Chapter One
Retrograde Planets and What They Can Offer You
What Is a Retrograde Planet? Retrograde simply describes the apparent backward motion of a planet through the zodiac or an astrological sign when the planet is observed from the earth. Essentially, a faster-moving planet is passing a slower-moving planet, creating the illusion that the slower planet is moving backward, or retrograde. When you pass a car while driving, the car you are passing looks like it is moving backward. When you observe a fastermoving train passing a slower train, the slower one appears to be moving backward, but of course this is not true. They are both moving forward, but the slower train just looks like it is moving backward. Except for the Sun and Moon, the remaining planets move in retrograde motion at various times during the year. Each planet has its own unique length of time in which it remains retrograde before resuming direct motion. This will be explained further in the Mercury, Venus, and Mars chapters that follow. 5