hmm... i have pluto retro in 12th house. so does it mean this planet is internalized subconsciuosly...lol
i am really curious to hear what opinions, experiences, & interpretations people have on natal retro planets. I don't think weakened is the right description. i think influences internalized can be quite powerful for a person. maybe just weakened as how outsiders see it.

I have Venus Retro in Aquarius and I hate the world. No one can live up to my expectations whatsoever. The only people I care for are those that try. I care for humanity as a whole and people who fucked me over...but I really shouldn't. I have a hard time moving on. I know who my friends are and I know who aren't my friends. Should I ever make it anywhere in the world I'll make sure they're taken care of.

I have Mercury rx natally. The power is not in any way lessened, but it is more internalized.

My retrogrades and my understanding of them so far:

jupiter: learn how to be happy with what ever/ who ever I have and make the most of it instead of trying to have a lot and get what I want
saturn: hold myself to my own high standards to stay beyond the reach of "the law" or other forms of authoritative criticism and conformity
pluto: total inner transformations that do not seem visible on the outside and take everyone by total surprise-like a pheonix rising out of ashes
uranus: rebelling against convention and majority rule and social control while complying with official hierarchy (via saturn above)

As you can see, I really do see it as you said...internalized.
But I do not think that the internalization automatically leads to a weakening effect. I would say that instead it leads to more of a "outer appearance of weakness" in most cases. In other cases it seems to amplify the appearance of the planet's effect in the eyes of others.

I think my jupiter, pluto and uranus seem weakened to others and they are usually quite surprised and at times appalled (especially when they meet the true face of my uranus ewwwww) when they see how strong the influence is.
In the case of saturn, though, I think that the internalizing of structure the way I do it might make its effect appear even stronger?

Retrograde planets are stronger. They are closer to the Earth and, in the case of the outer planets, brighter in the sky.

I've got Mercury (7th/Virgo), Saturn (12th/Capricorn), Uranus (11th/Capricorn), and Neptune (11th/Capricorn) all retrograde. I agree with that statement - 'the planets' powers are lessened, that they are more internalized for the individual and that the true impact of the planet on the nature of the individual will only come when coerced out by events and experiences.'

Let's see,

I have jupiter to pluto retro - between 2nd to 5th houses. I can feel jupiter alot in the things I do. Neptune retro is very much apparent with alot of music involved inside me. sometimes i feel my entire being is made up only of music and to sustain this projection of a physical body is quite a task!

my saturn is actually stationary going direct even though in astro.com, it states 'r'. Pluto seems too generational to feel anything much of a personal retrograde influence unless it is strongly aspected or a powerful point in one's chart, like pluto conjunct sun/asc. Pluto retrograde can point to the activities generated by the generation..

I don't think the influence of the planets are lessened but they are most definitely internalised. The way I see it, retrograde influences can be observed in your actions. Especially if you pay more attention to transiting retro planets, that would give one a better understand of how a natal reto planet would work. That's how I've been trying to understand them anyway.

My virgoan soul sister has all her planets direct. Only Chiron is retrograde and north node. She is one of wisest people I've ever known. This is one person who has managed to constantly fine tune her awareness and live in a way that expresses the most positive things about herself.

but what I find intriguing in her all direct chart is that her Uranus is in her 12th house in scorpio, opp her chiron in taurus with a 5* orb. I feel her entire being - psyche, soul and emotions - are centred between her Uranus and rChiron.