Retrograde Apocalyptic

In my estimation, there are exactly three types of people in the world. There are those who are told that the burner is hot and avoid it, those that touch it and learn not to touch it again, and then there’s people like me. We’re the ones that have to touch it several times to prove, “yes, in fact, it is hot”. 

There are certain truths I must own up to – I’m famously stubborn and a challenger by nature (see: rebellious). It is also true that I was born during six retrogrades. Count them – six!

If you’re a astro-geek and really want to know what planets were retrograde at the time of my birth, they are: Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto. 

Now, a person can look at that chart and see DOOM spelled out in the stars, or as I’ve come to see it – it’s the type of person that needs to learn the lesson by doing, slowly, maybe over and over again. The kind of person that keeps touching that hot stove until they’re satisfied – until the Truth is revealed and internalized forever.

Which brings me to the “apocalypse” (obviously). Just like during retrogrades, when we humans hear the word apocalypse, we imagine a person running around screaming “the sky is falling, the sky is falling!” or maybe locusts, or aliens come to supply their slave army (at least, that’s what’s going on in my head). Instead, let’s jump in our Delorian and trace this word back. Apocalypse comes from the Greek word apokalyptein. “Apo” means “of” or “away from” while “kalyptein” means to cover or conceal. To make a long story short – apocalypse essentially means to ‘take off the cover or reveal what was once concealed’. In that case, how close it the word apocalypse to revelation?

If you really want to geek out on some words, I present to you The Online Etymology Dictionary. 

Now, back to retrogrades. A retrograde is when a planet appears to be traveling backwards in the sky. What is actually happening is that from our vantage point on Earth it just looks like it’s moving backwards. In our Solar System all planets are prograde. In other words, they move in the same direction as the rotation of the sun.

Then, why do astrologers and astro-geeks like me treat a retrograde (of really any planet) like a big event? There are those screaming “the sky is falling! the sky is falling!” and others (me) calmly trying to tell you that we’re going to keep touching that stove until we know it’s hot.

Wait, what?

Let’s look at the etymology of the word retrograde, which comes from the Latin retrogradi. This word, unlike apocalypse, was always used to indicate the apparent motion of celestial bodies. Retro means “backward” while gradi implies “to go”.

To go backwards …

The ancients looked to the Gods and Goddesses in the sky (celestial bodies) to inform them on how to best go about their lives – when to plant crops, get married, have children – the important stuff. Us humans living now can also look to the skies. It doesn’t matter whether you believe that the planets have an actual affect on your body and mind, or if you believe they make for good archetypes. Either way, they can help you to make soul-connected decisions about your life. Perhaps, that’s why modern astrologers use “Rx” to indicate a retrograde planet. You know where you’ve seen that shorthand before, right? On a prescription.

A retrograde can be your medicine …

What if we choose to “go backwards” and review certain areas of our lives to ultimately experience a revelation (a.k.a. an apocalypse)?

Let’s make like the ancients. Every time we see the following planets go “retrograde”, let’s consider, go back, and uncover what’s really happening in the corresponding areas of our lives.

Mercury: Communication and Brain Chemistry

Venus: Love, Attraction, and Resources

Mars: Motivation and Anger

Jupiter: Abundance and Expansion

Saturn: Ambition and Responsibility

Uranus: Freedom and Rebellion

Neptune: Fantasy and Spirituality

Pluto: Death and Rebirth

If you remember how this all started – I was born with six planets in retrograde. It seems that I have chosen to come into this body and learn six key lessons once and for all by touching that dang hot stove over, and over, and over, and over. Experience, internalize, go back, uncover, reveal, and repeat.

And where does all this work lead us?

To the apocalypse!

Relax. Apocalypse means to reveal, remember?

 

(photo credit: Adam Wilson on Unsplash)