PAST (for review)

Mercury Retrograde

Pre-Shadow Start July 16   (21° Leo)

Retrograde Start August 4^th   (4° Virgo)

Retrograde End August 28^th   (21° Leo)

Post-Shadow End September 11^th  (4° Virgo)

Eclipse Season

Lunar Eclipse  September 17^th     (25° Pisces)

Solar Eclipse October 2^nd     (10° Virgo)

Mercury Retrograde

Pre Shadow Start November 7 (6° Sagittarius)

Retrograde Start November 25^th (22° Sagittarius)

Retrograde End December 15^th (6° Sagittarius)

Post Shadow End January 2^nd (22° Sagittarius)

Mars Retrograde

Pre Shadow Start October 4^th   (17° Cancer)

Retrograde Start December 6^th   (6° Leo)

Retrograde End February 23^rd    ( 17° Cancer)

Post Shadow End May 2^nd   (6° Leo)

UPCOMING

Venus Retrograde

Pre Shadow Start January 28^th (24° Pisces)

Retrograde Start March 1^st (10° Aries)

Retrograde End April 12^th (24° Pisces)

Post Shadow End May 16^th (10° Aries)

Mercury Retrograde

Pre Shadow Start March 1^st (26° Pisces)

Retrograde Start March 15^th (9° Aries

Retrograde End April 7^th (26° Pisces)

Post Shadow End April 26^th (9° Aries)

Eclipse Season

Lunar Eclipse March 14^th (23° Virgo)

Solar Eclipse March 29^th (9° Aries)

(Energetic event – Spring Equinox March 20^th – a week long energy)

NOTE:

It is very notable that two retrogrades will work the same span of degrees in the same signs at the same time, WHILE there is an eclipse occurring at the same degree of one of those signs (9° Aries). This is unprecedented and I get the sense that all this digging and change come the spring will be both revolutionary on a personal level and is happening under the umbrella of Mars Retrograde post shadow to help us integrate what we’ve learned

Anatomy of a Retrograde

Retrogrades happen when the planet in question “appears” to be moving backwards in relation to the position of Earth. This is because planets’ orbits around the sun are elliptical in shape and move at different points of their individual orbits in relation to each other.

When looking at an Astrology chart, the planet that appears to be moving backwards along it’s degrees on the chart is said to be in Retrograde.

The whole Retrograde Cycle is made up of a Pre-shadow, a Retrograde Period, and a Post-shadow:

• The Pre-shadow travels forward along the initial path of degrees that the retrograde will follow. From point A to B.

• The Retrograde period retraces those degrees in backward motion. From Point B to A.

• The Post-shadow then retraces those degrees for a third time when the planet resumes forward motion. From point A to B again.

This gives us three passes at the themes of the retrograde while the planet moves over the same degrees three times.

In terms of how it affects humans, the Pre-shadow acts as a set up and discovery period, the Retrograde moves backwards and dives deeper into our inner world and subconscious showing us what needs change while processing the energies and emotions to do so, and the Post-shadow gives us a practice period where you get to implement those changes through real world opportunities. From then on a permanent change is made in behavior, belief, and how we perceive and show up in life.

Each planet governs an area of change and each sign represents themes within that area that we will be looking for in our lives during that time that are bringing up change.

It is a magnificent formula for growth built right into our solar system that acts on us unconsciously and energetically to create real world opportunities for it to come about and for us to evolve.

Application of These Retrogrades

Above we see the three main personal planets go retrograde. When a planet is moving backwards the energy that it governs is turned inward and we experience it on a more personal and emotional level. For personal planets like Mercury, Venus, and Mars that govern aspects of our personalities and individual lives, this can have a profound effect on our experience through which we can make actual change in our lives if we have the awareness of what’s happening and how to work with it.

Mercury Retrograde

Mercury rules the mind. It is the planet of communication, thoughts and ideas, electrical impulse (technology and brain alike), and output of these energies into the world (writing, speaking, singing, thought even). What we project through this pathway often depends on the beliefs we have absorbed over a lifetime.

Mercury Retrograde dives into the subconscious beliefs, stored energies in the body, and even past lives that have contributed to our current outcome, turning the energy inward, deepening our awareness of ourselves, and digging things up.

When we dive into our subconscious and pull up energies, the mind acts as a projector to bring them into our physical life where we will notice them. From our personal energy sphere, we can see how every energy we carry resonates outward in concentric circles and is reflected back to us. We may see these reflections in our money, relationships, professional life but it all comes back to how we see ourselves at the center. And that is what the retrograde is here to dig up, those core puzzle piece that are required for us to evolve.

Venus Retrograde

Venus rules our relationships, love nature, and sense of value. How do we value ourselves? What systems of value were we taught? How do these radiate out into our lives through the above mentioned energy spheres? This retrograde will affect our relationships and our financial situation specifically, both of which Venus rules through self-value.

Again with this retrograde, subconscious pieces and stored energies are dug up to be reviewed and released in order to incrementally move us up the ladder of growth. This time we will witness changes in our relationships – to self, to others, to work, and to the world – and how our sense of value in relation to things affects us and creates our reality.

Mars Retrograde

Mars governs our sense of personal power and how our physical energy comes into the world. It is acquainted with masculine energy. In a world that has seen patriarchal influence divorce our masculine energy of it’s union with our feminine energy, this retrograde trends to hit harder for many of us working to reclaim our inner power.

Mercury and Venus both build on themes of self, value, and relationship that bring us to our eminence into the world through Mars. Mars will affect our work in terms of our job situation as well as our life’s work and purpose. It will also see to it that anywhere we have relinquished our power, or lost it by force, we are asked to reclaim it through facing our fears and expanding our limitations.

Despite the differences, all retrogrades are to be worked with the same:

• Know your dates, sense your themes and patterns, and follow them through to the end listening to your messages and signs.

• Dreams are especially prophetic and communicative if you write them down during this time or pay attention to them at all.

• Real-life riggers are a gold mine of information about how this event is showing up for you and how you can change it moving forward. All you need to do is listen inside and trust the information given, then act on it. Often this can be an emotional experience that can be diffused into information through listening to yourself and believing yourself.

How Eclipses Work

Eclipses are also energy events that occur in astrology and promote our evolution. They occur over a period of two weeks at a time with one eclipse opening a portal of change and one closing it. They occur on Full and New Moons and act as an ultra-potent moon event who’s energy lasts for six months. These events have the power to close out an energy pattern or chapter of our lives completely and may have sudden effects on our lives as a result. With every eclipse we see an ending, growth, and a beginning.

Unlike retrogrades that require our awareness to work with them, eclipses function in energy first meaning that the energy changes abruptly and the ways that tailors our growth becomes apparent through out the next six months. By the next set of eclipses, you will see that what you were healing and manifesting at the time of the last eclipse has come to completion and is ready for more. Eclipses occur in opposing signs until both sides of an archetypal balance has been satisfied. Expect sudden changes during these weeks from which growth will surely come.

Summary of 2025 Spring-time Astrology

Over the coming Spring Months, we are finishing our Mars Retrograde Post Shadow, starting and finishing a Venus and Mercury Retrograde, and experiencing two Eclipses.

Mars Retrograde got its start back in September and we are now seeing it round into it’s end along with the energy from the Eclipses that occurred during the fall. Events that began over the summer of 2024 will find new will and completion by this time now that we have become more empowered, fleshed-out versions of ourselves than we were when we started.

The next month promises to be a pinnacle of personal growth leading on from what began in the fall. A Venus and Mercury Retrograde, as well as two eclipses will occur to bring us up and into May where they all finish up alongside Mars’ Post-Shadow. This will make for an almost year-long period of astrological cycles overlapping and moving one right into another, now finally wrapping up. We can expect many endings during this next month that will place us firmly on our path that we are meant to go on. The best thing we can do is keep in mind that what is happening is meant to be and it is metabolizing for our growth.

Venus and Mercury will be retrograde in the same signs over the same set of degrees, from Pisces into Aries. This in itself is very rare and potent and to be paid attention to in building themes of self-empowerment and self-connection. We will be leaving behinds themes of narcissism, sabotage, codependence, and abuse in our relationships, money and work life, and our personal belief systems.  

There will be an eclipse in Virgo that directly opposes these retrograde points where we will say goodbye to over-giving and self-sacrifice to define our worth and earn our love and value. And there will be a second eclipse in Aries that will bring on self-empowerment, self-love, and self-value. (Technical note: these eclipses are NOT in opposing degrees, we are finishing out the Aries- Libra eclipse cycle while moving into the Pisces-Virgo one, so we have one of each).

All of this energy happening over a one-month period in the same signs and at the same degree points is markedly meant to be worked with. Pay attention to what is being shown, ask how it is being shown to you for your own benefit and growth, and remember the gold is usually where we least want to go inside ourselves. Remember that dreams will speak loudly during this time and that dream feelings are your most important source of information. Real-world triggers will be placed in your path for you to gain knowledge and self-discovery. Find people to hunker down with and explore these ideas together for support, in other words, grab a retrograde-buddy and settle in. We have a stretch of astrology coming that promises us our dreams and our freedom, if we make use of the bumpy ride!