Category Archives: Mars Retrograde

Nobody Dances Alone: Mars Retro

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‘Four Dancers’ By Edgar Degas 1899 {{PD}}

The apparent retrograde of any celestial body often reverses our sense of the flow of that body’s energy, or at least changes it, alters the presence of those related forces as we’ve come to know them. It’s the sometimes abrupt nature of those changes that disorients and disturbs—and when that body is Mars, one of the most personal energies we have, the ‘I Am’ that gives us the impetus to pursue what we need and want in life, those changes may feel threatening, messing with our heads and causing fractures to how we see the identity and Will.

The current Mars retrograde is in Gemini, prompting examination of how our thoughts have led (or have failed to lead to) choices and actions, and likely prompting re-consideration of the effectiveness of both our thinking and our efforts. That’s all good; it’s what a retro period is for. The problem comes when we externalize those energies we need to be dealing with internally. Projection can have its benefits: it allows us to gain some distance, look with a more objective eye, and so see what we need to do in a more realistic (and therefore more effective) light. 

But our first impulse, almost always, is to see projected energies as belonging to the Other we’re observing them in/ with. They definitely play a role for the other party–nobody dances alone—but we must remember that Other is a mirror: what we’re seeing is a version of something we ourselves need to address. 

We may be tempted to balk at that idea; we may be tempted to tell ourselves, “I’m not pushy, angry, aggressive/ passive aggressive, Willful, insistent, doing it for myself” and so on. And that may be true: the essence of the energy is where we have to look, being careful not to be distracted by the form or the subject matter. This is the retro effect, the reversal of flow, so that we may see our own flaws or misjudgments and the effect these have on others in enacting our own roles. 

Remember, too, this isn’t all negative—it’s just that those less-than-positive experiences seem to jump out at us, to rankle in a way that’s upsetting—and that upset is our clue that what’s happening is that same energy in us, looking to rise to the surface, to be seen, acknowledged, addressed, and probably offering us the opportunity to employ it consciously in a much more useful form. Positive expressions are also meant to draw our attention, specifically to keep us acting and choosing in ways that harmonize with our Being. We can be shown how and where we’re doing it right—and that can be invaluable, when choosing how to allocate our ‘I Am’, ‘I want’, and ‘I Will’ in the future. 

Mars is on its way to the halfway point in the retro cycle, occurring the 8-9 of December when Mars will oppose the Sagittarius Sun. This should bring illumination of our Martian-themed efforts, a bright light shone on all that we do and specifically on how our thinking guides our choices. This coincides with the Full Moon of the 7th-8th (depending on your location) which falls in Gemini conjoined Mars and Earth. Think of it as a delivery point for a number of messages, including how you feel about your environment and your efforts, giving a kind of education on what you think you need versus what you really do need, and pointing out the ways your outreach, incorporation of what’s new to you or foreign, or ‘the facts’ of a situation can be worked with. 

At this same point Jupiter, recently gone direct, will be entering the 29th degree of Pisces, and in crisis mode, feeling around in the fog in anticipation of hitting the Aries point of manifestation and decisive action. The Mars retro cycle helps prepare you for this, for the expansion that’s coming to the concept of ‘I Am’—and if you deal with those projections of Mars, if you own and accept them, you’ll be more than ready. 

Total Lunar Eclipse 8 November 2022 No Mercy

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It won’t be this dramatic. ‘The Execution of Lady Jane Grey’ By Paul Delaroche 1834 {{PD}}

The total Lunar eclipse begins just after 3:02 AM PST as Moon aligns with Earth and Sun at precisely 16 degrees of Taurus. The dynamic is very much one of oppositional energies, as Moon-Earth conjoins Uranus and the Sun is poised for Superior Conjunction with Mercury (as you know, that’s when Mercury and the Sun meet with Merc in direct apparent motion), this latter bringing to fruition something planted around the Inferior Conjunction of 23rd-24th of September, though there are three additions to the picture that add their own twists to the sense of denouement that may arise: a trine of the eclipse to Ceres in Virgo, a novile to just-retrograded Mars in Gemini, and a square to Saturn in Aquarius.

Being Total we should expect no mercy with this eclipse. Falling in Taurus, we’ll experience the wipe-out of circumstances related to some aspect of our own comfort, security, resources, assets, or even talents, or to matters of the House in the natal chart where Taurus falls, and this will bring certain emotions and conclusions about our own feelings to consciousness. The Sun in Scorpio is the light-giver, but in this situation it’s temporarily and completely blocked, implying that our view must change: the Scorpionic light currently cast on things (a light that looks to illuminate the need for change, to ferret out the Truth, to destroy what’s unnecessary or detrimental, to x-ray what surrounds us and reveal what’s hidden) is suddenly removed, with the suddenness of the alteration only emphasized by the eclipse’s conjunction to Uranus. What we see when that critical light of dissection and Truth-delving is gone will not be what we expect. It may in fact be something so new, so unanticipated, that we are shocked, by what happens, or by our own reaction to it, or by the message/ information contained in events (Sun conj Mercury).

Did I say no mercy? That’s not quite right; we find extenuating influences in those other aspects the eclipse makes. The change wrought by the eclipse may easily come about through Mother Nature (trine to Ceres in Virgo) in her critical response to current conditions–and those may be global, like climate change, or personal, like diet or responses to Nature via allergens or disease–so that we may quite abruptly be facing a situation that is the perfect storm of what’s natural combined with our own choices. This could also imply we’ll be faced with the results of our own exercise of personal authority, or our nurture (or failure to nurture) those for whom we’re responsible. Nature will try to re-direct us, and in most cases this won’t be traumatic; it’s up to us to take the hint.

There’s also that novile to retro Mars.You may have wondered why I haven’t made any specific comment on Mars going retro–and I don’t know why, either. Maybe it’s that it’s happening in Gemini, giving me the impression that so much that is aggressive, threatened, imposed, or potentially violent will actually turn out to be ‘all talk, no action’. Maybe it’s the way Chiron and Eris are the only bodies in Aries at the moment, suggesting we could all use a little relief, possibly offered via retro ruler status, from our wounds and from those major sources of aggravation I like to call sh*t-stirrers. But, in terms of the eclipse, Mars’ novile implies a little bit of genius implicit in eclipse events, the kind that may see our hesitation, reluctance, or changed choice or action as a good thing, keeping us from stepping in it.

If you’re concerned this is all too nebulous, don’t be: the eclipse square to Saturn in Aquarius promises real-life effects, solidly grounded, but that must be viewed through the lens of Higher Mind. Is, say, the loss of an asset at this time really about the circumstances surrounding that loss, or is it more about what that loss says, about what we find reward or profit in, about how we spend our energy, about the role of possessions (or possibly the impermanence of these)? If it is about the circumstances of the loss, then it may be that we need to look at our own vulnerabilities, or to the ways our ideas do (or don’t) transfer to reality. For some it may be a bit of the opposite, a question of whether we are playing an intellectual game with reality that keeps us from connecting the dots; in this case, we may be so mired in our own reasoning or tortuous mental justifications that we don’t register how these are seriously at odds with the real-world picture. The ancient ruler of Aquarius traveling through the sign and squared by an eclipse definitely says the brakes will be put on somewhere, that we’re going to come slamming up against something of the real world–the good news is, we can use the mind to de-code what happens.

So, a little thought experiment with the Sabians: I’d been taught that a placement at, as our eclipse is, 16 degrees, no minutes, of a sign meant it actually was part of the preceding degree picture; it hadn’t yet proceeded into the 16th degree because there are no minutes. That’s the way I’ve always read them, but today I questioned that interpretation, so I’ve decided to take a look at both possibilities. I’m not beyond learning a better (more correct?) way, so here goes:

The eclipse Sabian is, ‘An Old Teacher Fails To Interest His Pupils In Traditional Knowledge’–or is it, ‘A Symbolical Battle Between “Swords” And “Torches”’? The old teacher could be Aquarian Saturn in hard aspect to the event indicators, suggesting we won’t learn from what’s come before–that argues for the way I was taught to read them, as this is the preceding symbol. The ‘battle’ is of course between a Water placement (the Scorpio Sun) and an Earth placement (Moon-Earth)–not exactly symbolic of swords or torches, but we could see it as torches being the fire of feeling (Scorpio Water) and swords being something physically effecting (Taurus Earth), though a bit contradictory to the retro Mars aspect–but let’s look at the possibilities for the Sun–maybe that will sort it out. The Sun is, ‘A Girl’s Face Breaking Into A Smile’, and ‘A Woman, Fecundated By Her Own Spirit, Is “Great With Child”’. Hmmm. No help there, in my view. This may be my signal to step back from the Sabians for a while–just not feeling them–I’ll return to them when I do.

But I can offer you this unusual dream Word Image: at an open air market there are steps down which water begins to flow. Someone has placed several small children, no bigger than the palm of your hand, along the steps, and the water is knocking them over, sometimes face down, and the person responsible for them is nowhere in sight. I go and lift each one out of the water, make sure they are breathing, and as I work anticipate that whoever is in charge of them will be rushing up any second, angry that I am handling these delicate creatures. What ‘other person’s baby’ are you in a position to in some way ‘rescue’? If you step in somewhere to help, who will be angry, and why? Or maybe that’s the point: we need to show mercy, in the face of dangerous times, no matter the personal cost. Just a little something to think about–have a great weekend (don’t forget to take that hour back), and an enlightening eclipse!

Good Day To . . . 9 September 2020 Mars Retrograde: Inside the Vehicle

07 Monday Sep 2020

Posted by in astrology, current events in the sky, forecast, Mars Retrograde, Retrogrades + Directions, T-Square, Voids

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Alexandre Louis – Album de photo de Marcel Louis 1910 {{PD}}

The 9th Is A Good Day To . . . keep your limbs and head inside the car! Were you ever driving along on a road trip that seemed to last forever, driving, driving, and idly put your hand out the window to watch it caught and buffeted by the wind, and had an adult (for you were only a child, just trying to stay occupied) yell at you, ‘Get your arms inside this car! Do you want them cut off as we pass that truck?!’ That’s this Mars retro in a nutshell: the perpetual threat of sudden limb (or is it head?) loss, over re-visiting recent issues surrounding temper, aggression, assertion, recent choices or actions, or Will. The vehicle is ourselves, and Mars is the fuel, deploying it the issue. And of course, losing your Aries-ruled noggin can have two forms: one is if others come at us and ‘take our heads off’ over something, and the other is if we lose control of ourselves. Both are distinct possibilities.

I like to look at the point when a body officially turns retrograde, as it seems to give us a snapshot of what the course of the retro promises (particularly what the early part holds in store). This happens at 3:23 PM PDT of the 9th at 28 Aries 08, but we’ve probably already gotten a preview as Mars slowed to a crawl then standstill in recent days. Late in Aries, his own sign, Mars is likely already beginning to chafe without the anticipated retro; the stress of reaching the end of the window for perfect personal expression, the kind that recognizes no boundaries and no need for cooperation or thought of others, and having that window shut (sending Mars into Taurus, a realm where Will matters not nearly so much as material reality and security) would have in any case have been causing excessive unrest, especially if one is feeling that the ‘I Am’ statements or expression of the Will hasn’t been as complete or successful as hoped. So, there would be a bit of an issue anyway, and along comes apparent retro status to offer the dissatisfied and over-anxious a chance to re-visit choices and efforts–which situation inevitably adds its own stress, as individuals feel the pressure of just one more chance to get ‘it’ right.

Mars is itself Void at this point, as it would make no other aspects (though we do observe that the Moon would soon sextile it, it matters not, as the Moon, too, would be Void by then). Void status adds a huge amount of stress as it signals energy in stasis, a status doubly difficult for a Self-starter like Mars. The implication is that while traversing the sign a Void body did all it could in that sign–and now must wait for a new ‘style’ (the next sign) to once again find expression. Mars, then, begins his retro highly frustrated–and looking for outlets.

The first aspect made by the retrograde body seems to ‘set the tone’ for the retro period. Here it’s an opposition to Juno in Libra that suggests empowerment within partnership or cooperative arrangements will face a climax or crisis point, when who has the ‘right’ (a very Aries word!) to do what within the situation is sorted out. Straightforward enough, yes? Then we see a quincunx to the Sun on the 19th, suggesting what’s been revealed so far during the retro requires adjustment to what we pay attention to, matters of identity, or both. Right after the Sun moves into Libra (relationships are great! isn’t everything pretty? don’t we all get along wonderfully!?) and less than a week after the quincunx Mars conjoins the Black Moon Lilith point, suggesting that our optimism about working it all out with others may have been overly rosy, premature, or just plain wishful thinking.

But it’s the next thing, a Cardinal T-square with Mars-BML opposed Mercury and all square Saturn in Capricorn, that brings it all home. Those things about our choices or actions that we’ve ignored, been in denial about, or that have been perpetrated out of suppressed rage (or that have stirred rage in others) is communicated from without (probably directly from others with whom we are in relationships or cooperative arrangements–Merc in Libra), and it makes for real-world conflict (especially with authorities or established entities that are seen as ‘legitimate’ or supported by the status quo), crises over boundaries, restrictions, or rules, or bottom-line practicalities we can’t get around that may generate ‘next steps’ and/ or arise from our actions and others’ reactions to them.

By Nasjonalbiblioteket from Norway – Livet paa Mars / Life on Mars, No restrictions, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=60741535

So, hands, arms, and especially heads inside the car; know that your ‘drive’, whether literal or figurative, needs special care and attention, particularly when it comes to interaction and responsibilities shared with others. Being honest with ourselves about our own and others’ prerogatives, territory, and motivations will go a long way toward keeping us safely on the road, avoiding any fiery, temper-induced upsets.

If it’s any consolation, on the 9th the Sun also trines Jupiter=reach out, take opportunities, be optimistic, learn from what comes at you, and enjoy the day. We’ll have plenty of others that will be not-so-smooth, so rest and celebrate while and what you can.

A Good Day To . . . is based on the aspects perfecting on each day, Pacific time.

Good Day To . . . 3 September 2020 The Smart Thing

02 Wednesday Sep 2020

Posted by in astrology, current events in the sky, forecast, Mars Retrograde

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‘Morning, Interior’ By Maximilien Luce 1890 {{PD}}

The 3rd Is A Good Day To . . . do what you love that also happens to be good for you. I know! How un-glamorous! But it’s also the smart thing, helping combat some stressful thoughts or messages received, and it looks out for your future reality–so all in all, a very good approach to take. And take note: with Mars retrograding in his own sign in just a few days, actions and choices will soon be much less clear, and much more likely to be triggered by anger, Willfulness, and ‘I want’–and that means judgment today may be considerably more in line with how you actually want to be in the world.

A Good Day To . . . is based on the aspects perfecting on each day, Pacific time.

24 July 2018 The Hornet’s Nest

23 Monday Jul 2018

Posted by in astrology, current events in the sky, forecast, Lunar Eclipse, Mars Retrograde

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Rachel Ruysch – ‘Still Life with Fruit, a Bird’s Nest and Insects’ c1710 {{PD}}

We heal by looking away today, but there’s a trick to it: we have to keep what we truly care about in front of us at all times, rejecting fantasy or delusion or the temptation to lie to ourselves. It’s that effort to ignore what would normally enrage us, or follow our natural prompt to ignore or deny, along with keeping what we love front and center, that will save us, and shape our future positively. We could be tempted to stir the hornet’s nest, out of our own unease at the way what’s smart seems to clash with our priorities and commitments–but this is temporary. Living with the discomfort is preferable to upending things and finding that Self-generated chaos didn’t need to happen, after all. Too, the cost of having the Dream may become clear; such mental and emotional distance may allow us to figure out if we want to pay the piper, whether it will really be worth it, and makes for an excellent point from which to form a plan (Vesta sesq Pallas, Venus nov NN and opp Neptune, Sun trine Chiron and contra-parallel Black Moon Lilith).

The second eclipse of a three eclipse set arrives this week; can you feel it building? I don’t normally subscribe to the idea that you can feel Lunar energy way ahead–it doesn’t make sense, considering how swiftly the Moon moves–but in this case we’re likely to feel growing intensity centered on the effects of retrograde Mars, which will be conjoined the Lunar show. We’re already dealing with Mars’ backward energy, each in her own way according to the impact occurring via the natal contacts, and now Luna comes along and brings home an emotional wallop related to the Martian vibe. And now, some good advice, from Aries Bette Davis (the Ram is always ready to tell you what to do, amirite?):

26 June 2018 Ears to the Ground

25 Monday Jun 2018

Posted by in astrology, current events in the sky, forecast, Mars Retrograde, Parallel and Contraparallels, The Daily Word Image

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Vincent van Gogh – ‘Self-portrait with bandaged ear’ 1889 {{PD}}

Look, as I foresee it, we’re really going to see or feel Mars retrograde today, specifically because he does so parallel to Saturn; that introduces a material or tangible effect, possibly via a withdrawal of energy that has physical consequences. But, and this is really important: today is a day for listening, reasoning, planning, or signing (as long as that signature isn’t the go-ahead for a physical project, rather than a purchase or agreement–which purchase or agreement could, with a little adjustment, be a dream come true as Venus moves toward quincunx with Neptune). Intel comes to us, and matters ignored or denied don’t get in our way–just keep your ears to the ground, and highest values in mind, when going about your business. Watch out, though, for a little something in the moment that seems harmless, even celebratory, but that could be very hard on the health (Mercury contra-parallel Mars and Saturn, opp Black Moon Lilith, qnx Vesta, Sun sq Hygeia).

Today’s word image is a question: What condition from the past is back in your life, and is your current response in any way mirroring old conditions? If so, you’ll need to consciously work to let them go, to remind yourself, until it takes, that things are different, now.

There’s a new page on Lilith (ECLIPSE Readers may recognize it from a 2014 issue, with slight alterations).

Odds & Ends: Mars Retro, Sacred Fires, & The Neptune Shuffle

12 Tuesday Jun 2018

Posted by in astrology, Grand Trine, Mars, Mars Retrograde, Neptune, Neptune Retrograde, Retrogrades

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Attributes of Kubera ‘Lord of the Horses’ Detail of the offering cake from the Attributes of Kubera ‘Lord of the Horses’ in a Tibetan “rgyan tshogs” banner. http://catalogue.wellcomelibrary.org/record=b1465547 Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International

Neptune retrogrades on the 18th, and as a molasses-slow mover, apparent motion for this big fella around changes of direction is almost standing still; it’s as if we’re observing something in another dimension, where we appear speeded-up while we see elements there as barely inching along. That implies a certain subtlety to the effect, the notorious fogginess turned up to 11. With it reversing short of perfecting a trine to Pallas, and on its way to completing a trine to Jupiter (in effect, participating in a Grand Water Trine with these two), what we may expect is an opportunity for emotional balance that slips away, something that almost achieved wisdom or practicality, that slips into exaggeration, deception, opportunism, or gives way to beliefs, which may or may not support a healthy feeling scenario. The suggestion is that at least part of the retro period will be spent trying to retrieve that nearly-reached state of emotional equilibrium–so see emo ups and downs as part of a larger balancing process, rather than as isolated experiences.

Fire Grand Trine forms roughly on the 18th of June and burns through about the 28th, with Ceres, Vesta, and Juno all late in Fire signs. This presses us to find action equilibrium, that is, expressions of our authority, personal power and reach (of which negotiations are one facet), our status (especially those roles that concern our relationships to others, and how that confers the ability to make the Will felt), and expressions of what we honor or find sacred. It’s a matter of seeking out, probably repeatedly, things that make us feel we’re imprinting our values on others and the environment. This can be exceptionally fulfilling if we succeed. The configuration offers us an unusually large window for Self-realization and the creation of satisfying circumstances, one where our actions and ideals can blend almost seamlessly, and where inspiration lights a fire under action that is right in line with what we care about most.

Mars retrogrades on the 26th in Aquarius–goes direct again on 28 August. This happens every 2.5 years and for most of us will describe a period of looking inward, or at least hesitating where earlier we would’ve charged ahead. We may be thrown back on ourselves when we try to act and fail, or we may have introspection forced on us if we hope to go forward. We examine our own (and often everyone else’s) intentions, and we look closely at the result actions bring–good, bad, or neutral. Review of our choices occurs, and motivations should be faced, if we want our own actions to be effective in the future–this is no time to dodge Self-responsibility. ‘Pulled Punches’ may be a theme, as may ‘Sexual Frustration’, ‘Thwarted Will’, and sudden losses of drive, initiative, aggression, or appetite. Ego may take over, in a panic at the disorienting feeling of drifting, or the ‘I Am’ may shrink to nothing, gaining awareness of the Cosmos as a whole and forgetting the individual needs.

A great deal of your response will depend upon your current and natal relationship with Martian energy, especially your confidence level, your sense of personal authority (the kind that grants you permission to apply your Will to the environment), the vulnerability of your ego, and your usual ability to get your Martian needs met: to be taken seriously, to receive gratification from your world, and to act as you wish. The measure of successful Mars expression will vary wildly from person to person, so the experience of retro energy may also vary significantly, and there’s always the individual who has Mars retro in the natal chart. This person may feel a little more ‘at home’ suddenly, as the world is somehow a bit more in tune with them than usual. Mars retro natally can make for a misfit or a renegade, a pirate or a pioneer, and the retro cycle may offer them some relief from their usual outsider role.

The House in the natal chart ruled by Mars may also see action, likely a pull-back from something that was going forward with no hitch–and you may see the same thing in matters of the House Mars is currently transiting and turning around in. The question becomes, ‘Is there a precipice there that this withdrawal of energy allowed you to avoid, or are you being intimidated or over cautious?’ If we’re in tune with ourselves, Mars retro can offer us information we might’ve overlooked when Mars was direct; we could avoid conflict, ego-blunders, precipitous acts, and impulsivity driven by primal demands, as either our own engine sputters or the world makes us back down, our confidence shaken by externals or the withdrawal of ‘muscle’, in one form or another.

Receptive Mars is not a term we normally employ, but which we might consider trying to manifest in some form during this period. Conflict with our own Martian urges can create real dissonance and delay or otherwise confuse our efforts, if we’re typically more straightforward. With this Mars retrograde the turnaround occurs on the same day that Earth conjoins and Sun opposes Saturn, with Hygeia forming a Cardinal T-square that suggests until we find optimum channels for the shifted energy we may suffer headaches, clumsiness, eye strain, palpitations, and unusual bone and muscle weakness–so especially at the point of retrograde, take care to avoid unnecessary stress and strain, or those injuries you find yourself suffering when Mars energy can’t find a way out may pop up and sideline you unexpectedly, making it even tougher to sort out forward momentum in a retro atmosphere.

And in case you missed it, here’s the New Moon of the 13th.