With all of the planetary retrogrades happening this year, it's hard to stay on top of what's spinning backward and when. Case in point, Uranus. This planet turned retrograde Aug. 7, 2018, and during the last month of its backward boogie, Uranus retrograde will affect travel... just in time for the holidays. This big gassy planet spends about seven years in each sign (It entered Taurus in May 2018) and turns retrograde for 148 days each year. Because it doesn't turn direct until Jan. 7, 2019, you're going to want to take some extra holiday travel precautions. Keep in mind — between Uranus retrograde lasting through the end of the year, and the Mercury retrograde shadow period lasting until Christmas, anything can happen.
"With Uranus, simply ‘expect the unexpected’. Uranus is like a wildcard of the pack, unpredictable, original, and out-of-the-box thinking," Simone Matthews, founder of the UniversalLifeTools.com Wisdom School, explained on her website. The good news here is that while things may still go sideways, you're also more likely to find creative solutions to frustrating problems. "When Uranus is retro, chaos is often the order of the day as you expect the unexpected of an unexpectable planet." If you're traveling by plane, train, boat, or car this holiday season, make a contingency plan, and then make sure your contingency plan has a contingency plan.
Deviate From Your Normal Travel Routine
Do you book the same holiday travel itinerary each year? If your tried and true holiday travel deets are the same right down to the dates, Uranus retrograde wants you to switch it up. If you normally fly, maybe it's time for a road trip instead. If you take the train over the river and through the woods to grandmother's house every year, consider doing something totally different like booking yourself a cruise and forgoing your usual holiday plans altogether.
"Now is the time to look at life from a fresh perspective, toss out the old ways of doing things, and create a whole new world, from the inside out," Tarot.com noted. While doing things the same way every time can be comforting, it doesn't leave any room for growth. If you're committed to ignoring the rebel energy of Uranus and sticking to your familiar routine, it's best to mentally prepare yourself for some Uranus retrograde 2018 holiday travel upsets.
Accept That You Can't Control Everything
Uranus just started it's seven-year sojourn in Taurus in May. This means it's also the first Uranus retrograde of the cycle. This planet's move from Aries to Taurus is a pretty big shake up on its own as this transit is encouraging you to see things from a fresh perspective. Apply those fresh eyes to your upcoming Uranus-retro travel to see if what you have planned still makes sense.
"Break up, make up, change jobs, move or do whatever you need to do to shake it up and move on to something better. In other words, get real about what you want, be brave, and embrace your freedom to go after it — it's the way to happiness," Tarot.com suggested.
Perhaps you're in one of those rare situations where everything in your life is perfect. That doesn't mean you'll be immune from holiday travel woes because the people flying the planes, driving their cars, etc. might not be having such a chill time. This means that a lot of things are going to be out of your control. Simply accept this, relax, and you should be able to shake off any holiday-travel frustrations like a boss.
