Retrogrades and eclipses
When each planet seems to go backwards and when there are eclipses, with dates for your time zone.
Retrogrades of 1998
A "retrograde" planet seems to move backwards as seen from Earth, like when a faster car overtakes another: it is an effect of perspective, not a real change. The dates are those of the "stations", the moments when the planet stops and changes direction.
| Planet | Goes retrograde | Goes direct |
|---|---|---|
| Venus | since 1997 | Thu 5 Feb · 22:26 · 18° Capricorn |
| Pluto | Wed 11 Mar · 05:54 · 8° Sagittarius | Sun 16 Aug · 08:08 · 5° Sagittarius |
| Mercury | Fri 27 Mar · 20:41 · 21° Aries | Mon 20 Apr · 09:31 · 9° Aries |
| Neptune | Mon 4 May · 12:38 · 2° Aquarius | Sun 11 Oct · 16:03 · 29° Capricorn |
| Uranus | Sun 17 May · 17:00 · 12° Aquarius | Sun 18 Oct · 23:24 · 8° Aquarius |
| Jupiter | Sat 18 Jul · 03:48 · 28° Pisces | Fri 13 Nov · 14:02 · 18° Pisces |
| Mercury | Fri 31 Jul · 04:27 · 28° Leo | Mon 24 Aug · 00:35 · 15° Leo |
| Saturn | Sat 15 Aug · 21:09 · 3° Taurus | Tue 29 Dec · 16:44 · 26° Aries |
| Mercury | Sat 21 Nov · 12:45 · 17° Sagittarius | Fri 11 Dec · 07:29 · 1° Sagittarius |
Venus retrograde: revisiting what you value
Venus seems to go backwards: tradition links it with bonds, tastes and what you value. It usually invites you to look calmly at what you really want in your relationships and in what surrounds you, and not to rush important emotional decisions in the meantime.
Pluto retrograde: a quiet transformation
Pluto seems to go backwards for several months a year: tradition associates it with deep change and with what transforms inwardly. It usually invites you to look honestly at what you are letting go of and not to carry what is no longer yours.
Mercury retrograde: time to review
Mercury seems to go backwards in the sky, an optical effect seen from Earth. Tradition associates it with communication, travel and paperwork. It is usually a good moment to go over things, reread before signing, make backups and pick up what was left pending, rather than to start new things.
Neptune retrograde: seeing more clearly
Neptune seems to go backwards for much of the year: tradition relates it to dreams, ideals and intuition. It usually helps to tell what you imagine from what is happening, and to look with less fog at what you trust.
Uranus retrograde: change is absorbed
Uranus seems to go backwards for several months each year: tradition links it with change and the need for freedom. It is usually a time to make sense of what has already moved, rather than to provoke sudden turns.
Jupiter retrograde: growing inward
Jupiter seems to go backwards: tradition links it with growth, learning and beliefs. It usually invites you to review what truly makes you grow and to consolidate what you have learned before going for more.
Saturn retrograde: reviewing commitments
Saturn seems to go backwards: tradition associates it with responsibilities, limits and structures. It is usually a time to review which commitments you still hold, what is surplus and what is worth reinforcing with patience.
Eclipses of 1998
- Eclipse solar total at 7° Pisces Thu 26 Feb · 18:25
- Eclipse lunar penumbral at 22° Virgo Fri 13 Mar · 05:34
- Eclipse lunar penumbral at 15° Aquarius Sat 8 Aug · 04:09
- Eclipse solar anular at 28° Leo Sat 22 Aug · 04:03
- Eclipse lunar penumbral at 13° Pisces Sun 6 Sep · 13:21
The time is that of the new or full moon; the moment of greatest eclipse falls a few minutes away. Where it can be seen depends on each place and we do not calculate it here: check an observatory before going out to watch it. Never look at the Sun without certified protection.
Solar eclipse: a door to begin again
A solar eclipse happens at new moon, when the Moon covers the Sun as seen from somewhere on Earth. Tradition takes them as moments of beginnings and changes of course, more intense than an ordinary new moon and with an effect lasting some weeks. They do not say what will happen: they are an invitation to decide calmly what you want to start.
Lunar eclipse: seeing and letting go
A lunar eclipse happens at full moon, when the Earth's shadow crosses the Moon. Tradition takes them as moments of culmination: what you have been nurturing comes to light, and so does what no longer makes sense to hold on to. They predict nothing: they help you put a calm close on things.
Calculated with astronomical ephemerides (JPL DE440). Time zone: Europe/Madrid. This is symbolic and astronomical information: it does not predict events.