Direct motion — Astrology glossary

Direct motion is the normal forward movement of a planet through the zodiac, west to east against the background stars, as seen from Earth. It is the default state for every planet and the opposite of retrograde motion. The term is used mainly to mark the contrast: a planet is described as direct once it has finished a retrograde phase and resumed its usual course, passing through a stationary point in between. In a natal chart, a direct planet is read as expressing its function outwardly and straightforwardly, without the inward or revisiting quality associated with retrograde. For example, Mercury direct at birth is often taken to indicate someone who thinks and communicates in a forward, externalised way, voicing ideas as they form rather than turning them over privately first.