Nuts & Bolts - Astrological Concepts

An explanation of some technical terms

Accidental Dignity | Astro*Carto*Graphy | The Asteroids | Chiron | Cycles | Eclipses | Electional Astrology | Essential Dignity | Fixed Stars | Graphic Ephemeris | Horary Astrology | Horoscopes and when Astrology is not just a horoscope | Local Space Astrology | The Lunar Nodes | Midpoints | Mundane Astrology | The Natural Zodiac | Receptions | Relocation Astrology | Retrograde Motion | Rulerships | Synastry | Transits, Progressions and Directions | Unaspected Planets | The Zodiac

Retrogrades

There are times when the planets - but not the Sun or Moon - appear to be moving backwards in the sky. This is known as retrograde motion.

Superior planets - Mars and outwards - are retrograde while in opposition to the Sun.

From Jupiter outwards they will turn retrograde just before they trine the Sun and go direct just after they complete the second trine. They have a retrograde period each year.

Mars makes the trine before it turns retrograde and turns direct before it makes the second trine, has one retrograde period every two years.

Inferior planets - Venus and Mercury - have a different pattern.

Mercury has three retrograde periods a year of approximately three weeks and they will all begin in signs of the same element.

Venus has five retrograde period in eight years. Every eight years Venus is retrograde at the same point in the zodiac minus a few degrees. Over time, plotting these retrograde cycles draws out a heart in the sky.