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Vakri Grahas - Retrograde Planets

by KOMILLA SUTTON

Planets from the point of view of the earth will slow down and become stationary. Then
they appear to move backward in the sky this motion is known as retrograde motion of
the planets. This apparent retrograde movement is due to the motion of the earth’s
orbit. The Sun and the Moon never retrograde. Rahu Ketu always move in retrograde
motion. Retrograde planets in the natal chart or ephemeris are marked by R or Rx. Mars
R or Jupiter Rx both indicates that these planets were retrograde at the time of the chart.

Saturn retrogrades for 140 days and remains stationary 5 day before and after.
Jupiter retrogrades 120 days is stationary 5 days before and after.
Mars retrogrades for 80 days and is stationary 3 to 4 days before and after.
Venus is retrograde for 42 days and is stationary approximately two days before
and after.
Mercury retrogrades for 24 days and is stationary one day before and after.

Each planet has it’s own percentage of time when it must retrograde. They are:

36.39% - Saturn
30.24% - Jupiter
19.76% - Mercury
09.33% - Mars
07.22% - Venus

The Sanskrit name for retrograde planets is known as Vakri. Vakri means twisted,
crooked, winding, roundabout, indirect, evasive and ambiguous. Vakra Asana in Yoga
twists the body from back to front. Usually this asana are done to strengthen the spine
and make them flexible. The potential of the retrograde planets is to be flexible, to twist
thing around, to make them unclear, to teach its message in an indirect way, to view life
in a different way to others. By doing it correctly they can strengthen themselves and
become adaptable, original, innovative and different. On the negative side they can be
twisted thinkers, crooked and dishonest. The individual can deal with the quality of their
retrograde planets in a positive manner or can use their potential in a totally negative
way. The essence is there to do good or bad in the planet but it is up to the individual to
use this in the right way.

Rahu Ketu are forever moving backwards and this has lead to them being described
negatively in the classics. But they also have the potential to view everything in a
complete different manner and therefore can be quite innovative and make individual
reach heights that they never thought they would conquer, by going against the grain.
Rahu Ketu are usually comfortable with their nature as they only travel the retrograde
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way. Sun and Moon always go direct so it is only the five other planets, which are used to
going direct usually that can turn retrograde.

The five planets Mars, Mercury, Jupiter, Venus and Saturn express the practical reality of
our life. They are the planets that form the Pancha Mahapurusha Yoga that bestows
greatness on earth. The rule the Pancha Mahabhutas, the five primary elements that
influence our physical body but also sheath the eternal consciousness. These elements
control our organs of desires, emotions and senses. They can keep us grounded in gross
reality but if we start to use their energy spiritually they become infused with a different
power.

The lunar days (tithis) of both the bright and dark half of the month are below:

BHUTA ELEMENT PLANET

Aakash Ether Jupiter

Vayu Air Saturn, Rahu

Tejas Fire Mars, Sun, Ketu

Apas Water Venus, Moon

Prithvi Earth Mercury

The Bhuta also rule the Chakras, the subtle body. Chakras influence our senses. The
fulfillment of the sensuous nature keeps the individual tied to the cycle of happiness and
unhappiness. The more we allow the sense to rule us, the more the doors to our astral
self remain shut. Understanding and controlling the senses will give indication of
whether we are able to open the gates to the higher self.

Tattva Graha Indriyan Jnanendryan Karmendriyan

Chakra Element Planet Sense Sense Organ Work Organ

Vishuddhi Aakash Jupiter Hearing Ear Mouth (speech)

Anahata Vayu Saturn, Rahu Touch Skin Hands

Manipura Tejas Mars, Sun, Ketu Sight Eyes Feet & Legs

Swadhisthana Apas Venus, Moon Taste Tongue Genitals

Muladhara Prithvi Mercury Smell Nose Anus

Retrograde planets influence the primary structure of the human consciousness and its
relationship with its human life. By blocking the chakras and the complicating the Pancha
Mahabhutas, they create disconnection and imbalances, inability to control the senses.
An individual has to understand their retrograde planets and nurture them to bring back
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the harmony.

Vedic Astrology classics say that retrograde planets are strong. The quality of the planet
changes when it turns retrograde. Retrograde planets are closest to earth; therefore
their impact on the individual is the strongest. Strong to do what? Two influences of
retrograde planets need to be taken into account – their affect in the natal chart and by
transit. The individual with retrograde planets does not always know how to control its
energy. Therefore they struggle to express the planets qualities - over-emphasizing them
or being in denial of their positive qualities or misusing their power. Knowing how to
deal with the retrograde in the natal chart is the key. Retrogrades by transit can
influence everyone whether we have them in our chart or not. A straight thinking person
can suddenly change their ways under the influence of retrograde Mercury. So we all
have to learn to cope with the retrograde transit and be aware of them annually.

A planet in debilitation if retrograde acts like an exalted one and an exalted planet like a
debilitated one. The reason: debilitated planets have the potential to be unethical and
negative, when they twist around, they start behaving in the opposite manner. Whereas
an exalted planet is a good guy, when he gets twisted he inherits the potential do bad.
The benefics who are usually the positive influences can become ambiguous, non-
spiritual, disobedient by being retrograde whereas the malefic can definitely become
more negative due to their retrogression. Controlling the malefics in Vakri is a lot more
difficult. The main aspect I have noticed about retrogrades is that they do not follow
tradition and in the ancient times when astrology was written, those who did not follow
tradition were considered bad and unethical. Whereas now, we honour those who go
outside the box, who are non- traditionalists. So the influence of retrogrades has to be
thought from the point of view of the society we live in. Also we must celebrate their
potential to be original, different (according to their karakas) and at the same time try to
control their negative aspects.

Also don’t forget the houses the retrograde planets rule. Retrograde planet dasha can
bring about health issues; they also can bring diminishing returns. The start of the dasha
may appear very good, but the quality of the dasha can reduce as it progresses.

Natal planets in Retrograde

Mars retrogrades once in two years. Retrograde Mars in natal chart can bring out power
issues, how to deal with conflict and aggression and anger. As Mars has male energy, its
retrogression can create problems with how you deal with maleness within. It is often
seen in charts of females who have problems with their sexuality- they can be overtly
aggressive or completely suppress their masculine side whereby creating imbalance in
personality. Men have to watch they do not become too aggressive and angry. As Mars is
about power, its retrogressions give a lot of power yet the individual does not
understand their own power and how to use it properly. This can lead to its misuse. Mars
rules Agni (fire) element so its retrogression can create too much fire or complete
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exhaustion. They have to watch their metabolism. It can get speeded up or be totally
dull. The chakra is Manipura, which deal with balance, vision and energy. Retrograde
Mars will block the way this chakra works and create problems on a subtle level. Mars
deals with logic and here the logic can get skewered or twisted. It can also make a
person whose logic is unconventional but at the same time very powerful and they can
reach places where others cannot as they have the ability to see things from backward to
forward.

Mercury retrograde promotes either a person talking too much or not at all. Mercury is
the karaka of speech and intellect. Their thinking can also be different. They may be very
bright thinkers, but not know how to express that or drive other crazy with their ideas,
thinking they are the only ones who are the intelligent ones. Mercury’s combustion can
create more problems. Mercury travels close to the Sun and it is most likely to be
combust. Combust and retrograde can make a person very prone to burn out and also
unsure of how to deal with their Mercury. Not an easy situation to be in. Mercury rules
the prithvi (earth) bhuta. Prithvi deals with practical and stable. Prithvi also controls the
Muladhara chakra. Mercury retrograde can make someone impractical and they are
more likely to make their position unstable than those whose Mercury is direct.
Retrograde Mercury would show some blocks to the Muladhara chakra.

Jupiter is the guru or the teacher. Jupiter retrograde usually never knows when to stop
giving advice. They can be very knowledgeable yet they do not know how to use this
knowledge in the right way. They can also mistrust their own wisdom. On a positive level
they can give look at issues with a very different viewpoint. They will also give advice that
is unconventional and different. As Jupiter is the karaka of children, it can show children
who are different. The classics say that if Jupiter is retrograde, it will definitely give
children despite what else is promised otherwise in the chart. This aspect does not
always pan out but we can research it further. Jupiter as a karaka of husbands in a
female chart will give a husband who is different. On an extreme negative level, they can
bring twisted thinking into the relationship. Jupiter rules the Aakash element. Aakash
deals with the knowledge, wisdom, our ability to purify, to repel the negative forces.
Jupiter being retrograde weakens the ability to use this tattva. Vishuddhi chakra will
become blocked and this make us feel unprotected and make some wrong choices.
Vishuddhi also purifies the poisons; here the poisons of the mind do not always get the
right filter. So we do not know how to stop them from polluting our life.

Venus is the karaka for marriage. It being retrograde does make us choose unusual
alliances. We may have an unconventional view of them or when in marriage or
relationship do not know how to express our love well. Venus also deals with femininity
and women with Venus retrograde do not always understand how to be truly feminine.
They can become overtly masculine or forget to dress feminine and be feminine. We see
this often in male homosexual charts as they want something different from their
relationships and their concept of the women in their life is different. Venus rules Apas,

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the water element. The human body is composed of over 85% water. Water deals with
emotions, taste, happiness and peace. Retrograde Venus can create problems with all
these. The Swadhisthana chakra is also blocked.

Saturn retrograde usually do not know when to stop working. Or they may not like work
at all. As Saturn is the karaka of misery, it is important that one must not give into a
negative attitude to life and embrace depression as a habit. Saturn is usually depicted as
the poor man. The poor are usually hungry - for food, for material goods, for good things
in life. Saturn retrogression can make individuals hungry with desire, wanting more and
more even when the hunger has been appeased and they may be materially very well
off. They need to watch for greed. Saturn rules Vayu ement. Vayu is air and Vayu needs
to be used constructively otherwise it can become unnecessarily destructive. Retrogrades
do not know how to use their energy so if they do not take care, Saturn can become
destructive force for them. Anahata chakra teaches dispassion and detachment. When
this chakra is blocked by retrogression then they can find it difficult to detach.

Rahu Ketu are forever retrograde and you can read about them in the Rahu Ketu article
on the website or my book Lunar Nodes- Crisis and Redemption. click for rahu ketu
article

Retrogrades and Stationary Motions

Even if you do not have natal planets in retrograde, you can experience them during
their retrograde transit. They can temporarily block the elements and create problems in
the subconscious if we are not aware of them. The two most difficult retrogrades are
Mercury and Saturn. Mercury as it happens so often and Saturn as it can transit over one
point of the chart again and again; and create lots of problems. It is important to know
retrogression of planets in a given year. The retrograde motion of your dasha ruler can
change the direction of events. Retrogrades indicate a concentration of energy in the
part of the zodiac where they are active. If you have planets in that area then they will
have major impact. Retrogrades make life appear to be stuck in limbo, neither moving
forward or backward. Saturn and Jupiter retrograde once a year and Mars and Venus
one every two years. Mercury retrogrades at least three times a year.

Retrograde Planets in Transit

While analysing the transit effect of the retrograde planets remember the following:

1. Always be aware of Mercury retrograde. They are stress points in the year. Mercury
retrograde creates communication problems and makes life uncomfortable.
Stress, arguments, delayed journeys - all can make life troublesome during the
Mercury retrograde. So do problems with computers, Internet, and other
technologies. Double check all appointments, travel programme and journeys-
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 remember not to stop your life. Decisions made during Mercury retrograde can be
changed after it goes direct. Stress levels can climb sky high. Arguments can result
from crossed wires. Mercury retrogrades at least 3 times a year so its awareness
has a huge say in the quality of your life. Gemini and Virgo need to be doubly
conscious, it will make their life a lot easier. 2006 retrogrades for Mercury are from
4 to 27 July 2006 and 28 October to 18th November 2006.

2. When planets retrograde over the gandanta points. Saturn will transit the
gandanta point between Cancer and Capricorn from 22 October 2006 to 17
November 2006, and then it will station near the gandanta point at 1º07’ Leo on 7
December 2006. It will again retrograde back on the Gandanta degrees from 25
December 2006 to 22 January 2007 and the last time for 9 July to 22 July 2007. This
shows Saturn in a very unstable situation. From October 2006 to January 2007 it
will bring instability in the world. We need to watch this time for an unstable
property market, political upheaval and major changes in the world order. If natal
planets are placed in those degrees, there can be added pressures on them.

3. The stationary points of Saturn- before and after retrogression. Does it effect any
of your planets? If a natal planet is on the same degree as Saturn stations, then you
can expect that to be a major issue to contend with. This becomes even more
important during difficult Saturn transits like Sade Sati, which is itself a
troublesome transit. Saturn stationing over the exact degree of the Moon will bring
untold mental stress. The house rulership and placement of the Moon will show
where the problem is about. Also Saturn can transit over the same point three
times, which concentrates the energy of its difficult influence.

4. The stationary points of Jupiter. This can positively enhance good qualities. It can
make people think in wrong ways. Or encourage the possibility of getting wrong
advice. Traditionally in India, marriage, auspicious events and new ventures are not
planned when Jupiter is retrograde.

5. The stationary points of Mars. This can lead to war or aggressive tendencies. Mars
retrograde can increase stubbornness and can herald a time for war. The Kosovo
War March 1999 began with the station and retrogression of Mars and ended when
Mars went forward.

6. The impact on dasha, antar and prayantara dasha rulers. Past issues can become
dominant. There can be a change in the direction of life.

7. When your Lagna ruler retrogrades, it will have a major impact on your inner self.
Venus retrograde indicates a focus on past relationships. Venus brings problems
with relationships. It is not a good time to marry.

8. If there are other difficult aspects accompany the stations. In November 2004,

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 Saturn retrograded at the time it was in an exact 4 - 10 aspect with Mars and a
major train accident took place in UK. In October 2005, Mars retrogrades (1st
October) around the time of a solar eclipse (3rd October); there was the Pakistan
earthquake. Two aspects creating a powerful synergy.

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