Your guide to navigating challenging astrology
Let’s be real: You don’t Google “WTF is Mercury retrograde” when everything’s going well. You do it when your phone glitches, you accidentally hit “reply all,” or people’s choices stop making sense. Just as our lives cycle through patches of turbulence and periods of relatively smooth sailing, the astrological weather also ebbs and flows — and we feel it. Some astro is supportive, or even lucky, and some makes you wish you’d stayed in bed. This mix is a part of life. But when you know what’s happening in the sky, you can plan accordingly.
What’s considered “bad astrology”?
Challenging astrology generally refers to retrogrades, eclipses, and hard aspects (i.e., tense relationships between planets). Let’s break them down, one by one.
1. Retrogrades
Retrogrades are arguably the most “viral” of the tricky astrology moments. When a planet is retrograde, it appears to move backward in the sky from our perspective on Earth. In our personal lives, retrograde periods tend to be times of reflection and introspection — and they often come with all sorts of annoying snags.
The planets closest to the Sun — Mercury, Venus, and Mars — affect us more intensely when they’re retrograde than the outer planets (which are retrograde for about half the year). These retrograde periods bring slowdowns and surprises in our everyday plans, interactions, and relationships, including delayed flights (a classic Mercury trick), jump-scare texts from exes (hey, Venus), and anger flare-ups that you thought you got over years ago (thanks, Mars). As inconvenient as retrograde periods can be, they’re also helpful opportunities to revisit past setbacks and decide what you can do differently this time.
Hot tip: There’s one day during every Mercury and Venus retrograde when the confusion clears up, and you can get things done with more ease. That’s when the planet meets up with the Sun in a cazimi. (Note: Mars cazimis can also occur, but not during Mars retrogrades.) So if any big conversations or launches need to happen during a Mercury or Venus retrograde period, save them for the day of the cazimi.
2. Eclipses
Eclipses are another type of astrological moment to approach with caution. You can think of them as cosmic power outages. The ancients considered the Sun and Moon to be the rulers of the cosmos, and whenever an eclipse blocked their life-giving light, it represented an eerie disruption. To this day, eclipses are still awe-inspiring and sometimes nerve-racking, and they often coincide with high-profile falls from grace among celebrities, politicians, and global leaders. On a personal level, eclipses can make us feel drained, overwhelmed, and unsettled. That’s because eclipses are high-stakes, transformative turning points that accelerate timelines, reveal hidden information, and spark sudden plot twists. If you’re figuring out when to schedule a major launch or event, we don’t recommend an eclipse, because the energy is so volatile. But at the same time, eclipses can force us to make changes we didn’t know we were ready to make. Think: a clean break, a total reset, or a fresh start.
3. Hard aspects
As the planets move through the sky, they form geometric angles in relation to each other, and these angles are called aspects. There are five major aspects, and two of them are especially challenging: squares (which occur when two planets are 90º apart) and oppositions (when two planets are 180º apart). A square is a point of friction that encourages us to take action, and an opposition is like a tug-of-war that highlights the contrasts between two planets.
These aspects can be extra difficult when they involve one of the two malefic planets: Mars (the planet of anger and conflict) and Saturn (the planet of discipline and reality checks). The outer planets can also make a noticeable impact because they move so slowly. Think: Uranus (the planet of disruption), Neptune (the planet of delusion), and Pluto (the planet of power and the underworld).
When one of these planets clashes with another planet in the sky or in your birth chart, life can feel more frustrating and jarring. But the tension of these moments can be productive — it’s often when the going is tough that we discover what we’re made of. They also clarify where our boundaries could be stronger and where saying “no, thank you” could make everyone a lot happier.
What to do when the astro gets messy
Though it sometimes feels like “bad astro” is trying to ruin your life, it’s not. It highlights where you could use a course correction. Sure, you might be tempted to call in sick when the stars seem to be trolling you, but real life doesn’t work like that. Sometimes you have no control over the timing of things. Still, with some trial and error, you can figure out which strategies make sense for different types of tricky astro.
For example, a Mercury retrograde probably isn’t the best time to sign a contract or plan a trip, but that doesn’t mean you can’t do those things. They’ll just require extra care and attention. During these periods, make sure to double-check the fine print, back up your files, confirm the reservation, leave earlier than usual — you get the idea.
And during eclipse season, emotions tend to run high, and situations can take a surprising turn. To brace yourself for the sudden shifts that come with this astrology, lie low, get as much rest as possible, and journal or vent to process the feelings that come up. Slowing down and zooming out will help you understand the bigger picture of what’s unfolding — and avoid doing something reckless.
Whenever the planets are making life more complicated — whether through hard aspects to your natal placements or heavy-hitting transits in the sky — it can feel like you’ve failed or made a wrong turn. But in reality, you’re being asked to adjust your approach — or take a detour. Astrological roadblocks remind you just how resourceful and adaptable you can be. If things were “good” all the time, your instincts and creative problem-solving skills would never evolve.
Ways to work with (not against) tricky astrology
Think of bad astro as a stormy weather forecast rather than a curse. You wouldn’t wear flip-flops in a blizzard, right? Likewise, it might be risky to buy a new phone when Mercury is retrograde or get married during eclipse season. That’s why it’s important to check the sky and plan accordingly. Need help? Here’s a cheat sheet for when chaotic astro strikes.
Do…
- Triple-check any details that could slip through the cracks. Bake in extra wiggle room for surprises, glitches, or delays. And if things are moving quickly, slow down and review your plans instead of rushing. It will help you prevent annoying mistakes and big headaches.
- Focus on what you can actually control — and save yourself the stress of trying to fix anything else, which isn’t possible anyway. Bad astro can be exhausting, and there’s usually a lot to process, so lie low and get plenty of rest to avoid getting overwhelmed.
- Notice what your frustration is telling you about what needs to change. Emotions are valuable data, so listen to any feelings that the astrology stirs up. You’ll be glad you paid attention when they come up again later.
- Learn to meet the astro of the moment by tuning in to the Astrology of the Week Ahead podcast and Your Weekly Reading in the “This Week” section of the CHANI app. These real-time astro breakdowns will help you understand the current cosmic weather so you can work with it rather than push against it.
- Work through and reflect on what the astrology is teaching you. If you need a place to start, check out your journal prompts, rituals, and guided meditations in the “This Week” section of the app. You can also build an altar as an offering to the planet(s) that are wreaking havoc in your life and coax them to play nice.
- Figure out where the astrology is landing in your life and how it’s impacting you based on your rising sign, by reading your free planetary horoscopes in the “Today” section of the app.
- Pinpoint how and where the planets are interacting with your natal placements by checking your real-time readings in the Transits tab of the CHANI app. We’ll also give you tips for making the most of these moments.
Don’t…
- Force clarity when everything is murky. A lot can change in 24 hours, both in the sky and in our personal lives. If you can, sleep on any big decisions so you can move forward from a calmer, more grounded place.
- Overcommit. When the astro hits the fan, sticky situations may come up and demand your full attention. It’ll be easier to handle them if you’re not swamped or distracted. And if your plate is already full, practice saying no as much as you can.
- Rush. A little extra time to get your ducks in a row can be a blessing. And after pausing for a minute, you might realize you want to pivot in a new direction that makes more sense for you.
- Feed unnecessary drama. It can be tempting to act out when emotions run high, when other people push your buttons, or when everything seems to be out of your control. Remember that messy astrology doesn’t last forever, and your future self will thank you for choosing not to fan the flames.
- Ignore your limits. Powering through might seem manageable in the short term, but then you’ll push yourself even closer to burnout. Even when everything feels really urgent, pacing yourself is the key to beating tough astro without losing steam.
- Fear challenges. Crunchy transits can feel like cosmic punishments, but they’re really growth opportunities, inviting you to dig deep and discover just how resilient you are. It may not be fun to learn these lessons the hard way, but once you’ve made it to the other side, those rewards will stick with you for the rest of your life.
You got this. You’ve faced bad astro before, and you can do it again. And now, you know how to tackle it.
