The Astrologer is In: Retrograde Planets In a Birth Chart

Here's another question that I was asked recently (today, in fact) by a young man, followed by my answer.

This question is about Mercury retrograde. 

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Question: When a planet is in retrograde, that means it has the opposite effect of what it usually would do, right? I know whenever Mercury is in retrograde communications become difficult, while usually it promotes communication.

Answer: As I respond to your question, please bear in mind that different astrologers may interpret the same symbols (such as Mercury—or any other planet—retrograde) differently than each other. So my style (and my answers) will be like those of some astrologers and unlike those of some other astrologers. In other words, I'm not by any means representative of all of astrology-dom.

For example, people who practice “classical” astrology (astrology from, say, around 1900 or from centuries before then) often interpret the symbols in a relatively cut-and-dried way, in a way that seems to emphasize fate relative to free will. 

I, on the other hand, practice what might be considered “modern, humanistic” astrology (one type of astrology that became prominent in the past few decades). I interpret the symbols in a way that acknowledges that both fate and free will exist in this world (in different proportions, depending on the particular situation) while also emphasizing the choices that are (or the free will that is) available to each of us.

Now, having said all of that, when we’re talking about retrograde planets (Mercury being retrograde, say), I'm not sure from your question whether you are interested more in (A) talking about when Mercury is retrograde for all of us, at the same time, in real time (that is, "transiting" Mercury, such as during last month, during this coming February, etc.) or (B) talking about when Mercury is retrograde in an given person's birth chart. 

We can talk about both, but it's easier to talk about one or the other at a time. I'll hazard a guess here that you're more interested in the latter, so I'll talk about Mercury retrograde (MR) in terms of that. 

Let's suppose that you have MR in your birth chart.

In our birth charts, Mercury symbolizes our intellectual activity--the way that we take in stimuli from the world that surrounds us (i.e., sights, sounds, ideas, etc.), process it, and turn it out again in the form of information / ideas / opinions (among other things). That’s the gist of our “Mercury function.” 

With MR, the way that you "do Mercury" (your Mercury function) is turned inward.  It may be easier for you to think, and process such stimuli, and in ways that are relatively innovative, relatively independent, relatively imaginative, compared to what often tends to be the case with many other people. There’s a certain richness, or depth, or deep rootedness to your “Mercury function.” 

At the same time, you may also tend to find it difficult to express your ideas, opinions, or information through words / other media. 

Any other planet being retro in one's birth chart is analogous to MR there, though when it comes to UR, NE, or PL being retro, I wouldn't make too much of that (at least, not that alone, in the absence of any similar indications in a person's chart) because they're each retro almost half the time. 

NOTE: Visit my website for information (or a refresher) about what each of the planets in a birth chart symbolizes.  

(By the way, I tend to reduce everything to a 2-character abbreviation, but I figure those right there are pretty gimmes. ;-) ) 

The Sun and Moon are never retro. 

Also, typically a person has one or two planets retro (total) in his or her chart, so I consider it noteworthy if someone has three or more.

Now, for some people who were born with MR, their Mercury doesn't always stay retrograde---at least not according to one particular, commonly-used predictive technique. That technique is called secondary progressions (or just “progressions,” for short).

For some of us who were born with MR, at some point during our lives, Mercury, by progression, turns direct and then remains so for the rest of our lives. 

Now, this doesn't happen for everyone who was born with MR; but for those people for whom it does happen, after it happens, the manner(s) through which a person expresses his Mercury function often become much more straightforward in some senses than they were while Mercury was retrograde (again, using progressions).

Here's another point about MR “going direct by progression”... 

If and whenever someone’s progressed Mercury goes from being retro to being direct, that change of direction happens gradually over a number of years. During that period, especially during whichever days, weeks, and maybe even months surround the exact moment when Mercury changes direction, it’s not uncommon for that person to do especially striking or noteworthy things related to his Mercury and / or for that person to experience especially striking or noteworthy events related to it.   

Paul