What is Planetary Motions?

In their apparent motions across our sky, the planets behave somewhat like the Sun, but their motions are more complex.
The planets follow a westward diurnal path along with the stars. Daily, the planets rise in the east and set in the west.
The planets all follow (nearly) the same path, along the ecliptic.
All of the planets normally move gradually eastward among the stars until they return to their approximate original positions. However, some show retrograde motion for short periods of time, as the Earth over takes and passes them in our journey around the Sun.
The planets follow Kepler's Laws in their motions around the Sun. The spacing of the planets in their orbits follows Bode's Law.
Therefore, as viewed from Earth, the planets move at different speeds among the stars. Remind yourself about our view of the planets.
Periods of transversing the Zodiac (remember that we are moving too!):
Mercury 1 year
Venus 1 year
Mars 687 days
Jupiter 12 years
Saturn 29 years
Because the planets are all moving in their orbits at the same time we are, their positions in our sky are constantly changing.