Uranus Retrograde Is Here to Change Your Life, According to an Astrologer

The term "retrograde" might bring to mind miscommunication, bumper-to-bumper traffic, or curveballs you really have no interest in dealing with. But in astrology, planetary retrogrades are far more nuanced and frequent than you may realize. In fact, every year, we go through a Uranus retrograde, and each backspin of the "awakener" planet lasts about five months.

Uranus, the planet of radical change, innovation, rebellion, and revolution, urges you to break free of anything that's holding you back from being your true, genuine self; to rebel against limitations and boundaries; to think creatively. Uranus also tends to fuel unexpected situations, forcing you to think a little differently than you normally would when finding a solution.

However, Uranus retrograde offers opportunities that ultimately nudge you to move in a radical and, ideally, happier direction. In 2024, Uranus retrograde in Taurus is a chance to march to the beat of your own drum when it comes to finances, love, your perception of beauty, mindfulness, and how you engage with the world around you.

As an astrologer myself, read on for more details about Uranus retrograde 2024, including when Uranus is retrograde, what Uranus retrograde means, and how each zodiac sign will be impacted by this retrograde.

In 2024, Uranus will be retrograde from Sept. 1, 2024 to Jan. 30, 2025. It will move backward through the fixed earth sign Taurus, which is symbolized by the bull.

In order to understand what happens when Uranus is retrograde, it's important to consider how the planet affects you when it's direct (or moving forward). Under normal circumstances, the awakener planet brings surprises (for better or worse) and encourages innovation. When Uranus syncs up with, squares off against, or opposes other planets in the sky or in your birth chart, it urges you to question the norm, strengthening your capacity to embrace change.

However, when Uranus is retrograde, its electric, change-making energy chills out a bit. Instead of pushing for external, apparent, concrete change, you could be inspired to embrace rebellion and revolution in a more internal, psychological way. You could be meditating on changes that need to occur or slowly but surely switching up your mindset in a particular area of life. This time offers everyone an opportunity to rethink larger life goals, like how you're going about looking for a partner or pursuing your long-term professional aspirations.

During this annual astrological transit, Uranus retrograde will encourage you to rethink the limits you've put on yourself. For example, if you've been holding yourself back from pitching a creative idea to a higher-up or considering whether a platonic relationship might grow into something more, now's your moment to explore why. In doing so, you might be inspired to adopt a whole new outlook entirely.

It bears noting that as with any astrological event, you may not feel this Uranus retrograde as acutely as you might experience, say, a full moon or Mercury retrograde. This is because Uranus moves slowly, so its effects tend to build over the course of its long-term transits. However, if you were to journal about your experience beginning in September and take a look back at the end of January next year, you might notice that you've begun to think about something in an out-of-the-box way or embrace a more eccentric point of view.

In 2024, Uranus will move backward through 23 to 27 degrees of Taurus, encouraging inner work that could lead to striking out on your own in Taurean areas of life, like romance, finances, values, how you engage with the world through all five senses , and your perception of beauty.

Here's how the Uranus retrograde will affect your zodiac sign. (Be sure to read your rising sign as well!)

Uranus's retrograde occurs in your second house of income, Aries, making this a time in which you'll be doing a lot of soul searching around the ways in which you'd like to change up how you're bringing in cash as well as what you're spending on. You should also be asking yourself about your values. It could be that what you've been prioritizing — like, a bigger paycheck or residence in an "ideal" location — isn't in line with what you feel is worth your time and energy now. Spending this time reassessing issues like these can set you up for bolstered financial well-being down the road.

This Uranus retrograde falls in your sign and, therefore, your first house of self, Taurus. Over the next few months, you'll reflect on how to best pursue goals tied to your personal brand and identity. Although you're very much a creature of habit, you might feel more compelled to break out of stale patterns and ruts. Change will feel comfier and more secure than continuing down the same old path.

The planet of innovation and sudden change will move backward through your twelfth house of spirituality, which is already a pretty dreamy, mystical area of your chart, Gemini. You've likely been doing some deep inner work that is making you more aware of unconscious beliefs. Uranus's retrograde here can intensify this work, boosting your self-awareness and revitalizing your imagination. You could find that your dreams are more intense and vivid and offer valuable intel on past wounds and present desires.

Uranus's retrograde falls in your 11th house of friendships and long-term wishes, Cancer, making this a moment in which you're stirred to think about the groups and teams you associate with. If you're super-active on social media, maybe think about the audience you want to attract and speak to. Either way, you'll see how the people you're connected to can further aspirations that are near and dear to your heart. Maybe you care deeply about discussing health and wellness, so you're realizing you should open up more about that topic with friends or followers. You could also have lightbulb moments that ultimately inspire you to change up collaborative game plans.

Uranus's retrograde falls in your 10th house of career and public image, Leo, bringing a blast of electrifying, innovative energy to your professional game plan. Over the next few months, you can take a step back, slow down, and revise and perfect your plan, especially when it comes to your career. During this time, it's OK to say "no" to opportunities that aren't in line with your vision. Uranus retrograde will offer you more clarity on exactly what you want to achieve.

Uranus's retrograde falls in your ninth house of higher learning and adventure, Virgo, creating changes related to how you experience the world around you. As Uranus moves backward here, you could have more eye-opening experiences, perhaps spurred by interactions with people outside of your typical friend group. Self-reflection and horizon-broadening experiences may also inspire you to lay the groundwork to hone your skill set (like pursuing an advanced degree or signing up for mentoring sessions).

Uranus moves backward through your eighth house of emotional bonds and joint resources, Libra, which spurs you to rethink how you're relating to your nearest and dearest — especially around shared income matters. You might be reimagining the best way to invest alongside your partner or how to tackle a conversation related to your aging parents' will. This is also a time in which you can do some soul searching around inner work-fueled changes (like talking to a therapist or trusted confidant about self-image) that would boost fulfillment in your sex life.

Uranus retrograde hits your seventh house of partnership, Scorpio, which means your one-on-one relationships are very much a focus now. Friendships and relationships that have been either toxic or unfulfilling are sure to fade away as Uranus moves backward. Try not to mourn these dying connections, though. Over the next few months, you can likely gain a new perspective on these changes and discover what you want future bonds to look like as you move ahead.

Uranus retrograde will fall in your sixth house of wellness and daily routine, Sagittarius, which is a signal to slow down and reassess your day-to-day hustle. It's possible that saying "yes" more than you've been saying "no" just isn't working out, and you feel spread too thin. Now's your opportunity to reflect on what compels you to take on so much and to come up with simple, everyday ways you can bring more balance into your schedule. Thanks to Taurus's influence, you might consider how some of the most cherished people in your life can support you in these efforts.

Uranus will be moving backward through your fifth house of romance and self-expression, Capricorn, which can be as exciting as it sounds. You have a chance to reimagine how you pour your emotions into your most artistic endeavors and how you own your voice in your most playful, heartfelt bonds. You might realize you'd do well to speak up more about your needs in a new relationship or that it's time to put pragmatic goals aside for once in order to chase after an aim that brings you a great deal of joy. Either way, this transit was made for tuning into your heart over your head.

Uranus's retrograde falls in your fourth house of home life, Aquarius, which means it'll influence your relationships with loved ones, your literal home, your sense of security, and your inner world. Ever since your ruling planet moved into this zone back in 2018, it's been shaking things up around your family and home. You might be paving your own path in this part of your life, refusing to conform to what's expected of you. Or perhaps an unconventional form of healing like EFT tapping or psychodynamic therapy has helped seal old emotional wounds. Either way, the next few months will offer plenty of opportunities to reflect on your journey.

This Uranus retrograde falls in your third house of communication, Pisces, which can be really electrifying for your social connections, brainstorming sessions at work, and opportunities to learn something new. You'll likely be thinking about new ways in which you can satiate your curiosity and wanderlust, whether that's by kicking off a book club in the fall with friends or planning more short-distance road trips with your partner. Before making any bold moves, however, be sure to check in with your gut. Your intuition can be especially powerful as you navigate new terrain related to your friendships and self-expression.

Maressa Brown is a journalist, author, and astrologer. Her areas of expertise include writing, reporting, and editing lifestyle, pop culture, and parenting content that's both conversational and substantive. In addition to contributing to POPSUGAR, she writes for a variety of consumer-facing publications including InStyle, Parents, and Shape, and was previously an editor at Cosmopolitan and CafeMom.