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Saturn

29-and-a-half years is the duration of Saturn's average cycle around the Sun, and once a year the planet goes into retrograde for about four-and-a-half months. The transition between the appearance of forward motion into retrograde motion is called the stationary period. During its stationary period, Saturn has the appearance of not moving at all for about eleven or twelve days.

Saturn's effect on Earth slows everything down. This planet in retrograde is a taskmaster: It can make us work with extra effort or it can make us think deeply and contemplate our actions or the world around us. There are no short cuts when Saturn's spin reverses, and one shouldn't consider rushing through long and detailed projects. Take this opportunity to breathe and to do things the right way the first time around. Issues with authority may rise to the forefront; sealing deals and finalizing contracts may be put off longer than you'd like. Deadline extensions are granted and you may find yourself hammering away again at something you thought was complete.

If Saturn is in retrograde in your chart, it's likely that you are constantly in conflict with authority. Either you feel persecuted by those who work above you or you are a person currently mismanaging your power position. Setting limitations and learning the levels to which others may be pushed are matters with which you must take issue. You are afraid of the risk needed to address the powers that be, but the rewards will be great if you can learn to gain more control in this part of your life. Patience will also be a lesson.

Uranus

Uranus is quite far from the Sun, and thus it takes a full 84 years for this planet to orbit the star at the solar system's center. A Uranian year is so long that this planet remains in each Sign of the Zodiac for about seven years. The stationary period for Uranus is two weeks, and its retrograde lasts for about five months out of every Earth year.

In general, when Uranus is in retrograde, we should expect the unexpected. Surprises pop out from every corner and this can be either marvelous or startling, depending on the situation. Uranus is the Wild Card of the Planets; it can bring drastic whims and shifts that amaze and bemuse. A Uranus retrograde could bring unexpected effects that could yield the complete opposite or even no change at all. During this time, chaos may be present either externally in the outside world or internally within the individual.

Uranus retrograde may set your wild side free or it could make a notoriously outgoing person uncharacteristically shy. Straight-laced school marms may suddenly be dancing on top of pianos and effervescent party types may suddenly feel more comfortable, calmly relaxing in a hot bath. Explosions in your personality are not uncommon; you may behave differently than other people perceive you.

Neptune

It takes 165 Earth years for Neptune to circle the Sun one time, long enough for this planet to spend fourteen years in each Sign of the Zodiac. Stationary for two weeks or so at a time, Neptune goes into retrograde five months out of every year.

With Neptune's retrograde, logic falls to the wayside in favor of esoteric interests and intuition. People begin to pay more attention to their dreams and explore more creative outlets. Neptune is the Planet of Illusion and Make Believe, and we may see shifts in film and television or entertainment media in general.

If the retrograde of Neptune is in your chart, you are likely involved in a serious escape fantasy into a dream world. No one really knows what goes on behind your eyes and though you may be sitting at a desk in an office, you're probably dancing ballet or hunting wolverines in your mind. The position of this planet can make some people more inhibited and unable to realize their dreams. Alternatively, some can be plunged into a dream world from which they can't resurface. This dream world may include drug or alcohol abuse, constant escapism, running away or absolutely shutting out reality.

Pluto

A whopping 248 years must pass here on Earth before Pluto completes a single cycle of rotation around the Sun. Pluto spends, on average, twenty-one years in each Sign and five months out of the year in retrograde. In between its regular cycle and retrograde Pluto rests stationary for up to seventeen days, depending on the season.

Fresh starts and dead ends accompany Pluto's retrograde stage. The things that we hang onto most tightly can suddenly be taken away. Pluto's retrograde is also a time of destruction and rebuilding, rejuvenation and regeneration. We may be forced to reevaluate the things we value most. Heavy forces that are outside of an individual's control are at play, including war, weapons and government upheaval.

With Pluto in retrograde in your birth chart, it's all an issue of control. Depending on the circumstances, you may find yourself in the grip of someone else's whim, feeling taken advantage of or manipulated. On the other end of the spectrum, you could be the person in the throne using your own power to destroy others and, ultimately, yourself and your world. Either way, the abuse of power is a very large issue for people born with a Pluto retrograde in their chart.

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Retrogrades
Retrogrades and Past Lives
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