Planets are almost always moving. They zip along through the zodiac, and then they sometimes swing backward and move retrograde. But every now and then, as they are transitioning between forward and retrograde movement, they appear to stop. Just like a pendulum seems to pause at the height of each swing, so do the planets. These pauses last anywhere from a few hours to a few days, so they’re not especially common. So what happens when you are born with a stationary planet in your chart?
When a planet is stationary, it gains power. Instead of waving breezily as it passes by, it stops and makes itself comfortable. Its presence is stronger and more intense. It gives oomph to the planet’s influence.
It’s like the Eye of Sauron in The Lord of the Rings. As the eye passes over people, they feel a tingling sense that something is not right. But when it fixes its gaze, people seize, shake, and are completely overcome by its power. It simply can’t be ignored.
And this is true even if the planet is otherwise weak. For example, my Saturn is not strongly positioned. It is hidden away in the 8th house and only makes one wide, weak aspect. It shouldn’t be a major influence. However, Saturn was also stationary when I was born. My life has been one profoundly shaped by Saturn influences. I have some of the strongest boundaries of anyone I know, I work almost constantly, and slow, steady progress is the name of the game. I might not always love his influence (does anyone?), but it is huge in my life nonetheless.
And if a planet is already strong, it can create an oversized influence. I say this from experience, because Jupiter is also stationary in my chart. And while Jupiter is stuck in the 12th house, it also trines 6 planets and sextiles another. He doesn’t need any help exerting his power. And yet, with that stationary quality, Jupiter is often running the show. Everything about me is BIG. Every planet that Jupiter aspects inflates like a balloon. Knowledge, perspective, generosity, and growth are paramount. It feels like Caesar going from a great general to being titled Imperator. Jupiter was already strong, but being stationary makes him king.
So I encourage you all to take a look at your chart and see if there are any planets that were reversing course as you were born. It could really shine a light on who rules the roost.
Do you have any stationary planets? What is it like?
Whoa, thank you so much for writing this! Always wondered about stationary planets. I have saturn in 1st house, aquarius stationary. Regardless of this, I always gave saturn utmost importance in my chart. It’s the ruler of my NN, it’s the apex of my t-squares, the chart ruler, it’s in mutual reception with uranus capricorn (interestingly uranus becomes the focal point of a thor’s hammer.) So I can’t say, there’s anything in my chart not ‘influenced’ by saturn.
Interesting, this is the first time I’m reading about this. I have uranus stationary and Neptune, too. Uranus is already prominent, 12H, conjunct my AC and Moon , trine Sun, square Mercury and Venus. So basically almost all personal planets.
Neptune is in 2h, sagittarius, opposite Mars, trine Jupiter and Pluto, my chart ruler.
Stationary by progression is potent too, except it’s more often internal …”I feel different”, which leads one to act different.
Wow. My mars in the 12th in Capricorn is stationary retrograde. I always say that it doesn’t work. It opposes my Venus. Just today I self sabotaged by imagining a cough and bowing out of a responsibility. I have to try to set it right. This can’t go on. I thought I couldn’t do this until this full moon. And I seem to bow out of anything slightly difficult and have serious problems with organization and self motivation. I woke up with the most mars in Capricorn cheesy song stuck in my head ‘ I’ll make a man out of you.’
Is stationary the same as retrograde?
Not quite. It’s the period in which a planet is about to turn retrograde or about to turn direct. If you’re not sure, you can always go to astro.com and click “Create an Ephemeris” under the Free Horoscope tab. Put in the year of your birth. There will be a little “D” or “R” on the days that planets are stationing.
Değerli bilgileriniz için teşekkürler. Acaba durağan gezegenimi nasıl bulabilirim.merkürüm retro ama bir gün sonra doğrudana geçiyor. Bu durağan mı demek
Pluto Stationary in the 12th, conjunct Mars. As Pluto swung back and forth over my chart as an infant (is that sort of like a Pluto return?), my life hung by a thread. I survived abuse and extreme neglect. But I had a very attentive Guardian Angel watching over me. You know what they say about Angels and little children – it’s true. I was mad as hell about it all up until I was in my mid-twenties. But I met the love of my life and got over it. My life is so peaceful now. The power of love will overcome evil every time.
EleanorD, that’s a beautiful story. 🙂
Super interesting article, Midara. Thanks. I’ve got 6 retrograde planets in my chart, and never knew what that miniature “D” was next to my true node. I can see your point. I put a lot of my focus on peace of mind and prayer that I am on the right path. I had thought it had to do with my nodes’ conjunction to sun and chiron on my descendant. This is a new angle for me.
I have Pluto in Scorpio stationary in my 6th house. It went direct the day after I was born. I would have to attribute most of my obsessive, perfectionist tendencies to that placement, since the rest of my chart doesn’t speak to that so much. It’s not always easy, but when used appropriately, it’s quite powerful.
Thanks for another great article. I have Venus stationery in my first house in Leo. I’m an actor. For me venus is always sensitive to both transits and it’s own phase / cycle. Many of my significant creative milestones were during these times. Very strong. Many thanks again.
Saturn stationary direct in Cancer in 12th house…it takes me a reallly long time to heal emotionally from betrayals and to forgive if I ever do.
Welcome, Deana!
Mars stationary direct in Cancer, in the 7th house. So, although it’s in its fall in Cancer, the Sd motion would actually strengthen it in spades? Mars is also out of bounds as well.
What’s worse is that my North Node is in Libra! Which makes Mars my SOUTH Node ruler. Add karmic to my Mars as well. Oh yay
Mars is my SN ruler too. I have 3 Stationary Planets
Got a question about true nodes – it seems that when I was born, the true node was stationary. How does this affect me? I read a lot about the ~10% of people with direct true nodes, but what about those of us with stationary true nodes?
I’m not asking about mean nodes, which are averaged out and therefore always retrograde.
Yes, I’m curious about this too, Oliver!
And, I wonder if my node actually is stationary. The true node ephemeris for my bday looks like this:
day before: 14’35
birthday: 14R35
day after: 14’35
So, Midara, or anyone, even tho it turned R on my bday, is it stationary because it’s at the same degree point on the days before and after?
Ok, I now see that yes, the R on the day means stationary. Sorry, I missed that above in the replies.
I’d say your NN Sign is a reasonably big energy in your life. Is that your only Stationary Planet / Point? You denite by writing SRx, if it was Stationary Direct it’d be SD.
My jupiter is also St. on 7th house Leo , it turn R after 2 days of my birthday, at leo jup is already strong and with my sun at saggitr. but i am still single at 32 🙂
I have a Stationary Rx 19° Mercury (conjunct Uranus) in Leo ♌ 2nd super square 22° Jupiter Stationary Direct in Scorpio ♏ 5th!
I also Neptune at 4° Scorpio ♏ in the Stationary Direct phase. I have 3 Stationary planets.
The 2 in Scorpio always have people picking me as Scorpio ♏ and not Cancer ♋ despite the Ascendant and Sun