A Retrograde planet is the result of an optical illusion. All the planets turn around the Sun. Relative from our point of view on Earth, it appears sometimes that a planet will stop and go backwards (retrograde motion), then stop again and go forward (direct motion).
During a Retrograde period, the expression of the architype of that planet in our life will be reviewed for a stronger expression later. It is not a good idea then to push forward any practical venture. It is better to prepare for it rather than doing it and to move ahead later with the direct phase.
RETROGRADE MERCURY
Some of you like to adjust the timing of their events based on a good collaboration from Mercury. Mercury goes Retrograde 3 times every year. As it slows down before the Retrograde period, we call it Pre-Retrograde. Mercury is then loosing power and it can't serve well the new projects taking place. Then there is the Post-Retrograde when Mercury is picking up speed but is still moving slowly enough to cause a slow progress in projects. Of course this is only an optical illusion from Earth point of view. In reality Mercury keeps going around the Sun, always in the same direction and more or less at the same speed.
So, to make planning easier, here are the dates when it is a "GO" - which is between the dates below (for instance, it is a GO between March 28th and May 31st). During the dates mentioned here (such as from January 30th to March 28th, for instance) it is better to "nurture or complete what you have without extending into new territory":
Pre-Retrograde/November 5th to 24th, 2011
Retrograde/November 24th to December 14th, 2011
Post-Retrograde/December 14th, 2011, to January 1st, 2012
Pre-Retrograde/February 27th to March 12th, 2012
Retrograde/March 12th April 4th, 2012
Post-Retrograde/April 4th to 23rd, 2012
Pre-Retrograde/June 27th to July 15th, 2012
Retrograde/July 15th to August 8th, 2012
Post-Retrograde/August 8th to 22nd, 2012
Pre-Retrograde/October 18th to November 6th, 2012
Retrograde/November 6th to 26th, 2012
Post-Retrograde/November 26th to December 14th, 2012
Pre-Retrograde/February 9th to 23rd, 2013
Retrograde/February 23rd to March 17th, 2013
Post-Retrograde/March 17th to April 17th, 2013
Pre-Retrograde/June 10th to 26th, 2013
Retrograde/June 26th to July 20th, 2013
Post-Retrograde/July 20th to August 4th, 2013
Pre-Retrograde/October 1st to 21st, 2013
Retrograde/October 21st to November 10th, 2013
Post-Retrograde/November 10th to 27th, 2013
Pre-Retrograde/January 22nd to February 6th, 2014
Retrograde/February 6th to 28th, 2014
Post-Retrograde/February 28th to March 20th, 2014
Pre-Retrograde/May 22nd to June 7th, 2014
Retrograde/June 7th to July 2nd, 2014
Post-Retrograde/July 2nd to 31st, 2014
Pre-Retrograde/September 13th to October 4th, 2014
Retrograde/October 4th to 16th, 2014
Post-Retrograde/October 16th to November 10th, 2014
Pre-Retrograde/January 6th to 21st, 2015
Retrograde/January 21st to February 11th, 2015
Post-Retrograde/February 11th to March 3rd, 2015
Pre-Retrograde/May 4th to 19th, 2015
Retrograde/May 19th to June 11th, 2015
Post-Retrograde/June 11th to 27th, 2015
Pre-Retrograde/August 28th to September 17th, 2015
Retrograde/September 17th to October 9th, 2015
Post-Retrograde/October 9th to 24th, 2015
Pre-Retrograde/December 19th, 2015, January 5th, 2016
Retrograde/January 5th to 25th, 2016
Post-Retrograde/January 25th to February 14th, 2016
Pre-Retrograde/April 14th to 28th, 2016
Retrograde/April 28th to May 22nd, 2016
Post-Retrograde/May 22nd to June 7th, 2016
Pre-Retrograde/August 10th to 30th, 2016
Retrograde/August 30th to September 22nd, 2016
Post-Retrograde/September 22nd to October 7th, 2016
Pre-Retrograde/December 1st to 19th, 2016
Retrograde/December 19th, 2016, to January 8th, 2017
Post-Retrograde/January 8th to 28th, 2017
When Mercury goes retrograde, mistakes, misunderstandings, problems in communication and transportation are more likely. Do not sign contracts, nor buy important items, nor begin new projects. It is an excellent time to plan, enquire or prepare for something that will happen later.
RETROGRADE VENUS
Pre-Retrograde/April 11th to May 15th, 2012
Retrograde/May 15th to June 27th, 2012
Post-Retrograde/June 27th to July 31st, 2012
Pre-Retrograde/November 20th to December 21st, 2013
Retrograde/December 21st, 2013, to January 31st, 2014
Post-Retrograde/January 31st to March 4th, 2014
Pre-Retrograde/June 21st to July 25th, 2015
Retrograde/July 25th to September 6th, 2015
Post-Retrograde/September 6th to October 9th, 2015
Pre-Retrograde/January 30th to March 4th, 2017
Retrograde/March 4th to April 15th, 2017
Post-Retrograde/April 15th to May 18th, 2017
When Venus goes Retrograde, money and love are reviewed, and old relations return to be completed. Avoid beginning a new love relationship as it will tend to experience difficulty moving forward.
RETROGRADE MARS
Pre-Retrograde/November 14th, 2011, to January 24th, 2012
Retrograde/January 24th to April 14th, 2012
Post-Retrograde/April 14th to June 19th, 2012
Pre-Retrograde/December 26th, 2013, to March 1st, 2014
Retrograde/March 1st to May 20th, 2014
Post-Retrograde/May 20th to July 20th, 2014
Pre-Retrograde/February 18th to April 17th, 2016
Retrograde/April 17th to June 29th, 2016
Post-Retrograde/June 29th to August 21st, 2016
Pre-Retrograde/May 11th to June 26th, 2018
Retrograde/June 26th to August 27th, 2018
Post-Retrograde/ August 27th to October 8th, 2018
When Mars goes Retrograde, any direct action becomes difficult. Traveling within, finishing tasks left incomplete, redoing, renovating, and repairing will work better than pushing forwards with any direct action.
RETROGRADE JUPITER
-August 30th to December 25th, 2011
-October 4th, 2012, to January 30th, 2013
-November 7th, 2013, to March 2nd, 2014
-December 8th, 2014, to April 8th, 2015
-January 8th to May 9th, 2016
-February 6th to June 9th, 2017
When Jupiter goes Retrograde, it is good to review our vision, ideals, and belief systems.
RETROGRADE SATURN
-January 26th to June 13th, 2011
-February 7th to June 25th, 2012
-February 18th to July 8th, 2013
-March 2nd to July 20th, 2014
-March 14th to August 2nd, 2015
-March 25th to August 13th, 2016
-April 6th to August 25th, 2017
When Saturn goes Retrograde, it is a good time to revisit our relationship to long term goals, responsibilities and duties, how we assume or relate to authority, time to restructure the way we manifest our reality, and find a new relationship to obstacles. From a medical point of view, one would benefit from verifying the state of bones and spine.
RETROGRADE URANUS
-July 9th to December 10th, 2011
-July 13th to December 13th, 2012
-July 17th to December 17th, 2013
-July 21st to December 21st, 2014
-July 26th to December 26th, 2015
-July 28th to December 29th, 2016
-August 3rd, 2017, to January 2nd, 2018
When Uranus goes Retrograde, our inner freedom is the focus. Ask yourself: Am I in the flow of my calling in life?
RETROGRADE NEPTUNE
-May 31st to November 7th, 2010
-June 3rd to November 9th, 2011
-June 4th to November 11th, 2012
-June 7th to November 13th, 2013
-June 9th to November 16th, 2014
-June 12th to November 18th, 2015
-June 13th to November 20th, 2016
-June 16th to November 22nd, 2017
When Neptune goes Retrograde, our spirituality, inner tranquility, and vision quest are the focus.
RETROGRADE PLUTO
-April 9th to September 16th, 2011
-April 10th to September 18th, 2012
-April 12th to September 20th, 2013
-April 14th to September 22nd, 2014
-April 16th to September 25th, 2015
-April 18th to September 26th, 2016
-April 17th to September 28th, 2017
When Pluto goes Retrograde, it is good to reflect on how we are doing with change and transformation.