Source:Wikimedia Commons


Good Day!

Today Jupiter, the planet of opportunity and expansion, begins its annual period of retrograde motion.  This could usher in a few days of mixed messages and confusion, and you may have the feeling that the brass ring is retreating from sight just when you were about to reach it.

With Jupiter, most of us like the planet straight up, in direct motion.  When Jupiter is direct we feel optimistic and altruistic; we feel that life is grand, a game to be played, and we’re on the lookout for the next good thing.  That’s why it can be depressing around the time Jupiter enters retrograde motion:  our enthusiasm can flag, we feel like retreating from our normal range of activity, and our strategies that seemed so perceptive a few weeks ago look overblown and overconfident.

People who were born when Jupiter was retrograde may have a different experience of the retrograde period.  You may feel like you found your good judgment again and are happy to settle into a more calm and inner-directed mode of being.  Jupiter retrograde brings opportunities to spend time alone and to connect with our own sources of wisdom.  Especially if we’ve been influenced too heavily by the desires and especially the morals of others, Jupiter retrograde brings a welcome return to our own standards and values.

Often when Jupiter turns retrograde some source of external support is withdrawn, and that could shake us up for a few days.  However next week, when the Sun forms a harmonious trine with retrograde Jupiter, we can receive deeper insight into why this was necessary.  Perhaps we’ve become over-dependent on others’ resources or we’ve let others establish goals for our business that are unsustainable.  Perhaps we’ve been masking feelings of trepidation about a project because we were enjoying the prestige that accompanied it.  Perhaps we’ve seen the writing on the wall about an idea we’ve invested time and money into, but we were unwilling to throw in the towel and admit that we took it too far.  Or maybe overconfidence has brought about a state in which we’re spread too thin, either energetically or financially.

Extreme Retrograde Motion! (Source:Wikimedia Commons)

Whatever the trigger, when Jupiter goes retrograde we have the opportunity to slow down.  Often there is an edict from a powerful stakeholder:  your spouse, your partner, your banker, your board, and for a time you feel that you could be successful if others would just give you free rein.  But actually this isn’t the case.  In order to maintain integrity and balance, there needs to be a deceleration and withdrawal.  To regroup.  To retreat.  To examine the ethics of the situation.  To set new goals, goals that are more realistic and fulfilling.

Jupiter will be in retrograde motion until November 19.  This is an excellent time to vacation, to do inner work to define your goals, to take classes to hone a skill, and to mentor others.  It’s not a good time for risk-taking or aggressive expansion, although we shouldn’t resist the natural growth that may unfold during this time.  In fact, because we’re more tuned in and reliant on our own resources, an excellent foundation for the future can be laid.

This year, with all of the conflicting energies of this summer, Jupiter turning retrograde should have a calming effect.  With a retrograde Jupiter, almost all of the planets involved in our summer of transformation are retrograde, with the exception of Saturn.  This should simmer down the energy and help us to let matters unfold rather than pushing our agendas.  And with retrograde motion that’s what we need – time to withdraw, recuperate, and re-vision.

Have a great weekend, and be sure to look for that Full Moon on Sunday – a blessing for sure!

Here are a few posts to help you understand Retrograde Motion:

Elegant Stillness

Retracing Your Steps – Retrograde Motion

What did you miss?

For an overview of the week, see the Astro4Business Weekly Forecast – July 19-25

For an overview of the month, see the Astro4Business Month Ahead – July 2010