It is the only way forward to avoid your fears turning into reality.
All in all, this is a tremendous time in all our lives, and much good could come from this seemingly stark astrological prognosis. It's never a bad thing to examine your motives, to see where you've gone, and verifying where you want to go. Crystals that could aid you during this period of planetary retrogrades are (in no particular order) Emerald, Blue Lace Agate, Rainbow Fluorite, Black Tourmaline, Amazonite, Aquamarine, and Hematite. Essential oils that could also help are lavender, to relax you, and peppermint, to sharpen the mind. Luckily, you can find all the crystals mentioned, as well as the essential oils, here at Hoopla!
