Venus is the planet that's associated with love, beauty, and money. In astrology, Venus refers to what and who we love. "When Venus appears to move backwards in the sky (from our perspective on Earth), it suggests an opportunity to review and reconsider our values and aesthetics," Grace says. Similar to Mercury going retrograde, reconnecting with a past love is not uncommon during this time.

If you've been stuck in a neverending on-again, off-again cycle with someone, it might not have been the right time to cut it off for good. But according to Grace, it will get there. "People make changes and take action when their unique birth charts are activated by planetary cycles," she says. "Classic opportunities for a permanent break in a relationship include Pluto, Neptune, Uranus or Saturn making a challenging connection to the Sun, Moon, or Ascendant." Pluto can bring potential breakdowns and transformations, Neptune can bring out betrayals or abandonments, Uranus can bring the need for freedom and sudden change, and Saturn can bring separation.

Grace gives the example of Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt. When Jolie filed for divorce in 2016, Neptune and Saturn were making challenging contacts with Pitt's Ascendant. Since she was leaving him, he was experiencing the potential for abandonment and separation. At the same time, Uranus was making a challenging contact to Jolie's horoscope, suggesting potential liberation. "This was the time for a big break," Grace says. "No going back and forth."

An on and off-again dynamic between you and another person will show up in an astrology reading using both of your natal charts. According to Grace, the astrological connections might show a magnetic but unstable attraction. For instance, if you find someone exciting, your Moon will be in a dynamic contact with that person's Uranus. But excitement will only get you so far. "We'd want to see stabilizing connections, too, like an easy connection involving Saturn," Grace says. "An easy connection facilitates the upside potential of Saturn, which is structure, endurance, and responsibility. Without those stabilizing connections, we can see how two people connect intensely, burn themselves out, and then keep repeating the pattern."

If your natal chart shows patterns that suggest "strong idealism," you're much more likely to stay hung up on an ex. According to Grace, a person with strong idealism will have a hard time seeing that a relationship dynamic is toxic. "They fiercely believe that their partner is going to change 'this time,' so they go back to their ex again and again," she says. Specific patterns that suggest potential idealism include a strong Neptune pattern in your horoscope.

After a breakup, some people can cut their ex off for good and never look back. But as Sara Whitmer, astrologer and tarot reader, tells Bustle, there are four zodiac signs that struggle the most with letting people go.

Taurus values comfort and stability above all else, and they're also really stubborn. "Taurus will keep going back to an ex just because it's comfortable and familiar, even if it isn’t ideal," Whitmer says. Emotional and sensitive Cancer struggles the most with letting relationships go. Virgo are the "fixers" of the zodiac, so naturally, they'd keep hanging on in an effort to help make the other person better. Sagittarius will likely go back to the same person over and over again. While Whitmer says they won't stay in a bad relationship, they would go back for casual flings and hookups, especially if the sex is good.

The most important thing to keep in mind is you have the power to choose who you end up with. Astrology can reveal incompatibilities and retrogrades can keep bringing people back into your life. But it can't really tell you if you're meant to be with someone. That's for you to ultimately decide. Astrology is meant to give you deeper insight into who you are. If you're someone who keeps going back to your exes, these are the astrological reasons why.