Sky now
Today the Moon is in Taurus.
Above you now: Sun, Mercury, Venus and Pluto.
5 planets look like they're moving backwards (FootnoteRetrogradeWhen a planet appears to move backwards across the sky. A time to review rather than rush ahead.Read more →). It's common: there's nearly always one.
Tap a planet or a bright star to see what it is.
Everything inside the gold line is above you. The dashed line is the path the Sun, Moon and planets travel (the FootnoteZodiacThe band of sky the Sun, Moon and planets travel through, divided into twelve equal signs.Read more →). The map turns with the real sky.
Planisphere for 40°N · stars to magnitude 4.8
How much of the Moon is lit each night this month, and which sign it's in.
The dark Moon and the full Moon this month, and what each is good for. Add your birth details to see which part of your life each one lights up.
Many Buddhists keep the new, full and half Moons as holy days for extra quiet and practice. In the Theravada tradition they are called uposatha. Exact days vary by country and calendar.
Thu 13 Dec, 08:42
A time to set intentions and start small.
Before speaking today, ask: is it true, is it kind, is it helpful, is it the right time?
Fri 28 Dec, 10:21
A time to finish, release and take stock.
Everything that arises also passes. What feels fixed today, good or hard, is already changing.
When each planet looks like it's moving backwards this year.
A retrograde is when a planet looks like it's moving backwards. The planet isn't reversing. From Earth, it only looks that way for a while, the way a slower car seems to slip backwards as you pass it.
Solid bars are retrograde now, outlined ones are still to come, grey ones are over. Hover, tap or tab to a bar.
Uranus, Neptune and Pluto were found after ancient astrology was written down, so their meanings come from modern tradition. Each outer planet is retrograde for about five months every year, so their retrogrades are gentle background, not headline events.
Earlier this year
24 Jan 2012 to 14 Apr 2012
Backs up from Virgo 23°05′ to Virgo 3°40′.
What it can mean
Drive turns inward. A good stretch for rethinking how you push forward.
Mars is traditionally the planet of drive, anger and action, and its retrograde is read as that drive slowing down or turning inward. Astrologers often suggest finishing what's already started instead of picking new fights. People work with it by reviewing goals and how they handle conflict.