Retrograde Season ~ Astrology of the End of 2026

The end of summer was hyped up with the Barbault’s Basket. We have entered an astrologically significant era of new innovation and global transformation.

For the last almost 2 years Pluto has been in Aquarius after lingering over the cusp from 2023. In Capricorn, Pluto was slower to shift and transform, clinging to old protocols and ways of operating. In Aquarius, Pluto is free to move. The modern ruler of Aquarius, Uranus, was in Taurus for the last 8 years, which was also slow energy in the first Earth sign of the zodiac, rocking the foundational principles in our lives. Now Uranus is in Gemini, a much more dazzling and electric energy. We’ve also seen Neptune move to Aries this year for good, after spending more than a decade in Pisces, in it’s home sign. In Aries, Neptune gets a plasmic shot of energy. Energy is ready to be birthed into the world, but it’s not yet solid or grounded.

These energetic shifts take us out of the stagnancy that some of us have been experiencing over the last decade or two. The energy moves a lot faster, so when you get the cue to pull the trigger, act fast. Our minds can be sharper in the middle of this transformation. Not only are these energies in the active fire and air signs, they are also being boosted by Jupiter and the South Node in Leo. Even though the South Node isn’t always the energy of our greatest good, it can act as a purifier or old loops here. Jupiter will show us what’s good in our pasts as well as show us what must be released. Good fortune may be found from our pasts during this time, and any baggage can be easily seen and cleared.

So, while the Barbault’s Basket – which is these energies of the outer planets being activated by Jupiter and the Nodes – is still active, and somewhat in effect for the next year and forward, there are other energies that we must be aware of for the rest of 2026.

In the basket, Uranus in Gemini, Pluto in Aquarius, as well as Neptune and Saturn in Aries are retrograde as we speak. Pluto will be the first to go direct on October 12th, allowing for transformation to get back on track by giving us more mental clarity amidst change. During the retrograde we can start to see where we may be holding onto things unnecessarily and finally release any baggage. The only thing that can come in the way is environmental resistance to change, especially considering Pluto’s placement in collective-oriented Aquarius. Uranus on the other hand will calm down during the retrograde movement, and allow for any meandering energies to settle down, supporting in our focus. It will be easier to not only prioritise, but to get things done as any environmental distractions calm down. Neptune and Saturn in Aries will go direct in mid-December, and until then, Saturn’s retrograde can remove unnecessary obstacles, but also give us more responsibility for proceeding on the symbolic ladder. The self-starters are going to enjoy this timeframe, because a lot can get done and a lot of hoops can be jumped. The motion can be fast. Neptune’s retrograde motion drops all of the veils from our vision – we cannot lie to ourselves anymore. We can see the next step with crystalline clarity. Illusions will be released and we can understand what really is seeking to be birthed into reality through us.

One planetary, or asteroidy energy that hasn’t been yet discussed in this post alone is Chiron’s Retrograde motion after recently moving into Taurus. Chiron’s healing ability is a double-edged sword – on the other hand it will show us the way to heal, reveal life lessons and remove what’s damaged, but it will also show us our weak spots. In Taurus, we are getting rather tricky healing lessons in our foundational principles, such as income, belongings, food, body-image and other tangible goods. Chiron’s retrograde however helps us remove obstacles from healing and similarly to Neptune’s retrograde – see more clearly.

Chiron will shortly return to Aries during the last few months of this year before turning direct in January 2027. This shows us if there are any wounds on our identity level and our selfhood. Where can we truly say “I AM”, without crumbling into pieces? A strong level of self love, self respect, self appreciation is the key to acting from a sovereign place. See, insecurity and pretending to be confident turns into arrogance and fake personas, which eventually burn down in the fire of Neptune and Saturn in Aries. Saturn is like a pillar of fire in Aries, burning down any complexes around our self-discipline and any internal blocks we may have turn to ash when we let Saturn give us the perseverance to push through. The pillar of fire that allows us to center our will and life force into that which is most meaningful to this cycle of self-mastery. “I AM All That I AM”, and anything I am NOT, shall turn to dust. Know thyself.

Another important retrograde in October happens with Venus in Scorpio, moving back into Libra on October 25th. Venus retrograde can be challenging in regards to our relationships, especially if it hits our chart in any of our social houses, such as 3, 5, 7, 8, or 11., or hits our own Venus or Sun in a weird angle. Venus retrograde can sometimes bring up old or present insecurities, so how we deal with it depends on how strong our level of self-awareness and self-love actually is. Good thing is, those things can be developed, and as with anything, we are never fully at the mercy of the planets and energies when we know how to work with them. Since the beginning of this retrograde will square Pluto, the ruler of Scorpio, power battles in relationships can be heightened. It’s important to become aware of when something is coming out of a need to control versus when it’s actually more of an internal insecurity to deal with.

In our work related houses such as 2, 6, and 10, also 4,8 and 12 for business owners and the self-employed, Venus retrograde can show up as money issues or a need to review our money use, in our clientele, customers and work colleagues. We could be dealing with heightened envy or at the worst, people who undervalue our work and effort. Therefore this is not the best time to make huge investments or ask for a raise, but this is a good time to look around and prepare for any improvements that need to be made. It’s a good time to do some money journaling and budgeting, seeing where our money is going and how we can be better at handling it.

Since Venus is retrograde in Scorpio, we may be encountering blocks to emotional intimacy, unnecessary power imbalances, emotional immaturity and superiority complexes, other people’s stuff whether that’s financial or relational, struggles speaking about taboos or sort of put the cat on the table – especially once Mercury joins in the retrograde party on October 24th. Both Venus and Mercury exit retrograde and move back in direct motion by mid-November, which is when we start to see our relationships more clearly, understanding not just ourselves but the people close to us on a deeper level. Or perhaps find out why certain things didn’t work out as we planned. This is also a great time to practice boundaries, as that is what we learn when we merge with other people – where does the line between each individual end, and where do the lines blur?

At the end of 2026, in December, while we have Saturn and Neptune in Aries going direct, Jupiter starts the retrograde movement. Jupiter retrograde can help us discover lost treasure, symbolically. Things we thought weren’t valuable, suddenly become valuable and wanted. Things that perhaps Jupiter’s expansive and grandiose energy has blown put of proportion, become more controlled, making the energy more easy to direct towards the growth we want. Jupiter will have a review period, as with many other retrogrades, and we’re seeing what kind of a harvest the last few months have brought us. This is an especially good time to recall old things that were good for us and past life gifts, as Jupiter will be conjunct to South Node during November and December. Now that Jupiter is in Leo, we’ll be expanding things around our self-expression, artistry, and inner child. Therefore any limitations or over-reliance on our comfort zones must be released. During this transit we learn just how much more we are capable of, as long as we realise there’s no need to doubt or give into our insecurities and harmful complexes.

Thank you for reading, if you’d like to learn more about Retrogrades in astrology, there will be an unedited audio podcast coming available to my paid Patreon supporters in October 2026. I have also given 15$ Patreon supporters access to several classes, some of which are astrology classes, and will continue to do so. When you support me on Patreon, you support the content coming and my practice as an astrologer, Star Guide, Artist and a teacher. It helps keep the necessary systems going.