Retrograde planet(s) in the 1st house: the Ascendant sign’s manifestation will be heavily hindered/reduced. Very insecure, perhaps prone to self-hatred. Introverted. Identity and life path may change a lot. Likely more self-aware than most others with the same Rising. Tend to be very interesting to others, but don’t feel that way. Worldview is unstable & usually subjective but insightful.
Retrograde planet(s) in the 2nd house: have no idea what they’re worth until they take the time to study their personal values; before that happens, they tend not to have a solid foundation from which to operate & base their decisions/will on whims or temporary mindsets. May have many regrets because of this. Fluctuating & unconventional finances/possessions.
Retrograde planet(s) in the 3rd house: tend to be quiet, considerate, and thoughtful. May prefer to observe rather than participate. Acutely aware of flaws in mindsets/thoughts/statements, especially their own; analytical and clever. Shy, may be unwilling to share thoughts. May tend to talk in circles without getting to the point. Erratic productivity and mental activity.
Retrograde planet(s) in the 4th house: prone to withdraw, extremely introverted and introspective. Self-reliant, psychologically strained but independent nonetheless. Many intrinsic issues that they usually make an effort to work out. Family/upbringing is the source of much inner trouble. Possibly emotionally repressed, or they express emotion unconventionally.
Retrograde planet(s) in the 5th house: poor self-confidence, hate standing out. High standards for themselves. Fear not being received well so they may water themselves down or put up a facade. Self-censure is a big problem, and so is self-denial. Pleasures/enjoyment are stressful & cause inner tug-of-war so they may avoid it altogether. Prefer to experience pleasure in private.
Retrograde planet(s) in the 6th house: easily distracted and prone to procrastination. Tend to prefer working alone as it’s difficult to cooperate and collaborate. Can be lazy and unproductive. Need a lot of motivation and reward. May fall ill often. Mental health may be poor. Anxious. The part of the body associated with the planet or sign on the cusp may have many issues.
Retrograde planet(s) in the 7th house: usually able to acknowledge the parts of themselves they dislike/reject, thus they tend to be relatively self-aware. Very inhibited, may be hypocritical. Potentially the type to back out of commitments, present ultimatums, blackmail/manipulate, and “negotiate” their way through life in an unfair manner. Potentially repressive and superficial.
Retrograde planet(s) in the 8th house: particularly secretive; expression is inhibited. Tear themselves apart looking for answers to their problems; can be blind to things in their life that will help them, may ignore them on purpose out of fear, resentment, or self-contempt. Wise, insightful, extremely intuitive. Inner world is out of control so they’re excessively controlled on the outside.
Retrograde planet(s) in the 9th house: fleeing is a natural defense mechanism. Easily feels suffocated and the first instinct is to disappear from the immediate situation. Feel lost intellectually because nothing really makes sense to them or clicks; tend to have unconventional but intriguing opinions. Restless on the inside. Can’t settle on beliefs; can’t agree with anyone.
Retrograde planet(s) in the 10th house: feel lost in the world; feel as if the world has no room for them. Unsure of who they truly aspire to be, and that trickles down into their personal life, so they tend to be generally indecisive. Feel weak or inadequate. May have too many ambitions or a lack of them. Lack of belief in themselves. Limit their opportunities with underperformance.
Retrograde planet(s) in the 11th house: usually have issues making & keeping friends. Difficult to connect to in a lasting way, despite their efforts to integrate. Uncomfortable with fully “belonging” to a community, or attaching to dreams/ideals. May feel lost and disconnected, possibly excluded. Sometimes prone to withdrawal. Usually limit/filter their personality when socializing.
Retrograde planet(s) in the 12th house: generally present an image of themselves to others that differs greatly from who they are on the inside. Unsure of themselves, may be either extremely self-aware or extremely self-unaware depending on the sign/planet. Rarely seen or treated the way they should be. Painfully repressive but they can’t avoid the truth about themselves.
May apply to houses with their ruler in retrograde.
These descriptions also count for the nodal axis (if retrograde) to a lesser degree because retrogrades often relate to lessons that need to be learned in order for the native to “evolve” as a person, which is a big theme of the nodes.
