Retrograde planets and Karma

tags: karma, retrograde

We’ve been talking about retrograde planets—why most planets appear to go backwards, or retrograde, for a time, and what that means.

So what if you were born during one of these retrograde periods? It’s not uncommon for a person to have a few retrograde planets in the natal chart.

Hi Molly,

What does it mean when some of the planets were in retrograde when I was born? Did I not fulfill my promises in my previous incarnation?

The natal chart is a circular map of the Sun, Moon, and planets relative to the earth and the stars at the moment of birth.

Each planet in your natal chart represents the way in which you use a certain energy. For example, Mercury is the mind, your ideas, mental energy. Venus in your chart describes what you value and how you reach out to others in love.

When a planet in your chart is retrograde, you experience the energy of the planet in a more subjective, internal way. Thus your experience and expression of the planet’s energy is very unique to you. There is also a link to the past, or a concern with the past. Some karmic astrologers believe that retrograde planets indicate a link to a past life.

With Venus retrograde in your natal chart, your concept of beauty is different, comes from a different place, than those around you. With Mercury retrograde, your thinking is different. With Jupiter, planet of philosophy, your ethics, morality and religion may differ from your family’s.

Is this because of a past life? Maybe. Some astrologers think so.

If so, is it a punishment? No. But, an astrologer who does not understand karma might choose to interpret difficult things in your chart as some form of punishment. We humans often make God in our image, forgetting that it’s supposed to be the other way around. Karma does not judge or punish. Those actions are from human emotions!

You chart shows your life’s lessons: those you have already learned and integrated, and those you’re still working on. It could be that you brought over the past life energy shown by the retrograde, to assist you in your soul growth in this lifetime.

The most important thing in karmic astrology is to use your chart as a map showing the way to inner peace and happiness, rather than to validate a negative view of yourself.

Comments:

1. My retrograde is in Jupiter (Sagitarrius) in the first house. I have always been confused about this. I do love spiritual things. It is very important to me to “know” there is a God or Higher Power, something that actually gives life that is “eternal”, not ending with the last human breath. All I want, ALL the time is the “truth”. It does not matter what the “truth” is, just give me the truth and I can incorporate that into my daily life. The truth is one of the hardest things to find. Human beings seem to “conjure” up what they “THINK” is the truth or what they “WANT” to be the truth, but it isn't. So I am frustrated a lot. My rising sign is Scorpio. My Moon in Sag which is also in my first house. I am very emotional about this. I guess you can tell.
   
   — Linda Van    27 June 2005    #
2. i was born dec 4 1949 9:29 pm .. just wondering .. i'm a sagittarius with a leo rising and a moon in gemini what is my retrograde ? thankyou ida
   
   — ida apollonio    14 September 2005    #
3. Retrograde planets are usually indicated by the letter R or a Rx symbol in the chart. See the tutorial on retrograde planets for more information.
   
   — Molly    15 September 2005    #

4. I have six retrograde planets in my natal chart. Is this a bad thing?

   
   
   — dan    26 April 2006    #

5. No, Dan, it's not a bad thing. People with lots of retrogrades tend to take a meandering path that changes direction drastically. Like Muhammad Ali, who started out boxing and wound up in the clergy.

   Here's a research article that looks at the number of retrogrades in the chart. Six is rare. (We are talking about planets only, not asteroids or Nodes.)

   
   
   — Molly    1 May 2006    #

6. When you are counting retrograde planets, do you count nodes and asteroids?

   
   
   — Alison    28 May 2006    #

7. I just realized I have five planets in retrograde motion. I had no idea what this meant until I was looking around, did a search on it which found Molly site (I didn’t realize she had a tutorial on this topic) and so this is very interesting. The tutorial is very helpful. Hrmm. Still a little puzzled by it, though. I’ll have to think on it.

   XO,
   Hannah

   
   
   — Uncle Hannah S-Q    25 June 2006    #

8. i am an aries with mars retrograde in virgo. an astrologer said that this makes me depressed. what are your thoughts on this? my rising is cancer and my moon is aquarius.

   
   
   — althea    21 August 2006    #

9. I have True Node,Uranus,Neptune,Pluto
   in retrograde in what look like my 7th house except for the true node in my 1st/3rd house taurus.
   this isn’t good for relationships??

   
   
   — Bel    25 August 2006    #

10. I also have 6 planets, and my north node in retrograde (natal chart). three of which are in Virgo in the 2nd house. (Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn)
    I have not been able to find books that answered my questions about these, since they all seem to say it is just a milder energy, or that it is turned inward. I think there is more to it, but i don’t know what. Can you tell me some books about karmic astrology?
    Thank you! Your website is wonderful.

    
    
    — Liz    1 October 2006    #

11. Hi Liz— I wouldn’t say the energy of a retrograde planet is milder, but it is more internal. The Nodes are normally retrograde, so don’t worry about them.

    There’s a link on the left side of the page to recommended books.

    Best,

    
    
    — Molly    5 October 2006    #

12. Hey there. My Mercury is retrograde in Libra at 29 degrees in the 6th house and my jupiter is retrograde Aries in the 12th house. Can anyone tell me what this means? Thanks a bunch!
    -Alyson

    
    
    — Alyson    17 November 2006    #

13. I would like to know about saturns 3transits over the ascendant square MH when it turns retograde. Its also a 2nd saturn return, since sat is in 12th near the 24 leo asc.

    
    
    — hilda montano    27 December 2006    #

14. i noticed another person named dan said he had 6 planets in retrograde during the time of his birth…....my name is dan and i, too , have 6 planets in retrograde motion in my natal chart….....

    
    
    — dan    2 January 2007    #

15. Dear Molly,

    I was born with Venus Retrograde in August 1959, and have heard that my love life will go backwards most of the time as a result of this. Is this true, and what does Venus retrograde really mean?

    Thankyou, Ava

    
    
    — ava    24 January 2007    #

16. Hi Molly,
    I have 6 retrograde Planets in my chart Pluto, Saturn and Mars in Scorpio retrograde with Uranus in Sagittarius and Neptune and Jupiter in Capricorn Retrograde also can you please explain this to me as far as my karmic mission? I have found no one who can help me with this THANK YOU

    
    
    — Markita    15 March 2007    #

17. hi molly,

    i have 5 retrogate planets in my birth. please te.ll me whether it causes lots of tension and unprecedented events in life. i am extremely depressed

    
    
    — divya    3 October 2007    #

18. I was born dec 6 1951 7 30 pm baltimore md what planets were retrograde at birth? bonnye

    
    
    — bonnye    6 October 2007    #

19. You had a link to a research article about the number of retrograde planets, comment #5. The link isn’t working (that whole site seems to be gone). I was just curious if you had any other articles about retrograde planets you’d recommend?

    I’m learning a lot from your site! Thank you!

    
    
    — Crystal    28 February 2008    #

20. Hi Molly,

    My retrogrades are in:
    Saturn in Gemini
    Pluto in Libra
    North Node in Capricorn

    What do they mean?

    Thank you!

    
    
    — Jackie    28 April 2008    #