5 Intention-setting Ideas from the Planets during the Eclipse Retrograde Season

The Eclipse Season is upon us this month and it brings 5 planets in retrograde (with a 6th planet (Neptune) being added in retrograde from 6/22-6/24!), so I thought we might take the lead from the Universe at this time to guide us on our journeys within this month!

When a planet slows down in its rotation and appears to be moving backward (retrograde) in the sky, the energy of that planet encourages us to slow down with it, reflect, and recognize how that energy is manifesting within us on an internal level.  This means the work we do now will create shifts in our inner world, to prepare us for the outward expression once these planets begin to rotate faster and go direct again.

On the other hand, eclipses tend to accelerate the pace of change, offering dramatic turning points to motivate us to get us moving forward and into action.  They tend to shine light on the areas of our life that need to change to elevate our consciousness.

Therefore, combining the accelerated energy of the 3 eclipses with the slower energy of the retrograde planets, we have a fantastic opportunity to burn through anything that has been holding us back if we are willing to dig deep!

Below I provide an intention-setting idea from each of the 5 planets that are retrograde this month.  If one of them speaks to the depth of your soul, have your journal (or shovel?) ready, as the eclipse energy will ease the excavation of what is no longer serving you, and thus the universe.  I hope you will consider trying one!

  1. Pluto Retrograde (4/25-10/4).  Pluto is the planet that represents death, destruction and rebirth and it has been very active since October until is recently went retrograde at the end of April.  This retrograde cycle is a very spiritual time and is asking us to reflect on what it is we would like to see rebirthed personally or in the world.  Consider asking the questions ‘What needs to be transformed?’ and ‘What is it safe for me to let go of now?’ and use your journal to write or draw your response or vision for moving forward.
  2. Saturn Retrograde (5/10-11-9/29).  Saturn is the planet that represents social expectations, such as rules, boundaries, structure, authority, hard work, and discipline.  This retrograde cycle will be asking us to reflect on where have we been guided to set boundaries or, perhaps, to knock them down.  Consider asking yourself the question “What boundary have I set for myself that is holding me back on my journey?” and use your journal to explore how it served you in the past but have now discovered it is outdated.
  3. Venus Retrograde (5/13-6/25)  Venus is the planet that represents love, relationships, beauty, pleasure, creativity and art and it rules over the divine feminine.  This retrograde cycle will be encouraging us to reflect on old heart wounds in order to move us through the heartache and towards forgiveness, so we can live heart-led lives with more ease.  Consider taking a moment to place your right hand over your heart and asking yourself “What do I need right now?” and then writing down in your journal whatever comes up without filtering it.  Our analytical mind tends to hold us back from expressing ourselves authentically, from our essence that resides in our heart chakra, for fear of judgment.  Now is the time to honor your needs and by doing so, clearing space for your heart energy to expand!
  4. Jupiter Retrograde (5/14-9/12).  Jupiter is the planet that represents luck, growth, opportunity and abundance and rules over expansive areas such as beliefs, law, religion, intuition and culture.  This retrograde cycle will be pushing us to examine our views of the world, our vision of truth and our connection with global humanitarian issues.  Consider posing the question “What limiting beliefs do I hold that were forced upon me by my environment?” and letting your intuition guide you to rewrite those beliefs.  When we allow ourselves to sit at the feet of our inner guru, we create space for growth and expansion by removing any obstacle that has been holding us back.
  5. Mercury Retrograde (6/18-7/12).  Mercury is the planet the represents communication, e-commerce and movement and rules the mind, learning, knowledge, and helping us to make sense of what we hear and manage what we say.  This retrograde cycle will inspire us to delve into the past to reconsider our attitudes and will offer space to sort through our emotions and rearrange our inner dialog.  Perhaps now is a time to reflect on how we are choosing to talk to ourselves, exploring the question “What judgments am I placing on myself that are weighing me down?” so any repressed emotions can be felt and dealt with, maybe by giving them some air time to be heard through writing in your journal.  It is vital to your health to honor your emotions and nurture the sanctuary of your heart, so replacing the judgment with soothing self-talk and inviting in soothing self-care practices will be important during this time.

As always, if you try any of these intention-setting ideas for holistic health, I would love to hear about the impact they might have had for you.  Please send me an email at linda@sanctuary4compassion.com to share!

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