Starcodes July 28, 2023 Heather Roan Robbins

Summer is retrograde season here in the northern hemisphere, a time when a series of planets appear to back up against the backdrop of the zodiac because of the difference between their orbit and ours. They symbolically send us back for review. Right now- Pluto, Neptune, Saturn, Chiron, and Venus are all retrograde. Mercury will join this parade Aug 24-Sept 16, and Uranus on August 30.

These retrograde planets encourage us to take the summer off, catch up with ourselves and our work, and have a life. When a planet retrogrades, it’s not time to push forward towards whatever it symbolizes. If we try to, we may run into glitches true to the nature of that planet.

This retrograde lineup can bring a real sense of déjà vu, feeling we’ve been here before on this place on the spiral. The lunar nodes also retrograded back into Libra and Aries and now square Pluto, stirring up more longing and trouble from the past. Political candidates and old emotional patterns look all too familiar, problems we thought we’d overcome circle back for more work.

We can also engage this review consciously and visit with old friends and elders, get them talking and be showered by wonderful stories. Revisit an old stomping ground, retrieve a lesson or delicious memory. But let’s not entertain fantasies about our past and pretend our life would be so much better if only we had done this, or said that, or maybe we really should call up that character from our past and try again. Remember we cannot change one iota of the past, only its effect on the future.

While these retrograde planets pull us backwards into the past, Mercury joins Mars in industrious Virgo this week and asks us to look ahead at this autumn’s work. We’re not ready to get it going, but in between now and August 4 is a good time to pitch a proposal or get a few pieces warmed up and working towards the future. Mercury enters its shadow August 4 so momentum won’t pick up until it turns direct mid-September, but we can let’s get a few things sketched out now.

The weekend begins under an active, outdoorsy Sagittarius Moon which helps us just love up the natural world and feel fed by it. It could also bring a chance to clear the air after some recent tension or disconnection. The Moon in industrious Capricorn on Sunday and Monday can help us…