About Retrograde Planets
The Symbolism of Retrograde Motion
My teacher of astrology, Russian mathematician and aeronautical engineer Augustina Semenko, used to say that the whole story of retrograde motion is about the change of stereotype.
A Stereotype? What is this?
Whether we realise this or not, in our lives we have some reference points for our experiences, some templates or patterns which define exactly how we perform this or that activity. We tend to communicate in a certain manner peculiar to us, our preferences in learning a new information may be quite different from those of the other people. We prefer to read certain kind of articles in certain newspapers, to express our thoughts in a manner of our own. All these details of our personal approach towards communication can be perseived as the Stereotype of Mercury.
The Stereotype of Venus is about our likes and dislikes, values, attractions and fashions. We prefer certain styles, colours, we might feel affinity with some people but not with the others. We have specific preferences in food and drinks.
The Stereotype of Mars is about how we are using our energy to achieve what we want to achieve. It defines our approach to work, sports, exercising, our ability to pursue our goals and defend ourselves, both physically and psychologically. Mars is closely related to the sexual energy and to the way we express our sexuality.
The important idea is that our stereotypes do not stay the same over the whole life. They tend to change, to evolve and develop. However, the changes in our attitudes can be more noticeable for those people who are not very close to us. And the last person to notice any change is ourselves.
Anyway, the idea is that the most important changes in our stereotypes take place during the retrograde motion of the appropriate planets.
Before point 1 on the graph shown on the previous page we are happy to use the old stereotype. However, during the period of time from point 1 to point 2 the old stereotype becomes weaker and weaker until it completely vanishes at point 2.
We are left in this world without a stereotype to use and we feel like we have lost something. We go backwards in an attempt to find what we have lost, and the period from point 2 to point 3 is when we have no stereotype at all and are looking for one. This is a strange and interesting time when many things can happen - those which would seem to us impossible before. Some usual, basic affairs might be not very successful however, as we have no firm ground to deal with them.
We pick up some new stereotype at around point 3, and then the period of time from point 3 to point 4 is when we learn to use the new stereotype, this takes some time.