Planetary Retrograges: A Plan For How to Deal

Art and deck credits go to Brigit Esselmont. Deck is the Everyday Tarot

So before I got into reading tarot and witchcraft, I wasn’t sure what planetary retrogrades were. I didn’t bother looking either, until I started practicing and wouldn’t you know… I found it very interesting. According to the research I did, a planet is in retrograde if it appears that the orbit of the planet has changed somehow. This isn’t real and only seems to happen in relation to where Earth is in the sky at the time the retrograde is perceived. Other research I’ve done suggests this can have profound effects on a person’s energy and life and for me personally, I believe this is to be true. You can see more here if you’d like to find out the definition of the term. Alrighty then, let’s see what the cards have to say.

The Cards

from the Everyday Tarot by Bridgit Esselmont

The High Priestess: you are in tune with your intuition and your higher self. The answers you are looking for lie within you so its time to access your inner wisdom and divine feminine energy.

6 of swords: you are in a state of transition whether it is a physical move, a rite of passage or mental shift of some kind. You are leaving behind what was comfortable and familiar to move towards the unknown and while this is scary, this is essential for your growth.

Queen of swords: you are determined, smart, and resilient. You think more than you feel and you will neither tolerate mistruths or excessive “fluff” in conversations. People value your ability to get straight to the point and you personally tend not to mince your words when it counts most.

The Sun (reverse): Here you may feel exhausted, depleted and otherwise tired. It’s time to retreat from the outer world to reenergize and recharge. It’s okay to not be on all the time so give yourself a break.

10 of Wands: you’re taking on lots of extra responsibilities and for now, you know this is only temporary. You’re willing to put in the hard work now to accomplish your goal and see the benefits later.

7 of Cups: you have many options in front of you and you must make a choice. But here, you must be careful as you are prone to giving into illusions and unrealistic desires. Do your best to evaluate your options and dig below the surface of each one before going ahead with your choice.

So as I said in the first paragraph, planetary retrogrades can cause shifts in the energies around a person. It can be uncomfortable and strange, but can often lead to changes that need to be made. In my case, when I’m experiencing retrogrades, I tend to tune in to myself a bit more than usual. I know I need to self-reflect a bit more and make sure I’m doing what I need to do. Sometimes, there are transitions that need to be made for and in myself and as I mentioned before, this might be deeply discomforting. But the thing here is that I am not a wilting flower. I may feel down for a time, but I am not out. It would take a lot to get me out of the game. For being a story teller at heart (with the ability to get a little hyperbolic at times), there is something in me that doesn’t tolerate fluff and excess in conversations. People seem to value the ability in me to get straight to the point. The thing is that I need to be careful of my boundaries and check my impulses so I don’t come off as rude. Another thing I NEED to be careful of, especially in times of planetary retrograde, is overloading myself. Sometimes, I might need to take some time away from society to rest and recharge and to evaluate the options I have before me and that’s okay. Sometimes I get caught up in deceptive and illusory ideas that may get me in trouble if I’m not careful.