Our chart is set at the very moment we draw our first breath. The planets are dancing around in the Cosmos and a few of them may be moving Retrograde. (A planet doesn’t really move backward, but from our viewpoint here on Earth, for part of the year, they appear to do so.)
Most of us have heard of the Mercury Retrograde periods when things don’t mesh and things need to be redone. Contracts need to be read carefully and the old saw about “If it can go wrong, it will go wrong” seems to follow us around. Once we become familiar with the pitfalls we can avoid them when Mercury decides to move in the “other” direction and it works the same way with the rest of the planets.
Since there are only eight heavenly bodies in our Solar System that CAN appear to move backward, it doesn’t take an adult much time to figure out what goes down when the planet is doing it’s retrograde. Children, however, are less experienced and as parents or relatives, it’s our duty to help them during those periods or if they are born with one or more planets retrograde in their chart.
Mercury retrograde tends to make this child more introspective and right brained. The child with Mercury Retrograde could feel and might be told that he/she is less intelligent than he/she really is. This is the child who uses a different learning process; he/she is NOT less intelligent. This is the child who thinks outside the box from day one.
Creative outlets that use non-verbal communication, such as music and painting, are an excellent means of expression for your Mercury Retrograde child. Many of our musical geniuses have Mercury Retrograde. Another natural outlet for this child is History. (Don’t be too surprised if this child is the one with the questions about Great Great Grandma on Dad’s side.)
Venus Retrograde can inhibit the ability to express love and affection freely. This person tends to internalize emotional attachments and can exaggerate perceived hurts. This child can get stuck trying to figure out how much they are loved or if they are deprived of love.
Encourage your Venus Retrograde child in all activities that add beauty, art, and love to his/her daily life. Venus is the planet of beauty; so teach your child to think and create in terms that focus on enhancing life’s situations. Having a pet to love could be helpful, just make sure your child is also learning to love people freely and unconditionally.
Mars Retrograde turns the outward thrust of energy in this child inward. A great deal of energy is put into internally “Monday morning quarterbacking” life’s events. It’s said that this child can inflict past life roles on people in their present life environment. There can be a seeming neglect of the physical body’s needs.
Help your Mars Retrograde child form a daily routine of plenty of sleep, a nutritious diet and lots of outdoor exercise. This is the potential couch potato who would rather play computer games with the snacks nearby than be outside playing touch football. Since Mars Retrograde leans more to being interested in spiritual desires, help this child to understand the physical body is a “Sacred Temple” and must be cared for with proper respect.
Because Venus and Mars are considered “personal planets” affecting our daily lives, It’s important that when they are both Retrograde in your child’s chart it can be helpful to discuss the difference between past life memories and present experiences. Help your child to understand when he/she is over-reacting.
A warning to parents who choose to assist the Venus Retrograde or Mars Retrograde child to understand and separate past life memories from present experiences, DO NOT deny past lives. Doing that would simply create more confusion. Instead, recognize the past life memories as real, then guide your child in sorting out whether or not the events he/she remembers happened in the present or are a shadow from the past.
Jupiter Retrograde child tends to procrastinate and to plan, then re-plan, to the point of failing to get anywhere with the thoroughly planned project. This is the original free-spirit and cannot follow happily in the footsteps of others. Great wisdom and prophetic ability can be present, especially as this child attains spiritual maturity. Jupiter Retrograde can bring many déjà-vu experiences; this child can feel at home anywhere on the planet.
Cherished traditions? Forget about it! Your Jupiter Retrograde child will likely find little value or meaning in much that our society regards as cherished traditions. Your child incarnated to live out the richness in life, both outwardly and inwardly. Creating too strict an environment can result in inner restlessness and discontent. Your child may not be unable to verbalize or define this feeling. He/She needs to explore a variety of places, activities, philosophies, and be able to determine for themself the lasting significance of each. Enjoy the versatility and unique insights that this special child can offer you.
Saturn Retrograde is the signal that your child is re-doing a lifetime. This incarnation is his/her second chance; thus, they will feel the burden of dealing with two lifetimes at once. These youngsters can experience inner doubts about their self-worth and ability to overcome difficulties. The good news is that the soul knows they will have achieved the spiritual maturity required to re-do a lifetime successfully. Saturn Retrograde is a sign of an old Soul who has advanced far on the spiritual path. This incarnation is to perfect what has been learned.
Saturn Retrograde children are likely to possess a serious nature and to feel overly responsible. You can assist your child by incorporating regular periods of play into the daily schedule. You might need to reassure this child that until he/she grows into adulthood, you will be the parent while he/she enjoys being the child. Self-discipline learned through play can be very effective. Competitive sports may overload the child with the need to be responsible and over strive to do well for his/her team. Individual sports, such as swimming, track, and tennis may be more advisable. Observe your child and follow your intuition. Sculpture, sewing, and woodworking can be playful ways to satisfy the Saturn need to build firm structures.
Uranus Retrograde creates difficulty in your child being aware of and expressing his/her inner individuality. There can be a rediscovery of ideas from previous lifetimes. Uranus Retrograde gives this child a compelling sense of responsibility toward personal growth because he/she senses that human progress as a whole is enhanced as well. This tyke is a forerunner of the future, very tapped into the richness of life. This child must be original; must be allowed to explore the new and share their ideas with others. This one is a free spirit and cannot be bound by seeking to have others understand what they are about. Their path may be long and crooked, but he/she can know extreme happiness while traveling it.
Appreciate your Uranus Retrograde free spirited child. Encourage originality and inventiveness. Do NOT try to possess or critically control this child; Uranus Retrograde is his/her own unique self and will rebel against all attempts to chain or channel him/her. Just remember, Uranus Retrograde can play havoc with relationships because of this child’s changeability, which can make them appear hypocritical
Neptune Retrograde gives this child the desire to unveil mysteries and eventually to expose religious shams. He/She will have an intuitive awareness of their subconscious mind, but may have difficulty making conscious attunement. The Neptune Retrograde child attunes much easier to the subconscious/unconscious when the focus is diverted by the use of a tool, such as astrology, or while the conscious mind is occupied with the task at hand. It is, therefore, important to listen to and heed insights that appear to come to your child from out of the blue.”
Your Neptune Retrograde child may appear impractical in comparison to the accepted norm. You may be tempted to squelch your child’s dreams or to dismiss them as “off the wall. Know that your child lives in two worlds simultaneously. Be supportive and allow his/her uniqueness to manifest. This child will enjoy serving others, even at a young age. Artistic and musical activities are satisfying.
Pluto Retrograde turns its transformative energy even more deeply into the superconsciousness, bringing about an inner illumination long before your child is able to give it expression in the outer world. Pluto Retrograde indicates a carry-over of psychic powers from previous lifetimes. You must assist your child in learning that these powers are to be used in constructive ways only. This child will feel the struggle humanity is going through within themself—humanity’s struggle is their struggle. These serious children are aware of and feel responsible for lifting conscious awareness so that the consciousness of humanity can be thereby lifted.
With Pluto retrograde in this child’s chart, you as parents or responsible adults will need to understand the psychic powers your child may naturally demonstrate and strive not to stifle them. Instead, help your child use them for constructive purposes while making no big deal over them. They are natural for your child; treat your child as you would any other child.
Whether or not we have retrograde planets in our natal charts, all of us can experience the influence of a planetary retrograde period, especially if the planet that is retrograde is making key contacts in our natal or progressed. When a planet is retrograde in a chart, the affairs ruled by that planet are slowed down and the individual is more introspective concerning them. There is the great potential to be "tuned-in" to all the fine details related to that planet. This is why it’s key to know your child’s chart and if they have one or more retrograde natal planets. Many unexplained issues can be identified and dealt with in a constructive way and at a very early age.
Visit our Starz Emporium (http://www.planetstarz.com/content/speciality_const.php)
to get your child’s chart and a full Child Star report to help you understand your little bundle of joy!
Retrograde Planets and Your Child ©
By StarzJC
