Cycles
Retrograde
The optical illusion of a planet appearing to move backward through the zodiac from Earth's point of view.
No planet actually reverses direction. Retrograde motion is a perspective effect: Earth and other planets orbit the Sun at different speeds, and when a faster planet overtakes a slower one (or vice versa), the outer one appears, briefly, to drift backward against the background stars -- the same illusion as passing a slower car on the highway and watching it seem to slide backward relative to the horizon.
How often a planet goes retrograde, and for how long, depends entirely on its orbital speed relative to Earth's. Mercury does it several times a year for a few weeks each time; the outer planets do it for months at a stretch, less often.
The Transits page always lists which planets are currently retrograde, computed the same way any real ephemeris calculates it.
See Also
Monthly & Yearly Reports
A deeper forecast, for your sign alone.
Beyond the daily sun-sign read — major transits, key dates, and what to actually watch for, on whatever timescale you want: a month ahead, or a whole year.
See the Reports →