What 5 Planets Being Retrograde Means For Aries

April is a special month. No, not because of 4/20. Five planets will be retrograde at the same time, meaning the world is going to come to an end. Kidding. But it could make for some pretty weird happenings — and because my boyfriend is a March baby, I was wondering what five planets being retrograde means for Aries, and what I might be able to expect from him. (I expect he'll be amazing, as always.)

First, let's cover the basics for any newbies reading this. When a planet turns "retrograde," it implies an apparent change in how the planet is moving through the sky. There isn't, in reality, any change; but there certainly looks to be, based on the positions of Earth and the other planets, and how they move in relation to the sun. This is a great example to illustrate it: Imagine standing beside a friend. She starts walking forward slowly. A few seconds later, you start walking forward quickly. As you pass her up, she appears to be moving backward — but is she? Of course not. That is what retrograde is like.

Jupiter turned retrograde on Jan, 7, and Saturn followed up on March 25. Mars went retrograde on April 17, and Pluto made the switch on April 18. Lastly, on April 28, Mercury will turn retrograde, and all hell will break loose. (Kidding again. I'm full of hilarious jokes today.)

Thus, starting April 28, we will have five planets simultaneously retrograde, which (according to some) changes things for the 12 signs of the zodiac.

So, what can Aries expect? Let's take a look.

1. Jupiter

Jupiter is the planet of growth and opportunity. Thus, Jupiter retrograde means a turn to inner awareness and growth. This is prime time to slow way down and explore if maybe you haven't been honest with yourself lately. Retrograde Jupiter helps accomplish this by highlighting the ways you might be selfish, greedy, or wasteful, perhaps without even realizing it.

This is a great time of reflection for Aries, who can sometimes be selfish, vain, jealous, and possessive. It's OK, Aries. Nobody is perfect. I would know — I'm a Gemini. Now is a good time to dig deep and explore things that might be holding you back from becoming the person you ultimately want to be. What are your obstacles to being a better you?

2. Saturn

Slow-moving Saturn turning retrograde is cause to celebrate. This is a time to learn discipline, self-control, and patience. The shift helps switch our focus from looking at the outside to looking more inward, specifically at one's love life and financial situation. Saturn is known as the Lord of Karma, so expect the results of habits from a past life to finally make their appearance.

This will be a good learning lesson for you, Aries. With your tendency to be impulsive, impatient, and short-tempered, you're really going to learn to pump the breaks and control your feelings and actions more. The good news is that your courage and determination mean for a period of serious personal growth.

3. Mars

Mars, the planet of sex and war! Sounds exciting, right? This retrograde has been experienced as a moment of reevaluation of our sexual relationships. Maybe a recent attraction burns out; or perhaps what you thought was just a fling ends up beings much more. It's also believed that if you wage any kind of "war" during Mars' retrograde, you're bound to lose. Actually, some say that Mars' retrograde is a bad time to initiate anything — a relationship, argument, business venture, etc.

Listen up, Aries, because you're passionate, aggressive, and you hate boredom and being kept waiting. Don't let your impatient, impulsive side get the best of you. You should aim to find a way to enjoy this downtime, and wait until Mars is out of retrograde to start something new.

4. Pluto

Pluto typically guides all transitions and transformations in our lives. While some planets turning retrograde seem to act the opposite of their usual selves, Pluto sticks to its guns — and actually, it's even more aggressive in its usual traits. Retrograde Pluto forces us to face challenges and obstacles, often causing a complete breakdown so that something better can be built up again. For this reason, during this time, we're often faced with our "dark side."

Aries, this is an advantageous time to tackle anything that you've been wanting to improve. Pluto will make it happen. You are adventurous, positive, and action-oriented. If anyone can handle this moment, it's you. Just be careful — since you love excitement and newness, you have the tendency to leave projects midway. If you start something, be sure to finish it.

5. Mercury

Retrograde Mercury is like the Big Mac of planetary confusion. Whenever Mercury goes retrograde, we all pretty much expect everyone to start acting like a complete lunatic. Mercury influences and controls... pretty much everything: intelligence, memory, self-expression, and all kinds of communication, just to name a few.

This could very well prove to be a challenging time for impatient Aries. It's in your nature to be more confrontational than others, not typically hesitating to ask questions and make comments others wouldn't. Coupled with the fact that you can sometimes be insensitive to other's feelings means that during this retrograde, you should be especially careful with your words.

Images: Cora Foxx/Bustle; Giphy (6)