Ptolemy said that retrograde planets lack power, a reflection of the ancient idea that whatever moves contrary to normal motion in the sky is moving against the outer world’s usual laws of time and order. Yet, when a planet is retrograde, it is closest to the Earth in its orbit, a more palpable presence – and retrograde planets show themselves as a powerful force, albeit one which may be less conscious and harder to access because its path is inwards and down, towards the interior. Literally and symbolically, they are not straightforward; they look backwards into memory and they view the world from non-ordinary perspectives.
In this webinar, we will interpret what it means to have a planet retrograde in the natal chart, including the cycles of Mercury and Venus as morning and evening stars and the mythic journey to the underworld associated with them. We will also look at the significance of retrograde periods in transits and what happens when a planet changes direction by progression.
This video is taken from a live online webinar given for the Mercury Internet School of Psychological Astrology (MISPA) by Carole Taylor in 2019. Duration: 2 hours 21 minutes