What Planets Are Retrograde October 2022? Mercury Rx Is Ending, But...

Have you felt personally victimized by Mercury retrograde? If so, you may qualify for a virtual hug. You’d think that by now we’d all be used to the mishaps this planet brings forth as she retraces her steps back through the cosmos, but she always finds a way to surprise you. The good thing is, Mercury retrograde will officially be coming to an end this month, along with Saturn and Pluto. This means that only four planets will be retrograde during October 2022, which may sound like a lot — and, to be fair, it is — but it’s not as daunting as you may think.

Three out of the four October 2022 retrograde planets have already been retrograde for the last few months. but there’s a new planet joining the party that’s bound to wreak some havoc: Mars. Don’t worry yourselves out too much, though, because you’ve lived through plenty of Mars retrogrades throughout your life, so it won’t be anything too unfamiliar. It will, however, prompt you to deal with conflict, debates, and confrontation — just in time for the holidays.

What Is A Retrograde?

A retrograde occurs when a planet’s speed decreases based on its proximity to the sun. From our view here on Earth, it appears that the planet is moving backward, but in reality, it’s just moving slower than normal. The slow movement of the planet that’s retrograding is what causes challenging events, specifically based around that planet’s significations. For example, when Mercury (planet of communication) stations retrograde, issues communicating and obtaining or sharing information can be a challenge during this period. However, when an outer planet like Neptune or Uranus stations retrograde, the effects aren’t typically as noticeable since these planets are further away from the sun and from Earth. The outer planets also don’t rule over any of the signs or houses, so their mishaps tend to feel a lot less personal.

What Planets Will Be Retrograde October 2022?

A total of four planets will be retrograde during the month of October, but only one will *actually* be stationing direct this month. The other three are outer planets that stationed retrograde months ago, and they spend several months retrograde every single year, so it’s nothing out of the ordinary. Inner planet Mars, on the other hand, only stations retrograde once every two years, making this a pretty significant event.

What To Expect From October 2022’s Retrograde Planets

While Jupiter, Neptune, and Uranus will continue to be retrograde throughout the month of October, they won’t be wreaking too much havoc. Mars is bound to be the star of the show, while Mercury’s retrograde will finally be coming to an end.

• Mercury stationed retrograde in Libra on Sept. 9
• Jupiter stationed retrograde in Aries on July 28
• Neptune stationed retrograde in Pisces on June 28
• Uranus stationed retrograde in Taurus on Aug. 24

Since Mercury will station direct on Oct. 2, the effects of this planet’s retrograde may not be as apparent this month, so you can let out a sigh of relief. While the retrograde will technically be over, there will still be a period after the retrograde that’s bound to feel retrograde-ish, called a shadow period or retroshade. Shadow periods tend to last about two weeks, so there’s likely to be some Mercury mishaps regarding miscommunication, unsent emails, and delayed travel plans until Oct. 16.

Mars Retrograde (Oct. 30—Jan. 13, 2023)

Mars is the planet all about action, assertion, conflict, and separation, and as it stations retrograde on Oct. 30 at 25 degrees of Gemini, there’s bound to be some mishaps regarding this fiery planet. Taking place in a mutable air sign, this retrograde is all about how information is being shared, and with Mars representing disagreements, you’re bound to engage in some heated conversations. Words are likely to be used as weapons during this time, so it’ll be important to be mindful of how you’re talking to others, especially if you’re not looking for a fight. Since Mars is stationing retrograde in Mercury’s sign, there may also be some challenges that arise regarding travel and relaying important information. It’s a good time to double-check any facts or details they may not be correct before sharing it, particularly on social media.

The house in your birth chart that governs over Gemini is where you’re bound to notice an important period of review now, as well as where initiating new endeavors may be a challenge. Since Mars retrograde is certain to delay action, it may be a time when you’re called to slow down and review the topics of the house this retrograde is occurring in before it ends on Jan. 13, 2023. Gemini is a mutable sign that oftentimes struggles with maintaining consistency, so this may be a time when you experience difficulty finishing what you start. Instead of taking on too many tasks or mentally stimulating projects at once, it might be best to slow down and focus on one thing at a time. Once the retrograde is over, however, you’ll be able to multitask and cover far more ground.