Astrological Progression - Retrograde Motion

Retrograde Motion

The retrograde motion of a planet is its apparent backward motion through the sky caused by the earth travelling past a slower moving outer planet, or when the earth is itself passed by a faster moving inner planet. For secondary progression or the day-for-a-year method, retrograde motion means that progressing a planet forward one day in time leads to the planet's moving 'backwards' in the chart in an anti-clockwise fashion. In astrology this backward movement was traditionally thought to be unlucky or inauspicious, as it went against the 'natural' order of movement (or 'direct movement' as it is known), and a planet which was retrograde at the time of birth was considered a weak spot in the natal chart.

Most modern astrologers do consider the retrograde movement of a planet to be indicative of stress or difficulty, although this is usually mentioned only with regard to transiting planets. For example, the retrograde movement of Mercury is commonly thought to signify difficulties in communication, such as post or emails going astray, verbal misunderstandings, and travel delays and frustrations. Some astrologers however, do not regard the change from direct to retrograde motion as automatically being one to repression and limitation (nor the reverse sudden release). Rather a change in either direction of movement is regarded by them as simply indicating a shift in a person's handling of that part of their life In fact, many astrologers do not consider retrograde movement to be of any particular significance, especially given that the outer planets are retrograde for over 40% of the time. The full implications, if any, of retrograde motion in progressed planets appears to remain relatively little understood.