Astrological Ramblings

WTF are stationary planets and what does it mean when a planet has stationed?! How could a planet that has stationed (either retrograde or direct) be delineated in an astrology chart? This is something that a YouTube watcher asked in a comment a while back and I never got around to addressing…until now.  There are two ways that stationary planets can exist:1) Station Retrograde-This happens before a planet turns retrograde from direct motion2) Station Direct-This happens before a planet turns direct from retrograde motion Essentially, before a planet turns retrograde or direct there is a period of time where its movement appears to slow down. THIS is the stationary phase/period. A planet is considered to station retrograde or station direct on the within a few minutes of the degrees and minutes that it’s at when it turns from direct to retrograde or retrograde to direct. The definition of stationary planets are a little all over the place and it seems like that is because the planets all spend a different amount of time in the stationary phase and while actually stationing. For instance, Mercury will spend MUCH less time than Pluto in the stationary phase and when stationing retrograde and direct…because Mercury has a faster orbit than Pluto. What follows below are MY own definitions/guidelines/whatever for when a planet is in the stationary phase vs when the planet has stationed: Stationary Phase – When a planet hovers at the same degree (no matter the minutes) for an extended period of time before […]