In traditional astrology, retrogrades and stationary points are often seen as maleficent. First at all, we must treat retrogrades and stationary as two separate concepts when we talk about them.
When we talk about stationary planets most astrologers believe that it brings “ bad luck “ when planets change its motion from direct to retrograde. Stationary planets are just like those who are starved and thus feel weak. However when a retrograde planet becomes stationary and directs, it is like a patient who starts to recover and manages to walk on his own. It is slightly lucky.
As for retrograde planets, they are seen as unlucky for their different direction of motions. William Willy told us that we have to deduct 5 marks for retrograde planets because they do not have much power, whereas Bonatti said retrograde planets symbolise damages, mischief, discords and contradictions. Ibn Ezra says, “If the planet is about to reverse its motion, it forecasts unsuccessful consultation, difficulty and destruction.”William Lilly said retrograde planets will be riotous and vulgar when it is not well posited.
Modern astrologers do not want to believe that a retrograde planet would only bring forth maleficent and negative influence. Besides a powerless plant or a corrupted planet, we wish to have more points of views from other aspects.
Try to think about the quality of retrograde – retrograde is a movement backward, go back, reverse, go inward, upside down, repeat old pattern, repeat and repeat. Also when other planets move from West to East she moves in “another direction“. Why? What make her be different? How could she and how dare she is?
Let us use Venus as an example, in humanistic and psychological astrology, we believe that Venus is related to our values and love. This includes our attitude towards money, self-worth, what we find valuable or precious, attributes that we find adorable and fascinating, how we think love should be expressed, women that we love and feminine quality. When a planet is stationary or retrograde, their expressions of these issues would be quite different.
Are retrograde planets on a different attitude toward to planet themes?
Is there any implication of “different view of planet themes from the majority”?
Is retrograde planet going back to the path that it once passed through?
Is there any possibility of going inward?
Is there any implication of repeatedly doing the same thing since retrograde planet goes back and forth?
Retrograde planet may also imply going to our inner core and unconsciousness. So, does Venus retrograde imply going back to the unconsciousness to search for beauty and value? Instead of follow other people’s value. A retrograde Saturn suggests we search for our own rules instead of following other people’s experience. Next time when we think about a retrograde planet maybe we can think about it in a “different way“ not just good or bad.