Retrograde Journal Prompts

That Witch Next Door
6 hours ago
2 min read

From our perspective on Earth, the planets can appear at certain times in their orbit to be moving backwards.

To ancient astrologers and astronomers, the planets were moving backwards in the sky, and so these planetary stations—taking into consideration when a planet or asteroid appears to be moving forward or backward—is yet another layer of symbolism we incorporate into our astrological interpretation.

Of course, the planets do not literally move backwards in their orbit, this is an optical illusion we experience from our Earth POV.

The following prompts can be utilized for any retrograde, regardless of the planet that's stationing.

If you want to get more specific and unique to your own personal astrology, I recommend looking at the zodiac sign(s) the planet stations retrograde in, and noting where this area is in your birth chart. For more explanation on this, listen to my Moonday Musings episode that introduces these journal prompts and has tips for checking your chart.

Planetary Retrograde Journal Prompts

Planet or asteroid stationing retrograde:

Sign(s) this placement will traverse during the retrograde cycle:

What house(s) are occupied by this/these sign(s)?

Do you have any additional natal placements in this/these sign(s)?

Where do I feel the most challenged?
How do I experience challenge? What emotions come up for me? Where do I feel this energy in my body?
What previous experiences remind me of what I’m currently going through?
How did I respond and react to those past experiences?
What have I learned about myself and the world since then?
How can I let my experience inform my next step?
(optional to answer this with a tarot or oracle card) What inner wisdom have I gained from my experience?