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Astrology

Retrograde 101 for 2020

By definition, a planet is retrograde when it is moving backward in the sky. However, in astrology, the significance of a retrograde is much more complex than just an apparent motion. On average, we experience at least one planet in retrograde about 80% of the time, and understanding each retrograde’s true meaning, dates, and effects can prove to be a powerful tool.

Extreme Retrogrades


Because of the different looping shapes, there are at least eight different types of retrogrades for each of the planets. These loops vary in shape much more with the planets that are closest to Earth. During their respective retrogrades, Venus, Mercury, and Mars all come closer to Earth than the sun, penetrating the interior heart space of our system. These retrogrades are more extreme in the distance the planet moves away from the ecliptic, which makes their loop shapes more exaggerated. These planets retrogrades provide the biggest challenges and require the biggest adjustments.

Common Retrogrades


Jupiter and Saturn go retrograde more frequently, about a third of the time, and their loops shapes are more flattened and less extreme. So, we can interpret these retrogrades as being somewhat less personal, less challenging overall, and requiring smaller adjustments. The outer planets are retrograde about 40% of the time, so most people have at least one of them retrograde most of the time.

Perspective


Since retrograde motion is so radically different than the norm, it’s not a surprise that many people often experience it as disruptive. The question, then, is whether disruption is in and of itself a bad thing. It seems that getting off the beaten track could be experienced as less disruptive when we know it’s coming and plan for it by building in some wiggle room. It also seems that relaxing our expectations, taking less for granted, and being more observant are all beneficial practices. Taking our time, getting a little distance, and changing perspectives may be very helpful. In the end, a change in perspective might just give us access to an opportunity we would have missed otherwise.

Viewed through this lens, perhaps retrograde misadventures can become worth it even transformative. Here is a list of this years upcoming retrogrades so that you can properly prepare.

  • February 17th – March 10th: Mercury retrograde in Pisces and Aquarius
  • June 18th – July 12th: Mercury retrograde in Cancer
  • October 14th – November 3rd: Mercury retrograde in Scorpio and Libra
  • May 13th – June 25th: Venus retrograde in Gemini
  • September 9th – November 14th: Mars retrograde in Aries
  • May 14th – September 13th: Jupiter retrograde in Capricorn
  • May 11th – September 29th: Saturn retrograde in Aquarius and Capricorn
  • August 12th 2019- January 11th 2020: Uranus retrograde in Taurus
  • August 15th 2020- January 1st 2021: Uranus retrograde in Taurus
  • June 23rd – November 29th: Neptune retrograde in Pisces
  • April 25th – October 4th: Pluto retrograde in Capricorn

Node retrograde in Cancer and Gemini: all year long
Chiron retrograde in Aries: July 11th – December 15
There is no retrograde motion for Lilith, in 2020.

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Astrology

All you need to know about the October 2020 Blue Moon

The next full moon will come on Halloween: October 31, 2020. According to folklore, it will be called the Blue Moon because it’ll be the 2nd of 2 full moons in a single calendar month. There has not been a Blue Moon since March 31, 2018. If you are wondering what this means for you, don’t worry we have all you need to know below.

The first full moon of the month will fall on October 1-2, 2020. It’ll be the Northern Hemisphere’s Harvest Moon. The full moon you’ll see on October 31, 2020, won’t look blue, however, as the second full moon in a month it is traditionally called a Blue Moon.

There’s another definition for Blue Moon. It can be the third of four full moons in a single season, with a season being between a solstice and equinox. The blue moon on Halloween will have no astrological significance. This is because on Oct. 31, 2020, the blue moon will be calendrical rather than astrological, which is an important distinction that astrologers make. While a calendrical blue moon occurs a second time in one calendar month, an astrological blue moon is one that occurs a second time during one solar month, which is the period of time in which the sun passes through a zodiac sign. The next astrological blue moon won’t occur until Aug. 22, 2021, but when that happens, it’ll be a magical night.

The blue moon on Aug. 22, 2021 will exaggerate the characteristics of Leo, the fire sign represented by the lion, which can cause you to become more creative, dramatic, and passionate than usual. Even though the moon on Oct. 31, 2020 won’t be an astrological blue moon, it’ll still be a night of immense space influence and a real sight to see in the sky. Since it’s on Halloween, it’ll only add to the effect.

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Astrology

Astrology verses Astronomy

rising signs astrology

Astrology and astronomy come from the same roots. The motion of the planets against the stars attracted attention and curiosity. In the early ages, astrology and astronomy were terms used indistinguishably. These two concepts were separated gradually from the 17th century onwards until they were declared to be entirely independent of each other. Astronomy deviated from astrology when someone began trying to figure out what was actually going on. This was the beginning of a long history of progress in knowledge, otherwise known as science.

Astronomy is a science that studies everything outside of the earth’s atmosphere, such as planets, stars, asteroids, galaxies; and the properties and relationships of those celestial bodies. Astronomers base their studies on research and observation.

Astrology is quite old, dating back to ancient Babylon. In the earliest form, astrology consisted of watching the motions of the planets and trying to read omens from them. By the first century CE, astrology was Hellenized (Greekified) and had taken the general form we know today. This included the development of natal horoscopes, which used a plot of the positions of the Sun, Moon, and visible planets to divine the future of a child.

the 12 signs of astrology were defined by the 12 constellations of the Zodiac. Those constellations lie along the Sun’s annual path through the sky. The sun sign of Scorpius lay in the constellation Scorpius, and the same for the other signs. This is no longer true. In the 2nd century BCE, Hipparchos discovered a very slow change in the sky. We call it precession, and it is a wobbling motion of the Earth’s axis caused mostly by the Moon’s gravity.

Astronomy is the scientific learning of planets and all other celestial objects to study their origins, interrelationships and future movements. Astronomy is the study of how the celestial objects motion and changes affects the everyday human life and nature. There is a lot of discussion about whether astrology ought to be viewed as a real part of a science or deemed merely mystical. Given the name “Mother of all sciences,” the focal ideas of astrology are taken from hypotheses that go past the domains of logical examination. Astrology incorporates a few components of genuine science, such as specific vocabulary, math, and puzzling graphs.

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Astrology

Mercury Goes Retrograde Mid October

If you thought 2020 was done with its curve balls, you may have jumped the gun. Mercury retrograde fall 2020 begins on October 13, and it is delivering three full weeks of mix-ups and mayhem in the communication, thinking, and timing departments. Thankfully, it is the final time the planet will retrograde in 2020.

Mercury the planet of communication and cognitive function  stations retrograde in secretive, obsessive, and transformative Scorpio this month. During this time, be extra careful of what you say behind people’s backs, as it will likely have a way of getting back to them. You may even notice that emotional hang-ups from your past are returning to the forefront and possibly even people from your past will reappear. Since the majority of this retrograde will take place in Scorpio’s murky and emotionally charged waters, making this backspin feel even more intense and powerful than usual re-opening past emotional wounds and making us feel extra defensive about protecting our sensitive hearts and reputations.

When Mercury retrogrades back into harmonious and partnership-oriented Libra on Oct. 27, it will be a beautiful time to get closure and maybe even resurrect a relationship from long ago. Nothing that Mercury retrograde throws our way is insurmountable, no matter how disruptive it may feel at the time. And none of it is solely negative, so spend this second part of its retrograde learning and healing from what it has taught you. Mercury’s regular retrograde cycle is a self-correcting mechanism of the universe, enabling things that need adjustment to be adjusted before it’s too late.

Mercury will go direct again on November 3rd, so if you find this period particularly impactful on you hang in there through Halloween and you will find yourself heading into the winter holidays with all right in the stars for you again.

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