The Week Ahead

Both Jupiter and Saturn turned around and went Direct last week, which should make everyone's lives run a little more smoothly. But don't get too comfortable -- just as you begin to think that the planets are "behaving themselves",

Mercury once again turns Retrograde. When Mercury goes Retrograde, the everyday things upon which we rely, such as mail delivery, telephones, and computers, tend to go haywire.

The best thing to do is avoid unnecessary tasks or errands and instead concentrate on your inner life. Mercury Retrograde is a wonderful time for relaxing, meditating and dreaming.

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Queries Answered

How are planets said to be in retrogression at times, when they move forward physically only around the sun?

R. R. Jayaram, Madurai.

RETROGRESSION (Vakra), staying still (Sthambana), and rapid movement forward (Athichara), are apparent phases of planets in motion in their courses as seen from vantage points on earth. Actually they move forward around the sun. The orbits of Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Neptune, Uranus and Pluto are further away from the sun than the earth's orbit. When the earth moves in a tighter path in relation to, say, Jupiter, in its course farther away from the sun, the latter seems for a while to be going back in its orbit. This is similar to the impression we get when in a faster train we overtake a slow train moving in the same direction on a parallel track. The astrological effects of the phases of slowing, stopping, moving backwards and forward by the planets have been set out in ancient texts.

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Good date: January 29

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Section  : Miscellaneous
Next     : Aries