What Planets Will Be Retrograde January 2023?

Here we go — the astrology of January is looking much better than the previous few months, and in more ways than one. January not only marks the end of three retrogrades, but once these planets begin to move forward again, there will officially be zero retrogrades taking place for the remainder of the month. That’s pretty unheard of, considering eight out of the 10 planets are consistently moving back and forth across the sky — so be sure to enjoy it while it lasts.

Mars, the planet of hostility, assertion, and confrontation will finally be ending its retrograde and stationing direct in Gemini in January, and Mercury, the planet of communication, thoughts, and ideas, will be stationing direct in Capricorn just a few days later. Uranus, an outer planet, will also be stationing direct in Taurus this month, but it’s bound to be less noticeable, since this planet is retrograde for five months every year anyway.

While Uranus retrogrades are pretty common (and thus less noticeable), Mercury and Mars retrogrades are in fact, very noticeable. Mars in particular has been retracing its steps through Gemini since Oct. 30, making it difficult to resolve conflict and handle heated encounters with ease. Mercury retrograde has been going on since Dec. 29, and while the planet of communication retrogrades roughly three times each year, it doesn’t make the delays, misunderstandings, and mishaps any less frustrating. The good thing is, once these three planets end their retrogrades, you’ll experience a surge in energy and mental clarity — just in time to set your New Years’ resolutions in motion.

What Is A Retrograde?

Retrogrades take place when a planet reduces speed in the sky, appearing to move backwards. While they can’t actually turn around and move in the opposite direction, the slowness of a planet that typically moves swiftly tends to affect everyone in major ways, bringing up some potential challenges. For example, when Mercury stations retrograde, communicating effectively as well as processing information can become more difficult. Since Mercury and Mars are inner planets, their retrogrades tend to be much more noticeable, since they’re so close to Earth that they can be seen with a naked eye. Outer planets, like Uranus, retrograde for much longer, but since they’re further away from Earth, we don’t notice the effects as much.