Are retrogrades always bad?

[MeganJoZodiac]

I was watching a psychic reading done on YouTube and the guy was reading a celebrity who said that the celebrity released their album at the wrong time (during mercury retrograde). A lot of people hated the album. There are a lot of retrogrades right now. Does this mean anything bad?

 

[IleneK]

Are retrogrades always bad?
Not necessarily.
Merc is about contracts, transactions, among other things. It's also about modes of transportation. So you might not want to sign a contract during a Merc retrograde period. Or maybe buy a vehicle of some kind. But I don't think Merc Rx means you can't do anything successfully during that period. It means you may need to go back and check things carefully. This is one example of what Merc Rx might mean.
So I don't see it pointing necessarily to the lack of success for an album release. But it would really depend upon the details surrounding the matter, which we don't know.

 

[FraterAC]

I think there is a lot of unfounded fear about retrogrades, and especially retrogrades of Mercury. People seem to be almost as worried about Mercury going retrograde as they are worried about a Saturn return. I think both of these are just pop astrology tropes, with no real teeth.

People used to worry about the dreaded Moon Wobble. I doubt very many here even know or remember what that was. It certainly never stopped the Earth spinning...

Mercury's retrograde cycle is 116 days, during which it is retrograde about 21 days. Note that everything in this sublunary world does not stop every 4 months or so.
All the planets (excluding the Lights) go retrograde. From Jupiter out they go retrograde every year for about the same time, months apiece. They do NOT immediately go evil. Lives are not wrecked.

There is nothing wrong with pausing, retracing one's steps, returning and consolidating one's gains.

 

[athenian200]

According to what I know, the only time a retrograde is supposed to be bad, is for starting something brand-new. If you're revisiting something you've done in the past but didn't finish, it can actually be an auspicious time to do something like that. It usually just causes delays and confusion surrounding new projects or things that require forward momentum. If you are revisiting old things or sticking to a routine, it really doesn't affect you as much.

People that act like all communication would be disrupted or it ruins lives would, of course, be exaggerating a lot.

 

[John Thompson]

The retrograde phase of a planets cycle, is exactly that, part of a cycle. How many people here have a planet retrograde in their natal charts? Do you fear it? No; you have to live with it, or, if fearful, you have to learn to live with it. Understanding planetary cycles is far more useful than sitting back in uneducated fear. Even in horary, retrograde planets are not good or bad depending on the question, context and texture of the question. Many traditional evaluations of strength and debility at this level are directed at the uninformed/students as a first call of reference.

 

[Cosmiccradle]

From what I've come to learn a retrograde planet is not bad. The working of the planet is slower, that is to say the lessons that the planet and placing enhances take longer to learn and understand. A direct planet gives a straight path, a retrograde planet via a side road but sooner or later reaches the same goal.

 

[PenguinTrauma]

It depends really. The outers from Jupiter onwards are retrograde for half the year, so I think they are either barely felt, or only seen from a collective level. Unless they are retrograding back and forth over a sensitive spot in your chart!

I have noticed Venus retrograde in particular is bad for makeovers, haircuts, beauty treatments, even buying decor and soft furnishings.

I've lost count the amount of disastrous hair and beauty treatments I've had specifically during Venus retrogrades, with the end of the story always being, "I cried on the way home!". The worst was a tattoo, which got ballsed up I got it redone after Venus stationed direct, so I managed to salvage it!

Also, decor and furnishings. I remember buying what I thought was a sleek classy grey duvet cover and pillow set during a Venus retrograde.

Once Venus went direct, I realised that the shade of grey was not so classy, but more like a shade of grey that was so depressing, it made my room look like a hospital! I gave it away in the end.

So I make it my strict rule now, no clothes or decor purchases, or hair and beauty treatments, until Venus officially leaves shadow. If I'm tempted, I will leave it in the checkout basket icon, and then come back to it after the retrograde.

10 out of 10 times, the checkout basket gets emptied!