If you were born during Mercury’s backward motion, you might have to work through some difficulties with shyness, clear communication, and information retention. Your inner critic is constantly debating whether you should have stated what you did. Because you’ve put in the time and effort, you can, with hard work, become a superb writer or speaker.
Retrograde planets in the horoscope can provide additional insights. The retrograde symbol actually resembles a Rx, because each prescription is a distinct type of medication. The appropriate dosage can help you learn a subject that used to be difficult for you. You might even instruct others on how to resolve their own problems with speaking up and having confidence.
In This Article...
How can I tell if I was born when Mercury was retrograde?
It is well known that Mercury retrograde can sabotage any type of communication. Fortunately, it only occurs four times a year for three weeks at a time, but if you were born during Mercury retrograde, its affects may continue a bit longer. It turns out that not everything is awful because many extremely successful people were born while Mercury was in retrograde. Being born with Mercury retrograde in your natal chart can be a great gift, even though it may not initially seem that way. However, it can also make some aspects of your life more ambiguous.
Priorities first Look at your birth chart (you can make a natal chart on Cafe Astrology for free), then locate Mercury to see if you were born during Mercury’s backspin. The word “Rx” will appear above the Mercury symbol in your chart if Mercury was in retrograde when you were born.
What does that signify, then? “They frequently find it difficult to communicate with people because they are lost in their own thoughts. For instance, they converse with themselves while the other person is, of course, unaware of it. They think they spoke what they were thinking, but they did not truly do so “According to Astrology Booth’s website, astrologer Janet Booth. Or they misunderstand what someone says because they extrapolate their own ideas onto the speaker’s words, or they failed to pay attention because they were preoccupied with their internal debate.
This isn’t necessarily a bad thing because introspective people frequently exhibit extraordinary creativity. The late musical genius Prince was a Mercury-retro baby, claims Booth on her website. She said that people born during Mercury retrograde typically exhibit shyness as children but develop greater extroversion by the time they are in their early 20s. And this is the point at which the majority of artists let loose on the world.
The retrograde birth chart is what?
The crucial word here is appears since, strictly speaking, no planet actually goes backwards in its orbit around the Sun. They don’t even slow down, in fact. Because the Earth orbits the Sun at a different rate than the other planets, retrograde-station-direct cycles are essentially illusions that arise from our vantage point on Earth.
More often than any other planet, Mercury goes into retrograde, but outer planets do it more regularly. Mercury can never be farther from the Sun than 28 degrees, and it always changes course when it is farther from the Sun. 710% of the time, Venus and Mars are in retrograde motion. For lengthy stretches of the year, Jupiter through Pluto are in retrograde motion.
A planet or body’s energies are directed inward while it is retrograde in the birth chart. However, there is something about the energies of the planet that the natives keep covert or hidden, even though they are frequently felt more intensely. When expressing the direct or overt energy of the planet, there may be shyness, embarrassment, or awkwardness.
The energies of the retrograde planet can occasionally cause delays in early life as well as denial, a lack of, or something missing. Saturn retrograde people may have experienced a lack of structure, discipline, or even an authoritative figure in their early years, and as a result, they may feel awkward in situations that require strict rules or etiquette. On the other hand, the outcome is similar if the native experienced very strict influences when they were youngerthey frequently feel guilty and worry excessively about fulfilling their obligations, what other people think of them, and how to follow the rules. That is one instance. Another scenario with Uranus retrograde prominent in the chart is where there may have been a lack of freedom, too many rules, or a lack of support for eccentricity and uniqueness in childhood, which resulted in the native’s expression of these traits in adulthood being constrained, choppy, and generally unnatural. When Venus is retrograde, it’s possible that the child was discouraged in some manner when they tried to express their love or become more appealing. It’s also possible that there wasn’t enough money or resources available.
Mercury Retrograde
Mercury is usually more keen and the sense of humor is more eccentric when it is retrograde at birth. When Mercury is retrograde in a person’s natal chart, they process information differently than when Mercury is direct. How many people have a retrograde Mercury at birth? approximately 18%.
It is common for people in this position to spend a lot of time thinking, verifying, and examining their thoughts and ideas before sharing them. Some people in this position battle with questions about their perceptions or their capacity to learn.
Venus Retrograde
Around 7-8% of the time that Venus is in retrograde, which means that 7-8% of births occur during Venus’s retrograde.
The emotional nature is intense when Venus is retrograde at birth. The act of socializing is never taken lightly. In their adolescence, they may exhibit some shyness due to feelings of uneasiness with small chat and social graces, as well as a dislike of superficialities. A person with a retrograde Venus values love greatly, but they may not express it clearly enough for others to understand exactly how passionately they can love. This individual is always more complex than they appear. They can occasionally conceal their romantic (and financial) lives in some way. Those who were born during Venus’s retrograde phase must be on the lookout for romantic self-destruction. An underlying sense of not being “good enough, beautiful enough, or loveable enough” might exist. There may be very deep insecurities. Self-love can be problematic. Fears can cause people to overcompensate by overeating, going on serial dates, etc., or they can have the reverse impact by making them believe they don’t require love. In one lifetime, the same person can swing from either pole. Of course, it is best to strike a balance. See more information on Venus Retrograde, including Venus Retrograde in the signs, in the Natal Chart.
Mars Retrograde
Being assertive or standing up for oneself can be difficult when Mars is retrograde at birth since it can arouse anxieties of being ineffectual. There may frequently be detours to take in order to achieve your goals. Despite being deeply ingrained, people frequently misjudge our want nature. Timing may be off frequently, or you may express your desires (or rage) in bursts rather than more freely, keeping these feelings to yourself and letting them fester until you lose control. You could come across too powerful or too weak depending on the situation, and you frequently think of the better thing to say or do afterwards, when you’re not under pressure. As working under pressure or with others can make you feel anxious, it is usually preferable to go at your own pace instead of following a schedule. As you become older, you could find highly original ways to physically express yourself or fairly effectively direct your energy in odd but useful directions.
Retrogrades become more frequent as the planets travel farther from us, and it is more typical for people to have these planets retrograde in their horoscopes.
Jupiter Retrograde
People with Jupiter retrograde in their birth charts have a propensity to have unique or diverse viewpoints, worldviews, or moral codes. Instead of learning from others, they would rather draw lessons from their own experiences and responses to them. They are planners who worry more than others about their future or the effects of their actions because they do not inherently believe in luck. They might have to learn that they are entitled to things that others would take for granted.
Saturn Retrograde
When Saturn is retrograde in the birth chart, feelings of guilt and self-doubt may be more frequent than usual. Internalized fears can cause people to put on a strong face so that others won’t perceive them as being vulnerable. Strong anxiety about disappointing other people, failing to fulfill their obligations, or ultimately making terrible decisions might also exist. Sometimes, discipline and order in childhood were lacking. In some ways, having Saturn retrograde in the chart has a similar effect to having a strong Uranus, where the native finds an excessively regimented or disciplined life unsettling. When they are in circumstances that call for protocol, etiquette, or particular sets of standards and rules, people born with Saturn retrograde may feel extremely uneasy or nervous.
Uranus Retrograde
Uranus retrograde can indicate a hesitance to adapt or a hidden skepticism of emerging ideas or advancements. While Uranus direct locals are more likely to flaunt their peculiarities, or at the very least to be proud of them, these folks may conceal them. Having Uranus in retrograde is comparable to having Saturn dominant in the chart, in certain aspects. With this posture, there may be a buildup of energy, so while they may follow the rules for a while, at some point they may have a fit of rebellion before returning to a more orderly, law-abiding lifestyle.
Neptune Retrograde
People with Neptune retrograde in their birth chart may have a tendency to suppress their weaknesses, spiritual side, or compassion because they feel awkward expressing them. These things may very well exist and go deep, but natives of Neptune retrograde prefer to keep them hidden. These folks may lack a strong sense of faith, making them inherently suspicious. They might anticipate the worse if they are left to fill in the blanks. As they worry about being let down, there can be a great risk of having unrealistically high expectations.
Pluto Retrograde
People with Pluto retrograde in their birth charts may be more likely than those with Pluto direct to dread being controlled, tricked, or misled by others. There might be a propensity for people to conceal these worries because doing so makes them feel more exposed. They may not always be in touch with this urge and don’t communicate their need for power or control to others as readily.
How can you tell whether your birth chart has a Mercury retrograde?
The Rx Club for Mercury Look for the glyph for Mercury. If there is a Rx next to it, you were born during a retrograde period.
How do I interpret my birth chart?
You may believe you understand astrology if you regularly read your horoscope, have CoStar and The Pattern downloaded on your phone, or dabble with tarot cards. However, everything begins and ends with your birth chart, according to personal astrologer Hedy (also known as Nymph of Neptune). According to her, interpreting your birth chart can actually shed light on conscious and unconscious areas of your life that you might not be aware of. The goal is to achieve psychological balance and improved life management so that you can manage your proclivities.
Wish to learn more? We looked to Nymph of Neptune for all the explanations for this process’s apparent complexity.
What exactly is a birth chart?
The planets’ positions in the sky at the time and day of your birth are summarized in your birth chart. According to Nymph of Neptune, “It’s a snapshot or map of the position of the planets or the stars at the time you were born.” This clarifies how each planet affects a distinct area of our lives in a unique way.
This basically means that different aspects of our lives are matched to the personality attributes of various zodiac signs in our birth charts. Since Venus, the planet that governs partnerships, is in the sign of Scorpio, for instance, it implies that you exhibit the characteristics of a passionate, intense, loyal, and sexual partner in your relationships.
How do you read your birth chart?
You’ll need to know the day, hour, and location of your birth in order to obtain your birth chart.
You can utilize an online astrology software or apps like The Pattern and CoStar to get the specifics of your birth chart and generate horoscopes using that particular data. However, Nymph of Neptune strongly advises having yours first read by a personal astrologer. The apps don’t provide the complete picture, she claims, and a professional chart reading can reveal all of your behavioral tendencies. “Astrologers have everything put out in front of them; they can observe a person’s tendencies, needs, and behaviors. And I believe that people have problems, particularly in relationships, because they chase after unsuitable partners. However, going to an astrologer can assist someone identify their needs, which might be something they weren’t even aware of or aware of.”
What are the key components of a birth chart?
A birth chart shows where each planet was at the moment of your birth, and each planet dominates a particular area of your life, as stated by Nymph of Neptune. When reading your horoscope, you usually refer to your sun sign because it effectively sums up who you are. Your moon sign, however, is significant since it reflects your emotional state and the type of nurture you experienced as a child. According to Nymph of Neptune, “It relates to your relationship needs and what you need in your adult life.” Your rising sign, which is based on the constellation that was in the sky when you were born, depicts how people initially see you: “basically, what external characteristics you display to the world.”
The other planets also symbolize certain facets of your existence.
Relationships are represented by Venus, communication by Mercury, action and aggression by Mars, expansion by Jupiter, self-control and fear by Saturn, innovation and development by Uranus, subconscious and healing by Neptune, and intensity and strength by Pluto. You may identify your characteristics, propensities, and habits, which will highlight both your strengths and areas that want improvement, by understanding which sign each planet belongs to.
The houses, which stand in for the earth’s rotation around its axis, are another feature of your birth chart. According to Nymph of Neptune, there are twelve houses, and each one represents a particular aspect or topic of life. Depending on the planet and sign that they are in, the houses provide more specific information about each area of your life.
The first house represents your ego and sense of self, the second house represents your possessions, the third house represents your community and communication, the fourth house represents your home and family, the fifth house represents your creativity and romance, the sixth house represents your health and work, the seventh house represents partnerships, the eighth house represents death, sex, and transformation, the ninth house represents travel and philosophy, the 10th house represents your reputation and career, and the 11th house represents your destiny.
Sounds challenging? Consider it like this: The formula in your birth chart, “planet + sign + house,” when added together, enables you to decipher your patterns.
How would your birth chart differ from someone else’s?
pretty a lot. Your chart would seem significantly different from someone born just a few days later because your personal planets, such as the moon, Venus, rising, Mercury, and Mars, can change signs as frequently as once every few hours to once every few days.
Pluto, Uranus, and Neptune are three incredibly slow-moving planets that only change signs every few years or so. These planets so recognize generational transitions and characteristics and will resemble your buddies who are close in age. “People born in the 1990s, for instance, are hypersexualized since Pluto was in Scorpio, the astrological sign that governs sex, at the time. These people are more sexually inclined than past generations as a generation, “says the Neptune Nymph.
What can a birth chart teach you?
Reading your birth chart, according to Nymph of Neptune, can reveal areas of your life that want improvement and help you comprehend why you behave the way you do in all spheres of your life. It reveals all of our behavioural tendencies, both positive and negative, she claims. “It highlights the negative behavioral patterns and aids in amplifying the favorable ones. You can stop them in their tracks once you have a clear grasp of why they occur.”
Take this instance to better understand how that functions in practice: “Anger outbursts are more likely in those with a Mercury or Mars location. But if they realize it and perhaps start engaging in a sport like boxing, it can help them manage their rage in that way “says the Neptune Nymph. Or it might simply increase their awareness of their actions.
Can you read your birth chart multiple times over?
Yes, depending on what’s happening in your life, you might even keep wanting to return to it. According to Nymph of Neptune, “Your birth chart has greater depth each time you look at it.” “I check back after events to see what I missed. We all experience different levels of spiritual development, therefore it gives me a mental boost and clarifies for me what I’ve forgotten. So while we may be very focused on how we handle our emotions and how we express our anger in January, by June we need to be reminded of that.” For instance, let’s imagine your relationship is having problems and your chart indicates that you are not taking care of your own needs. Reading your chart can then serve as a reminder of this tendency and enable genuine improvement.
How would each year be affected by your birth chart?
The planets are constantly moving, so they appear in varied positions throughout the year. As a result, there are times when a planetary retrograde or transit into a particular sign might have an impact on your life that you might not even be aware of unless you have a birth chart that shows you which sign and house each planet is in. In order for you to know what the following year has in store for you, Nymph of Neptune offers year-ahead chart readings.
The Mercury retrogrades, which take place three times a year, are one excellent illustration of this. Currently, Mercury generally governs technology and communication, but you could experience a retrograde if Mercury, for example, is in your home sector. “In this instance, Mercury could manifest during the retrograde by having a leak over your roof, which is completely unrelated. It might not be happening in a visible area, either; it might be happening in a more private setting, such as your own home. This won’t limit your ability to work, live, or travel, but it may indicate that you’re considering some things more often or processing them in a new way “says the Neptune Nymph.
Can a birth chart determine relationship compatibility?
“Absolutely,” responds the Nymph of Neptune. “You might determine a person’s habits in relationships and whether they had similar demands if you were looking for relationship compatibility. The moon, Venus, and Mars signs are the planets that matter most in this situation. It’s actually more significant that different sun signs may have extremely similar Venus indications.” Maybe you should already ask the birthdate of your crush?
What does it mean to have a Venus retrograde birth?
The feeling nature is intense when Venus is retrograde in the natal chart. The act of socializing is never taken lightly. In their adolescence, they may exhibit some shyness due to feelings of uneasiness with small chat and social graces, as well as a dislike of superficialities. A person with a retrograde Venus values love greatly, but they may not express it clearly enough for others to understand exactly how passionately they can love. This individual is always more complex than they appear. They can occasionally conceal their romantic (and financial) lives in some way.
Those who were born during Venus’s retrograde phase must be on the lookout for romantic self-destruction. An underlying sense of not being “good enough, beautiful enough, or loveable enough” might exist. There may be very deep insecurities. Self-love can be problematic. Fears can cause people to overcompensate by overeating, going on serial dates, etc., or they can have the reverse impact by making them believe they don’t require love. In one lifetime, the same person can swing from either pole. Of course, it is best to strike a balance.
It’s crucial for Venus retrograde individuals to refrain from seeking happiness elsewhere. The love you deserve will come to you when you cultivate happiness within and take ownership of your own happiness.
A person born with Venus retrograde can seem to be made or broken by relationships since they take them so seriously. This job comes with a deep-seated fear of being rejected. Whether or not the Venus retrograde person has moved on physically, there can be an exceptionally protracted emotional healing period following a breakup. Emotionally recovering from a tough relationship or breakup might take several years.
Venus retrograde individuals could be perceived by others as having a unique set of values when it comes to romantic relationships. But many Venus retrograde people have a strong moral code, and their views are very meaningful and real to them. It’s only that the majority may not always adhere to the same code!
If they are not satisfied with what they have to offer as a person, some retrograde Venus residents may appear to be purchasing love or they may express their love through materialistic attention more than others. With this situation, love and money may be tied together too intimately. In fact, Venus retrograde natives may experience financial losses in their love life.
With Venus retrograde, there may be privacy or secrecy about finances. They might store a secret stash, while on the other hand, they might quietly struggle with debt, be a closet shopper, or engage in gambling. Additionally, it could be difficult to demand what they are worth. When it comes to taking money, requesting a raise, or applying for high-paying employment, there could be reluctance. Venus retrograde in a person’s chart can cause them to undercharge for their services.
With this status, they could also have expectations of themselves that are excessively high. Retrograde Venus people may be focused on superficial parts of themselves, such as through extreme body awareness/shyness or care about their physical appearance, even when they detest superficiality in others. Ironically, those in this position should really question why they hold themselves to a higher standard than their romantic partners.
As a way to avoid putting their hearts on the line, insecurities might result in overcompensation, frequently with the features of the Venus sign. For instance, emphasis may be placed on sex instead of closeness or on monetary presents rather than more spiritual or overt displays of affection.
Delay in falling in love or getting married is sometimes linked to Venus retrograde. Many Venus residents in retrograde do, however, create early, committed alliances. However, generally speaking, it takes them a while before they truly open up to the union process. There may be considerable hesitation.
Natives of retrograde Venus are frequently misunderstood. This is due to two factors: first, they may not have traditional beliefs about love, marriage, women’s roles, and relationships; second, they might conceal their genuine emotions, which makes matters worse. Retrograde Venus locals may appear less emotional than they actually are due to defense strategies. In actuality, they have very strong feelings and take a very long time to not just get to know and trust someone, but also to move on from a challenging relationship.
One of the reasons their beliefs and attitudes are unconventional is that they may be profound thinkers when it comes to love and relationships, spotting problems and defects that others might not always notice. Many are ardent supporters of women’s rights and have a sensitive place for those who suffer as a result of strict regulations and expectations.
Natives of retrograde Venus can be a little challenging to adore because they appear to need more assurance than other people. Their current romantic desires and worries may be worsened by difficult childhood or early love experiences.
I don’t think folks born with Venus retrograde have a ball when Venus is in retrograde transit. They may, however, appear to handle this period better than others since they may be a little more accustomed to the energy that is there throughout the roughly 40 days of Venus retrograde.