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Given the current state of the planets — four are already retrograde and two more will join them in backspins of their own in the coming weeks — you'll forgive us for having retrogrades on the brain. These regular periods, in which a planet appears to be moving backward in the sky, are often assumed bad news, astrologically speaking. Sure, some certainly have the potential wreak havoc on our lives, but not all retrogrades are created equal — and neither are their influences on the signs of the Zodiac.
If you're already familiar with your sign's general attributes, you probably know its ruling planet. Save for Cancer and Leo (whose ruling "planets" are technically the moon and the sun), every sign's ruling planet goes retrograde from time to time. Although it's a general astrological rule that people born under a given sign will likely feel the effects of their ruling planet's retrograde more acutely, that doesn't mean that that particular retrograde will be the most challenging for them.
For example, Gemini and Virgo share a ruler in Mercury, so they're more sensitive to and aware of the communication planet's retrograde periods. But, for the most part, these two signs are pretty good at dealing with the effects of your average Mercury retrograde. After all, they're used to being under Mercury's influence. What these ultra-communicative signs are far less accustomed to are the effects of, say, a Saturn or Pluto retrograde.
If you've been marking your calendar for your ruling planet's next retrograde, you may have overlooked the planetary backspin that really causes you trouble. Ahead, find out which planet has it out for you — and why your ruling planet's retrograde isn't that bad. It's like they say, better the devil you know, right?
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