You may or may not have heard that Mars went Retrograde at the end of October… and that the Red Planet will be in Retrograde motion for the next two months – until mid-January 2023. This astronomical event happens about every two years, and is usually something to pay attention to only when the Retrograde Planet is “brushing over” a Natal Planet / Point on your own Birth Chart. That said, it’s still valuable for all of us to be aware of Retrograde periods in general, as they give us the chance to focus our daily meditations and reflections – the opportunity to move forward consciously on our evolutionary paths.
When Mars goes Retrograde, it’s a time to pause and review your energy and power.
To understand what Mars Retrograde means, let’s break this down into manageable chunks:
- Mars: The Planet of power and motivation. Named after the God of War, this is the archetype representing your full-on powerhouse energy. When at its strongest, Mars energy won’t let anything get in your way, adding the needed willpower and determination to get any project moving – if, maybe at times, with a little too much force. Keywords associated with Mars include strength, bravery, and drive, on the positive end of the spectrum; at the other extreme: anger/aggression, combativeness, and destructiveness.
- Retrograde: This is that period of time when a Transiting Planet appears to be moving “backwards” from our vantage point here on Earth. Think of two cars driving on the highway. You’re driving the car in the left lane. You start to pass the car in the right lane and for a moment it looks like the other car is going backwards. That’s the analogy that’s always worked best for me as I visualize the Earth (our car) along with the other planets (the other cars) as we all orbit the Sun.
- Mars Retrograde over a Natal Planet / Point: When a Planet “goes Retrograde,” it means for that period of time, the Planet is closer to us here on earth, physically. Which means we potentially feel its energy more strongly. And always, when Mars transits (“brushes over”) one of the Natal ones on our Chart, that surge of “extra strong” energy will affect that specific set of Natal energies.
Okay, so how does all of this affect each of us right now?
Mars is presently Retrograde in the Sign of Gemini, and it will stay in Gemini for the entire duration of this Retrograde period. It traveled in its regular orbit up to 25 degrees of Gemini, and then changed direction and started “moving backwards” on Oct. 30, 2022. It will travel in this “backwards” direction all the way back to 8 degrees of Gemini, at which point, on Jan. 11, 2023, it will turn around to move “forwards” again. So if you have any Natal Planets or Points between 8 - 25 degrees of Gemini, anything in that range will get a boost of Mars energy… for better or for worse. (That’s your choice.)
For example, let’s say Mars is Retrograding over your Natal Sun at 15 degrees Gemini 3rd House. (As opposed to, for example, Mars moving through one of your “empty” Houses; in that case, there’s not as much to pay attention to, other than the realm of your life represented by that House.)
Your Sun represents your Outer Personality – what you can’t help but be. In this case, the 3rd House being the realm of thoughts/ideas and Gemini energy being curiosity, intelligence, friendliness – perhaps at your best, you express yourself most authentically as a charming and engaging intellectual.
During this Mars Retrograde, in its current path through Gemini, you’ll feel that surge of energy affecting your main identity. So if you receive this “extra strong” Mars energy in a secure (positive) way, you might find an intensified curiosity about all the thoughts/ideas around you and feel motivated to express yourself in a way that intelligently makes sense of it all in your communication with others. Or… on the other hand, if responding in an insecure (negative) way, this might look like intense anger and frustration with the barrage of thoughts and ideas bombarding you, making you feel scattered and restless. Just a few examples of the many potentials…
If you don’t know which House Gemini falls in your Chart (i.e., the area being affected during this time), there are still valuable ways you can consciously make good use of this Mars Retrograde period.
First of all, tune in to the kind of energy you’ve been feeling since the last few days of October 2022. Does it seem to you like the positive energies of Mars have been motivating you, igniting your passions? Or have you noticed more of the negative tendencies showing up in your life (for example, more fights or arguments)?
Secondly, a good set of questions for all of us to take the time to meditate and reflect on during this Mars Retrograde period include the following:
- What naturally motivates me? How might I add more of that into my life so I’m more naturally productive and inspired?
- What am I really passionate about in life? How might I include these passions more into my daily life?
- What do I really want to do and accomplish in life? Is my current path and are my current choices helping me get there?
Any Mars Retrograde period is an invitation for us to pause and deepen our self-reflection on our energy and power. During this time, between the end of October 2022 and mid-January 2023, see what kinds of empowerment, motivation, and passions are ignited as a result!
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