The Ultimate 2021 Retrograde Planets Calendar

2021 brings us a great deal of retrograde planets in air signs, marking reconsiderations and changes in everything communication or learning-related, especially when it comes to tech or innovations of any kind.

It will be a year to revisit old information, revise past plans, and reconsider the way we connect with others, changes that are likely to be triggered by misunderstandings or confusion- two inconvenient, but in the long term meaningful, trademarks of retro seasons.

For a shorter while, planets moving backward in feminine, introverted signs will also stir things up in the area of emotions and commitment. Let’s see what the 2021 retrogrades will bring us!

Mercury Retrograde: On The Merry-Go-Round

Just like this past year, 2021 brings three months of Mercury retrograde, hopefully with less craziness than we’ve grown accustomed to in 2020. The planet of communication, learning, short trips, and commerce will appear to be moving backward in the skies in the three Air signs of knowledge: Gemini, Libra, and Aquarius challenging us to a makeover of our plans and ideas while bringing the usual dose of volatility and confusion in the mix. Let’s find out more!

Mercury Retrograde In Aquarius: January 30- February 21

The energy of cutting-edge Aquarius- manifesting as intellectual curiosity, detachment, and a strong penchant for change- is soaking the general atmosphere more and more since December, when Jupiter and Saturn are entering this airy, rebellious sign. From January 30 to February 21, we’re already disseminating the changes that have taken place as Mercury retrograde spurs us to reconsider our vision, our ideals, our plans for the future, our social life, and the innovations (in technology, medicine, education, or any other relevant field) that have transpired in these past months.

Redesigning online education, improving flaws in the system, working out kinks around the distribution and effects of the COVID vaccine could be some manifestations of the February Mercury retro, while on a personal level, we’re being called to reflect on our social engagements, our projects and allegiances, our plans for a better world, and the knowledge& skills necessary to move forward.

On a practical level, it’s good to have our tech appliances checked and our data backed up before Mercury goes retrograde, and to rely less than usual on online communication or fixed opinions and ideas- they could often let us down.

Mercury Retrograde In Gemini: May 30- June 23

June’s Mercury retro season in the witty sign of Gemini could bring confusion around exchanging ideas, signing documents, social media, commerce, or short-term trips. At its best, Mercury in Gemini is clear, objective, and empirical; when retrograde, its usual scientific way of thinking can be distorted through rationalization, twisting the facts, fake news, or gossiping.

At least we know what to steer away from! On the bright side, these are three weeks for re-reading past courses or favorite books, reconnecting with old classmates or friends, and reconsidering old ideas or plans. Which parts of the past are still worth hanging on to, and what kind of thought patterns support our growth?

During this Mercury retrograde, we need to arm ourselves with a bit of patience, tolerance, and willingness to let go of our usual thoughts and expectations in favor of a more intuitive, go-with-the-flow approach- and, perhaps, breathe while slowly counting to 10 anytime traffic jams or misdirected e-mails get on our nerves.

Mercury Retrograde In Libra: September 27- October 18

This autumn’s Mercury retrograde season brings a focus on relationships and partnerships, especially linked to the way we speak our minds, set boundaries, and make compromises. Libra is all about fairness and balance, and these three weeks could make it a challenge to express our needs and our values in a relationship while also considering the other person’s side.

Points of view could be misunderstood, words could often come out wrong, and it could be easier than usual to get hurt by other people’s opinions or reactions. If you can, shelve major relationship decisions until after the retrograde, remembering that this is a time of reconsideration, negotiation, and working out past conflicts rather than starting something new.

Confusion could also appear around signing documents, establishing work partnerships, or generally deciding what’s fair and what isn’t. For many of us, Mercury retrograde in Libra can be a time of recalibrating our inner compass and connecting to our worth& intuition when making decisions, beyond fears of losing people’s appreciation or support if we dare to be ourselves. For others, this Mercury retro season can be a time of re-learning flexibility, negotiation skills, and compromise.

Venus Retrograde: Love And Other Responsibilities

From December 19, 2021, to January 29, 2022, love goddess Venus will retrograde through buttoned-down Capricorn, bringing serious reconsiderations and renegotiations of terms and commitments in our personal and professional relationships.

Even if it only marks the last twelve days of 2021, this retrograde season will have a transformative effect on the way we relate to ourselves, to others, and to our responsibilities. When Venus retrogrades, the current of affection and interest that we usually direct towards others is focused within.

With Venus in Capricorn, this introversion can be prompted by external situations where we might feel unloved, judged, treated coldly, too formally, or with disregard towards our needs. Situations of this kind can send a gentle message of re-learning self-love and self-value as we choose which relationships are worth investing in, and which ones are only arrangements that offer no real nurturance anymore.

Many of us could tend towards solitude and work during this time rather than focusing on socializing or pleasure. This Venus retrograde season can be an opportunity to reorganize ourselves when it comes to work, hobbies, or pleasure, to renew old commitments- but only if they suit our current needs-, and to find a kind of discipline that’s both effective and gentle. Relationships started during this time can teach us more about what we want and what brings us pleasure, even if they’re not guaranteed to last in the long run.

Jupiter Retrograde: Temperance

For some of us, unresolved issues linked to fairness at the workplace might resurface at this time, while others will feel like they have to work harder than usual to reach their goals. Jupiter retrograde in Capricorn makes us reevaluate our priorities, our beliefs about how society should function, our work ethic. Corruption lies, or manipulation could come to the surface and it’s good to be aware of our own belief system in the middle of it all, staying mindful not to become too dictatorial about our ideas (however “right” they are).

Check all the details if you’re starting a new job or joining a political or spiritual group at this time. Another helpful idea is to keep an abundance mentality, receiving and giving (money, energy, time) freely, even as resources might feel scarce or limited during this retrograde.

Jupiter Retrograde In Pisces: June 20- July 28

Freshly ingressed into Pisces, where he amplifies compassion and fantasy and makes an art out of blurring boundaries, expansive Jupiter is already going retrograde in this sign on June 20, prompting us to reconsider our spiritual beliefs, our tendencies towards escapism, and our ways of expressing selflessness and generosity.

Jupiter is at home in the all-encompassing sign of Pisces, a placement that energizes us with benevolence, tolerance, compassion, and unlimited idealism. When retrograde, Jupiter in Pisces is still a good omen, but it can guide us, in more or less subtle ways, to temper our impulses towards self-sacrifice if they tend to be destructive and to reconsider the way we satisfy our emotional needs if we’ve been doing it through addiction, harmful fantasy, or other noxious habits.

What Jupiter retrograde is basically doing is putting a “stop” sign in those areas where we’d otherwise tend to go full speed ahead, and in Pisces, this can also apply to daydreaming or hoping without any concrete plans. On the bright side, Jupiter retrograde in Pisces can reconnect us with old spiritual guides or practices and can help us revive our sense of connection and cosmic significance.

Jupiter Retrograde In Aquarius: July 28-October 18

When retrograde in the cerebral sign of Aquarius, Jupiter brings our focus on the way we take in and share information, as well as on the contribution that we’re making to society, whether alone or hand in hand with like-minded people. For almost three months, this retrograde season supports us to revisit old information, to revise old plans that, perhaps, never came to be realized, and to reconsider our friendships and our allegiances to social groups.

On a large scale level, these months could bring revisions of innovations and projects implemented in April, especially in the areas of technology, politics, education, medicine, or justice, and particularly linked to how realistic and practical these projects are.

Aquarius is all about the scientific method, and this year’s summer-autumn could prompt us to stay reasonable about our beliefs, our ideals, and our allegiances while avoiding a holier-than-thou attitude of self-righteousness or moral superiority. Jupiter retrograde in Aquarius is here to remind us that we’re all in this together, and that progress is a step-by-step process rather than a one-time revolution.

Saturn Retrograde: Tasks And Boundaries

From May 23 to October 11, task-master Saturn retrogrades through the rebellious, yet structured sign of Aquarius. As the circumstances we live in are rapidly shifting, this year’s focus on Aqua retrogrades makes it clear that we’ll be reconsidering our friendships, our allegiances, our long-term goals, and our approach to freedom and progress more than anything in 2021.

With Saturn in Aquarius, we’ll be going through circumstances that test the solidity of the new habits and structures that we’ve been creating since December 2020, both on a social and personal level. We could find ourselves in situations where we need to reconsider our past choices (especially those taken in March and April) and to continually improve on our plans, bringing self-discipline and accountability in the mix of insurgency and idealism that will soak next year’s atmosphere.

Generally, from May to October, there might be a feeling that things aren’t moving forward as they should be, and that long-awaited changes are making us wait further still; what’s happening is that Saturn retrograde is making sure that our plans are sound and that our allegiances are the right ones before giving us the green light.

Sometimes, this can mean going through a bit of a dry spell on a social level or encountering obstacles that test our commitment to all things Aquarian: progress, freedom, authentic self-expression, knowledge, and the belief in a better world.

Uranus Retrograde: Inner Change

From January 14 to August 20, Uranus, the planet of progress and insight, moves on its yearly backward path through the skies, prompting us to stay mindful of our inner restlessness and need for novelty before starting to implement changes in the outside world.

In the practical sign of Taurus, Uranus retrograde could bring reconsiderations linked to finances, material resources, skills, and values, supporting us- often in unexpected ways- to make the inner shifts needed to attract positive change in our lives.

Stay mindful of how you manifest traits such as stubbornness or rebellion, and notice what’s changing in your life especially around January 14 and August 20. These are times for trusting the shifts that are meant to guide you towards greater authenticity, freedom, and understanding.

Neptune Retrograde: Weaving The Dream

From June 25 to December 1, mystical Neptune retrogrades in his home sign, Pisces. This usually introverted planet brings an even deeper focus on intuition, fantasy, and unconditional love when it’s retrograde, encouraging us to foster acceptance and spiritual connection.

The tricky part is to make the difference between insight and self-delusion, compassion and harmful self-sacrifice, connection, and addiction; luckily, this is exactly what Neptune retrograde is here to support us with! Pay attention to your emotions and to external circumstances that might befuddle you around June 25 and December 1, focusing on your gut instinct and finding ways to use this hazy energy for bringing more magic into your life.

Pluto Retrograde: Inner Transformation

From April 27 to October 6, Pluto, the planet of secrets and transformation, retrogrades in the industrious sign of Capricorn. Every year, Pluto retrograde marks those months when we’re supported to let go of situations, thoughts, or emotions that no longer serve us, so we can prepare for transformation in our lives once he goes direct again. Pluto retrograde brings forth our shadow side and can reveal hidden intentions, information, or feelings; in Capricorn, we could be confronted with themes linked to power, control, structure, tradition, or fear of inadequacy.

Stay mindful of what transformative, intense situations come up in your life around April 27 or October 6, trusting that they’re here to help you let go of attachments and connect more deeply to your essence.

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