Retrograde planets and progressions: Mercury and Venus never change directions...?

Due to another thread I've been reading about retrograde planets. I don't have any retrograde planets in my natal chart unless you count Chiron. So I've been trying to find out more about retrograde planets and secondary progressions. A few years back Jupiter turned retrograde. I'll eventually add Saturn sometime in my 30s and then after a couple more decades Pluto and Mars. Ha, I seem to be accumulating retrogrades as I get older and they will never disappear in my lifetime so I guess they mean deep permanant changes... I predict that I will be a cranky old woman

However, I just figured out I will never have a change in direction in Venus or Mercury - well unless I live to be about 90 years old and then Mercury goes retrograde. Which is a bit annoying because practically every single bit of information I can dig up on planets going retrograde in secondary progressions deals with Venus and Mercury.

Is it unusual for this to happen? Does it have a special meaning if Venus and Mercury never change direction i.e. remain direct my entire life in any of the secondary progressions?

Re: Retrograde planets and progressions: Mercury and Venus never change directions...?

Mercury turns retrograde several times a year through a series in the same element, which can mean anything from 90 -150 days apart according to its closest position in relationship to the Earth. Progressively speaking, this can mean that a person CAN be born with a direct Mercury that will never turn retrograde in a general life span, whereas one born with a retro. mercury will always see it turn direct within life expectancy. Venus is retrograde for a longer period but at lesser intervals (every 2 years or so), according to its closest position to Earth. I'm not astronomically minded but I believe the retro. positions also refer to their positions as morning rather than evening stars.

There is a lot of controversy as to whether retrograde motion does have any special meaning against direct motion. I'd say that with both planets in direct motion, you'd possess the quality to be socially well-adjusted, which might be otherwise if either was retrograde.

( Says she with a retrograde Mercury)

Frisiangal said:

Mercury turns retrograde several times a year through a series in the same element, which can mean anything from 90 -150 days apart according to its closest position in relationship to the Earth. Progressively speaking, this can mean that a person CAN be born with a direct Mercury that will never turn retrograde in a general life span, whereas one born with a retro. mercury will always see it turn direct within life expectancy. Venus is retrograde for a longer period but at lesser intervals (every 2 years or so), according to its closest position to Earth. I'm not astronomically minded but I believe the retro. positions also refer to their positions as morning rather than evening stars.

There is a lot of controversy as to whether retrograde motion does have any special meaning against direct motion. I'd say that with both planets in direct motion, you'd possess the quality to be socially well-adjusted, which might be otherwise if either was retrograde.

( Says she with a retrograde Mercury)

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No way am I socially well-adjusted! I've never even had a boyfriend (I'm 27). For a while I thought I may have had Asperger's (a milder form of autism). However, I laid that to rest because while I am bad at getting close to people I realized that I am good at more superficial relations and people generally seem to like me, even those I thought hated me. I am extremely shy though I don't seem to be because when I'm talking with people I am very good at putting on a bright cheerful "face". I think the shyness might be the reason for the lack of close relationships. Anyway, definitely not socially well-adjusted!

Re: Retrograde planets and progressions: Mercury and Venus never change directions...?

No way am I socially well-adjusted! I've never even had a boyfriend (I'm 27).

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Not knowing how the planets were placed in your chart I chose the words 'you'd possess the quality to be socially well-adjusted' with care. That you possess a quality doesn't necessarily mean that it is used to its best advantage.
Does being socially well-adjusted only apply if there's a boy/girlfriend hanging around? Being able to inter-relate and be part of any group of people is a gift.

I realized that I am good at more superficial relations and people generally seem to like me

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Which would sound to me that you are able to socialise well and people take to you as you are.

I think the shyness might be the reason for the lack of close relationships

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But being able to socialise is NOT the same as a lack of close relationships. The one takes in being able to relate with anyone/everyone, the other being able to relate intimately with another.

Anyway, definitely not socially well-adjusted

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Don't underestimate or pull yourself down. Tote up your good points and do something about the difficult ones. How's your Mars placed....the planet that undertakes action?

F.

Frisiangal said:

Not knowing how the planets were placed in your chart I chose the words 'you'd possess the quality to be socially well-adjusted' with care. That you possess a quality doesn't necessarily mean that it is used to its best advantage.
Does being socially well-adjusted only apply if there's a boy/girlfriend hanging around? Being able to inter-relate and be part of any group of people is a gift.



Which would sound to me that you are able to socialise well and people take to you as you are.



But being able to socialise is NOT the same as a lack of close relationships. The one takes in being able to relate with anyone/everyone, the other being able to relate intimately with another.

!

Don't underestimate or pull yourself down. Tote up your good points and do something about the difficult ones. How's your Mars placed....the planet that undertakes action?

F.

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Mars is in Virgo 4th house, conjunct Jupiter, trine Cap. Venus in the 8th house, square the Sun (Sag, 7th house), square the Ascendant (Gemini), conjunct N. Node, semi-square (Lib. 5th) Pluto, trine retrograde Taurus Chiron in the 12th.

Anyway, still, you're right. You can't just read one part of the chart alone. It is likely other parts of my chart are responsible for the above problems but the fact that Mercury and Venus never go retrograde softens the blow. Generally I can get along well with practically anyone. In high school for example I got along with the geek kids, the cool kids, the delinquent kids, the international students, the jocks etc. However, I just can never seem to really form a close connection to anyone. I can easily strike up conversations with practically anyone and easily slide into different groups but I have never found any group or place where I truly feel that I belong. I've never even had a romantic relationship before. I think it might be my fault though because (usually much later) people tell me that so-and-so liked me but never said anything. So there's something about me that people find attractive but there's also something about me that scares people off? And it's not just shy kids either. The high school bully had a crush on me (leading to some rather Harry Potter-esque situations - think Hermione and Victor Krum - "what's he doing in the library all the time when he never even reads books?"). I as usual didn't even know about this until much much later when his best friend told my friend who told me. You know there's a saying, "The only common thing in all of your failed relationships is you."


It took me a very long time to realize all this as I just thought I was really really bad at socializing. I thought I might even have Aspergers and went to a psychologist to see if there was anything wrong with me. I've only recently realized the problem was only with close relationships not the inability to socialize at all. That might be because socializing is almost second nature to me so I never even thought that what I was doing *was* socializing, just I don't know, being nice to people and being polite? To me "socializing" was supposed to be about close relationships, going to each other's house every weekend, sharing secrets and confidences, the person who's always your partner in class activities etc. and my complete failure at this led to very severe depression and even a couple of suicide attempts because I thought "I will always be alone. I hate myself". Maybe I've watched too much TV and read too many books...

Anyway, what part of the chart does show one's ability to form close relationships with other people? I still don't really understand what the difference between close relationships and socializing is. None of the astrological books and sites really make much distinction between them, classifying them both under "relationships".