RETROGRADE MOTION, MUSINGS AND TRIVIA

It Moves Backward, you say?!?!
Of course, Mercury doesn't actually reverse it's path around the sun! Everyone knows this!

Retrograde motion is the apparent motion of a planet to move in a direction opposite to earth. It's all an illusion!

The Earth completes its orbit in 365 days (+ a few hours), which is a slower trip around the Sun than the planet Mercury has; thus, Earth will periodically overtake its orbit, resulting in the illusion of Mercury's backward motion. This happens 3 to 4 times a given year.

The outer planets don't move as fast in their orbits as Earth, but even still, when planet Earth passes their orbits it results in the same phenomenon.

The outer planets retrograde period begin and end when the planet is approximately past 120 degrees (or Trine) from the Sun. The center of their retrograde motion occurs when the planet is exactly opposite the Sun.

The inner planets, Venus and Mercury, can never be trine or in opposition to the Sun. Their retrograde cycles are tied to their conjunctions with the Sun.
When Venus and Mercury are conjunct the Sun they transition from morning star to evening star.

Retrograde Sun? You're kidding, right?
The Sun and Moon never appear retrograde from planet Earth. However, the Sun does appear to move backward from the surface of Mercury!

Interestingly, Mercury has a most eccentric orbit. (view image above)

If we were able to view the Sun from Mercury's surface, we would observe the Sun rising part way, then reverse and set before rising again, all within the same Mercurian day. Thus, to the hypothetical observer on Mercury, the Sun appears to move in a retrograde direction!

This apparent retrograde motion of the Sun from Mercury's surface occurs four Earth days before the conjunction of Mercury and the Sun; the Sun's "normal" motion resumes four days after the conjunction.

Intense Mischievousness of Mercury during Stations
The apparent motion of Mercury stopping to change direction – the station - is felt by us Earthlings more intensely than during retrograde motion. I can't help but wonder, is the retrograde Sun viewed from Mercury's surface the reason stations of Mercury are felt by us Earthlings more intensely?  Who knows?


***
RETROGRADE, JANUARY 21ST - February 11
On the 21st of January, Mercury STOPPED its forward moving direction and began to move in the opposite direction - it will do this until it will reach 01.18 degrees of Aquarius (where it was on January 5th).

The Mischievous Maker Mercury will stop again on February 11th, change direction, and begin to move forward once again. 

WHAT IS MERCURY'S SHADOW PERIOD?
The time it takes for Mercury to move between 01.18 degrees of Aquarius to 17.05 degrees of Aquarius - where it was on January 5 and return back to where it was on January 21 - moving first forward, then backward, and then forward again - is approximately 59 days. This is what astrologer's call Mercury's Shadow Period.

Astrologer's say this entire shadow period is subject to difficulties related to anything the planet rules astrologically, and we all need to proceed cautiously during this time. However, what gets everyone's attention is when it is considered actually retrograde for approximately 21 days!

It is NOT a good time to sign contracts, or purchase big ticket items if it is not something you normally do during daily activities during Mercury retrograde.  One should go about their normal course of business and daily activities of course!  But it is a time to be cautious. New, out of the ordinary, important decisions made during Mercury retrograde often come back and regrettably haunt you - and often they are reversed.

Basically, it is a good time to do things that start with “re”. Example: read, research, recycle, repair, restore, review. Now is the best time to clean up and finish up with those old projects we have been procrastinating doing, and wait to begin new projects.

Oh, and if you haven't, CAREFULLY back up your computer! Computers tend to be buggy, and crash during Mercury Rx.

MERCURY AND THE MARKET
During Mercury Rx the markets are unpredictable and volatile. Especially a few days before and after the stationing periods (when Mercury stops to change direction).

Mishaps and misinterpreted communications can happen.  And during Mercury's retrograde chances are greater that they can happen.  So be very, very careful when pressing the buy/sell button if you decide to be in the market!

Kaye Shinker used to remind us that usually about half way through the retrograde cycle you will see a change in the direction of the market only to return to where they started 90% of the time.



Read Randall Ashbourne's FREE report January 2015 Overview of the Markets, by Randall Ashbourne, author of The Idiot and the Moon

Moon phases
New moon January 19, 2015 - 1st quarter, January 26, 2015- Full moon, February 2, 2015 -
Last quarter, February 11, 2015 - next New moon, February 18, 2015 (Read Randall Ashbourne's' article, The Moods of the Moon - Trading the Mood Swings of the Monthly Lunar Cycle)

Read Randall Ashbourne's'The Idiot and The Moon, eBook regarding trading New Moon and Full Moons. (calendars are no longer available on the Astrological Investing Blog)

Astrological Calendars for 2015 are available in our Amazon Book Shop.

On your 2015 calendar, mark the New Moon and Full Moon days, and when there is long a period of time when the Moon is Void of Course.  Students at Astrological Investing have researched days when the Moon was Void of Course during trading hours, and found that 90% of the time Long Void of Course Moons indicate a volatile market with dramatic ups in the indices.

Trines!
Marley