Retrograde! But, Make It Fashion: Uranus
Welcome back, friends, and welcome to the fashion show... sort of.
SIDE NOTE HERE: Most of what you are about to read, below, will be repeated in each of the mini blogs about this series. I chose to do this because not everyone reads each individual blog and it is important to discuss some of the general information in each post. This way, if someone only reads one post, they still gain the benefit of the knowledge below. So, if you plan to read all the posts about this series, please forgive the repetition in some of them.
I call this mini illustration series: Retrograde, but Make it Fashion. It's a strange title for a strange idea. However, the origins of my idea for this series' concept does have a grounding in the logical world. I'm not completely in the clouds with this one... well, not entirely. lol
Last December, Venus was stationed retrograde and I had the idea for an illustration. Venus is the planet that governs pleasure, beauty, and attraction (among other things) in astrology. I was thinking a fun way to personify Venus was to transform her into a kind of Supermodel walking down the runway, or posing at the end of it, or just about to turn... I hadn't planned out all the details, because I ended up not working on it within the time frame of when Venus was in retrograde. So, I shelved the idea, until now. With so many planets currently in retrograde right now, I thought, "why don't I pull that Venus retrograde illustration idea out of the morgue and modify it to these other planets?" Thus the pursuit of making a little illustration series on the subject ensued.
I remember making a note on the Venus Illustration entry in my Idea Journal. The title was originally Venus, Sashay Away. It is a reference to the very popular drag competition show Ru Paul's Drag Race. Ru Paul, when she is eliminating a contestant, uses the signature phrase (modified/based on her hit song Supermodel) "Sashay, Away!" There's an animated GIF of it that I like to use sometimes and it ALWAYS gives me a private chuckle. I thought it an appropriate way to conceptualize a planet's astrological retrograde period.
I'm sure you have been asking this question to yourself (and to me) since you started reading this post. Probably you were wondering, in your mind, "What on earth is he even talking about?" Well, funny you should think that. Our position and view here on earth have EVERYTHING to do with explaining what a retrograde is. A retrograde (or planetary retrograde) is when a planet seems to be moving backward in the sky from our perspective here on Earth. In reality: No, planets don’t actually move backward. It’s an optical illusion due to the speed of the Earth’s rotation. But what ancient people realized is that when a planet changes direction or shifts in speed, what it rules will see challenges or confusion in our lives during that specific time.
Astrology is a science that utilizes the placement of the planets to make insightful predictions about how life on Earth is going to develop. It has been around for centuries and that is why we have been able to notice patterns throughout time, refining itself, to figure out that when the planets move, something here on Earth will be affected. You may or may not believe in Astrology, or you might think that it's just a cute part of your daily morning news feed. You may only think it's an amusing thing to discuss on a first date. It isn't my job or inclination to convince you of its validity. I will, however, say this: The waves in our Ocean are created by the gravity of our orbiting moon. The powerful gravity of Jupiter is what protects asteroids and other debris from crashing constantly into Earth (Thank you, Jupiter.) These are both invisible forces. And if this is what they can do to large masses in this universe, what do you think these invisible forces are doing to us or the environment we live in. We are, after all, 70% water. What "waves" is our Moon producing within us? Something to think about. I will leave defending the merits of Astrology as a science to the Astrologers, themselves. I'm just a weekend tourist. They actually live in that building.
Let's get back to talking about the retrograde.
A planetary retrograde is broken down into 3 phases: Pre-Shadow, Retrograde, and Post-Shadow.
In the pre-shadow phase, when the planet starts to slow down from our viewpoint on Earth, we start to see problems crop up and realize some current situations might be on rocky ground. This can last for weeks or months prior, depending on which planet it is.
The actual retrograde phase is when you see the problems that started to announce themselves in the pre-shadow blow-up in front of you. This is when the planet is taking control and moving backward in the sky. In reality, new information regarding what the planet rules are emerging in our lives — something we probably had overlooked originally. The universe is bringing it out dramatically in your face now to show you that you must pay attention to this before you proceed.
The post-shadow phase is when the planet is finally moving forward in the sky again but is still gaining speed to catch up with where it originally fell behind. Once a planet moves past this point in the sky, life should move along much more easily. The post-shadow phase is especially important because it helps us to resolve whatever popped up during the previous two periods so that we are on a better track moving forward.
The Sun, the Moon, and the Earth (because we are standing on it) don't retrograde. Sun and Moon are referred to as "The Luminaries." All planets retrograde at different times depending on their distance from us in the Solar System. A simple rule of thumb that you can follow is: the closer the planet is to us, the shorter the retrograde. The further away it is from us, the longer the retrograde is. How this affects us depends on the planet, what phase of the retrograde it is in, and the zodiacal sign that it is transiting (retrograding/traveling) through. Not to get too specific, depending on what house the zodiac sign is placed in your chart can also determine how a particular plant's retrograde affects you personally.
Most of the time a planet transits through retrograde alone or with one or two other planets at a time. However, there are sometimes years when we get large clusters of planet retrogrades. 2022 is one of them. We have 8 of the 9 planets in retrograde this year. 6 are clustered together right now.
So, Let's talk about them, shall we. This illustration is devoted to Uranus.
Uranus is known as the "Awakener" in astrology. It governs surprises and all things unexpected. It also governs the future, new technology (newly invented and unimagined yet), innovation, discovery, society, collective consciousness, and all that is progressive. The upside is that Uranus brings with it enlightenment, progressiveness, objectivity, novelty, and ingenuity. The downside is often how Uranus gets us all there. Uranus is also the rebel. Uranus shakes things up often to the point where things crash down and crumble, like the wake of an earthquake. Uranus is also about instability; tearing down all the walls so that they can be rebuilt in better, more innovative, more enlightened ways... Like a true revolutionary.
Uranus takes 84 years to cycle through the entire zodiac. So, it takes roughly 7 years for it to travel through any individual zodiac sign. For this reason, it is considered a "generational planet." This means that it helps shape the mindset of an entire age group. Since Uranus governs society, it has the power to shape mass culture as we know it. Powerful planet, huh? It is currently transiting through the sign Taurus Depending on what house Taurus rules in your chart, that is how these Uranus transits will specifically affect you. But in a more general sense, Taurus is an Earth sign, fixed energy (meaning the energy of sustainability). Taurus brings Spring, growth in all the plants, plenty of food, and the birth of new life on the planet. Taurus is often associated with our homes and the stability of that home life. If we think about Maslow's hierarchy of needs, Taurus represents our shelter, our clothing, and food. This generally means, essentially, that Uranus is in our homes and shaking the stability of it in so many different ways.
This is what Uranus normally does when it is "direct." What does it mean when Uranus is in retrograde though? Like most outer planets, Uranus has an annual retrograde that lasts approximately 5 months. Uranus will be retrograde in Taurus from August 24, 2022 - January 23, 2023. During these retrograde spells, Uranus' energy is halted, dulled, and brought to a more manageable level. We can begin to reflect on the abrupt and disruptive fast changes Uranus makes and can begin to adapt and find our way innovatively within this new structure. We can make more use of what Uranus has been working so hard to do. Other things that can happen during a Uranus retrograde are that progress can come to a grinding halt, and technology can become the source of trouble. We may also see a slowdown of collective consciousness to the point where we may see our individual moves and impacts on the collective as a whole. Our interests in community work and activism may blossom during these times of retrograde.
Since Uranus is retrograding in Taurus, We will see these effects happening within the arena of our home lives and particularly when it comes to home-associated resources and stability: food, clothing, and shelter. Things that sustain our lives. This is the flavoring of Taurus within the Uranus retrograde this year.
Before we go, let's talk a little bit about the art.
I explained the concept behind these odd but fun little illustrations. One of the things I wanted to pay homage to was the 1902 French film Le Voyage dans la Lune (A Trip to the Moon.) I have always been impressed and inspired by that iconic image of the moon with that face in it. I'm certain that this image has inspired so many other artists and each has paid tribute to this treasure of cinema history. In my case, conceptually, I wouldn't be able to center a face within my illustrated planets. They are in retrograde, and they are sashaying away from us. So we would only see their "dark sides of" or the back of their "heads" if you will. I still wanted to see a face on them in some way. I really wanted to superimpose the faces of real supermodels onto them. So, I came up with the idea of them looking back; serving us one last lewk before continuing on their retrograded ways.
I wanted to play with the proportions of head size because not all planets are equal (in size) and I wanted to convey that within this series. So some "heads" will appear large on their bodies. Some "heads" will appear small. These aesthetic choices are largely determined by the literal astronomical relation of planetary size to Earth and to each other. I should probably do a "police line-up" of them once they are all completed. lol.
Uranus has a very subtle yet smooth surface. It has this almost hombre-like appearance. I also LOVE their ring. The ring is made up of frozen and icy chunks of darkened rock; ice boulders several feet across. My illustration of Uranus depicts them as nonbinary. Again I am playing with gender roles that are associated with these planets in astrology.
Uranus here is just so cool in their composure; so smooth. so confident. so mysterious. They are seen here wearing designs by up-and-coming Swiss fashion designer Yannik Zamboni. Many of you may already be familiar with them as they appeared on Season 3 of Making the Cut on Amazon Prime (no spoilers.) Yannik has a fascinating and futuristic vision of fashion that just enchanted me and mesmerized and delighted me from head to toe. Yannik is also known for his fashion brand Maison Blanche (House of White) and many times throughout the televised design competition, they would design only in white fabrics with accents here and there of color.
Since Uranus is the rebel and is the planet that governs the future and innovation, I really wanted fashion that was not only cool, hip, and exciting to see, but also something that seemed as if it were from the future (but without looking like it was out of a 60s sci-fi film.) Yannik was the perfect choice for this. Many of the judges on the show were praising Yannik by saying that their vision will be "the future of fashion." I can see where their unique and innovative designs and special garments could be where fashion in society could be going. Their brand is non-gender conforming as are they. It really did seem like the perfect match to dress Uranus for their walk down the Cosmic Catwalk.
Uranus is seen in a suit coat (just the coat) of the Maison Blanche All-Gender Veston Deux-Piece. They are also seen wearing a pair of pants inspired by the Maison Blanche All-Gender Asymmetrical skirt. On the show, Yannik designs a dress similar to both of these garment pieces. Their inspiration is from taking one leg and a pocket from a pair of pants and making that an oversized shape/silhouette for the pants themselves. I loved how creative that was. So genius. I felt that is EXACTLY what Uranus would be wearing if a planet could wear clothes.
The boots were inspired by some boots that a model was wearing as a part of the garment styling for the photoshoot. They are not being sold as part of the Maison Blanche collection. There are no visual references to the zodiac sign of Taurus (like I did with many of the other RBMIF illustrations in this series.) I just felt like Uranus wouldn't do that... Not their vibe. However, I did allow Maison Blanche to inspire the makeup that Uranus is wearing. I'm very happy with how this one turned out.
That pretty much sums up this blog entry for Uranus and my little illustration of them. Stay tuned for the rest of this illustrated mini-series coming soon. Weather the Uranus retrograde as best as you can and look fabulous while doing it.
Until next time, friends...
Keep dreaming, keep sketching, keep thinking, keep laughing, and most important of all, keep making art.
*Some of the retrograde information cited from:
Here’s what a retrograde in astrology means and how it affects you by Kyle Thomas @ New York Post.
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