Tag 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. 

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?):

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.

Mars and Pluto Retrograde April 2016 Impact Withdrawal

15 Friday Apr 2016

Posted by in astrology, current events in the sky, Mars, Pluto, Retrogrades

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'At Low Tide' Edward James Poynter 1896 {{PD}}

‘At Low Tide’ Edward James Poynter 1896 {{PD}}

What happens when, within less than 24 hours, both Mars and Pluto begin apparent retrograde motion? These are the agents of energy, power, and drive in the horoscope, and fuel all choice, change, and action; with both symbolically withdrawn, we may find the wind taken from our sails, both individually (Mars) and Collectively (Pluto). And, considering that first Mars (at 5:14 AM PDT of the 17th) then Pluto (12:26 AM PDT of the 18th) recedes, we may find first an individual breakdown or denial of initiative, quickly followed by a larger tide of energy removed from the landscape. A recession of impetus on both a personal and societal scale may offer the impression that there’s no way forward, and nothing to be done–but it’s important to remember that these are particular points in a cycle, and we just happen to have experienced them in close proximity to each other, creating the sense of an extreme loss of power, a sudden and seemingly insurmountable weakness–but of course, all we need do is wait for another turn of the wheel.

Thomas P. Anshutz - 'Low Tide' {{PD}}

Thomas P. Anshutz – ‘Low Tide’ {{PD}}

Like a tide going out, the sense of being impacted by events, as well as moving to create impact ourselves, may dissolve, leaving a sort of turning inward in its place. With Mars reversing direction in Sagittarius the sense may be of having optimism removed, knowledge negated, no way to reach out, and with Pluto in Capricorn the sense of institutions, barriers, and obstacles as insurmountable may become acute. The prospects for change may seem nil, both from our own viewpoint in personal matters and on the larger social scene. Again, what we need to remember is that this is a figurative low point, in energy terms, not a death knell to either evolution or progress.

Mars’ first contact in retrograde will be a square to the Moon. This suggests the change takes a heavy emotional toll, especially in areas where we have expressed or absorbed criticism, or where we have labored or served in hopes of a positive result (Moon in Virgo). Pluto’s first contacts in retrograde will be a square from Zeus and a trine from the (still in Virgo) Moon. Here the emotions absorb the bad news a little more easily, probably because we see that denial of or irreversible changes to widespread ambitions and desires is shared by whole swathes of society.

What we need to do is adjust; we need to see that a straightforward assault won’t bring the results we want, and neither will one that threatens destruction or transformation–both extremes of the Plutonian coin will lose credibility in this environment. Considering that the Moon is an immediate contact of both bodies, it may pay to take a more receptive route to facilitate both action and change; a sensitive stance where the intuition and feelings play as great a role as the Will may be the most effective way to deal with the energy shift. There is also the potential for channeling wants and efforts through the Arian Venus, who can muster behind the Will exceptionally well, and who keeps the ‘I Am’ in mind even as she seeks the cooperation and assistance of partnership.

If you have placements in 15-17 degrees of the Cardinals, you’ll no doubt feel the grind by withdrawal of an energized environment (in fact, it may present some serious problems), and if you have hard aspects to Mars (in the 6-8 degree range) you may find at least part of the energy withdrawal could involve your own ability to deliver being questioned. Since this likely occurs in adjacent Houses of the natal chart, we may find that our own actions in the matters of the House where Mars is currently transiting may trigger the withdrawal that follows in the Pluto House. No matter what, dear Reader, take it all in stride, for this too shall pass.

This is super-helpful, from Astrologer Leah Whitehorse—

Mars Retrograde December 2009

17 Thursday Dec 2009

Posted by in aspects and placements, astrology, Mars

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Finally! Was able to find and turn off the snow. Hope that solves the difficulties some have experienced (including Grinchiness!)–jd

We experience the Red Planet retrograde about every two and a half years; on December 20th we see this during the 5 AM hour PST at 19 Leo 41. And how does an inherently Fiery planet respond to a retrograde in a Fire sign? Fire-ily, of course! In general there’s been a fairly free flow of energy lately; hang-ups have been largely internal, especially through difficulties with clear perception. Now we’ll see the reversal also taking a mostly internal form, though there will definitely be external effects, some of which will come from influences we’re hard pressed to put our finger on. The fiery facet of things will be experienced in the intensity with which we feel the need to look at all actions and our own part in them.

For everyone, the retrograde will bring forward issues of the ‘I am,’ particularly in terms of where we ‘shine’ in the life. We will examine our own personal effectiveness, especially in how our Beingness serves (or fails) to bring us attention and interaction in the world. We’ll be acutely aware that we’re on stage in our own lives; the retrograde will make us ask, ‘Who’s the star of the play?’

The Red Planet, blotchy with anger and topped by a little polar ice cap. Photo: NASA

Using our usual two degree orb, we have a handful of aspects that characterize the nature of the retrograde period. A semi-square to Saturn suggests reality, and material effects, will be of some consequence that requires accomodation, but that these won’t take center stage. A quincunx to Mercury in Capricorn speaks louder: the effects on reality of our communications will be prominent, as will the adjustments we’re being called to make in order to match our message to our reality; the reactions of our ‘audience’ will be key to understanding our effectiveness. This aspect says that words and thoughts will be grounded in the existing material rules, structures, and materials–we may be hard pressed to think past the status quo, try as we might. This is made doubly true when we additionally consider Mars’ retro square to Sedna in Taurus; harsh contact between a withdrawing energy and the asteroid that prevents us from even being aware of a particular matter or energy says that we’ll likely feel the energy tide going out, but won’t have a clue as to what’s actually being withdrawn–and the Taurus placement says there will be comparable material effects, as well. To continue our play analogy, the script will be scrutinized, as will our delivery, but we must look at offstage cues and changes to props, sets, and lighting in order to understand the actual, real-world effects; and, at the end of the retro period, we’ll be called upon to count the box office receipts, and to take a good look at the program–at this point we’ll be able to read the director’s name clearly.

Once again, we’ll need to watch surrounding material shifts in order to get some clue as to what energies are actually being withdrawn or lessened; this will be the only way to know how we must change our communications to suit our own needs and the requirements of reality. The kicker, though, is Mars’ sesquiquadrate to Pluto; this suggests that we will not have a choice. Change must happen, and the aspect says we may be put between a rock and a hard place in the process. Power, our own and others’, internal and external forms, will all be in play during the retrograde period; we will definitely come out the other side with changed ideas of who we are (Mars), how we can behave and act most effectively (Mars), and what this is communicating (Mercury), with commensurate changes to the balance of power (Pluto) in whatever arenas we occupy.

The natal House where the retrograde occurs, along with the House with Aries on the cusp, will be the initial areas where we will see shifts, but since this involves who we are, over the retro period the changes will permeate all areas. Other influences worth note at the time of Mars’ retrograde are a Venus sextile to Jupiter/ Neptune/ Chiron=we may see the value and/ or cost of how these have acted long term for us; or we’ll suddenly see our values aligned with an exaggerated sense of our ideals or our delusions, which calls forward either the primal wound or our own unique skills. Venus is also square Uranus=surprise! In money, love, values, relationships. Chiron semi-sextile Uranus=again, a surprise, this time about our innate skills, or about our deepest wounds. Zeus exact conjunct the Part of Fortune=ambition and power in relationship will be pivotal to the retro period. Jupiter/ Neptune exact conjunct=as if we haven’t had enough of these two; just read this as the propensity to exaggerate or project the ideals or the delusions/ fantasies, with consequent (probably unhelpful) results. And finally, Ceres will be at 29 degrees of Scorpio=stress for those in authority, a panicky feeling that we must negotiate what we need NOW, or a harsh or extreme reaction from Mother Nature.

Catch this excellent post on Mars retro and anger (or is it the projection of anger?) http://lucywatchthesky.com/2009/12/23/turn-that-mars-upside-down-mars-retrograde-and-some-thoughts-about-anger/

Next up: the New Year’s Eve Partial Lunar Eclipse. Personal analysis of the coming eclipse set is still available–please see the ‘Want More’ page for details. Thanks!