Mars Retrograde for Each Sign
Alright, group huddle. As I write, MARS, our red planet of intemperate heat, has turned retrograde. MARS's primary urge is to conquer and impose his will. He is also the planet of warfare, aggression, and violence, of weapons and explosions. MARS teaches us to be the predator to not be the prey. Regardless of your sex or gender, MARS is your yang self, the part of you that goes after what you want and is willing to fight against what you don't want. MARS has a lot of important jobs: he keeps us on our guard and helps us to claim our space, defend and protect ourselves in a world that wants to invade us.
MARS teaches us the courage and to take the initiative. Subtleties are lost on MARS, and he tends to see things as black or white, friend or foe, His polarity planet is VENUS, and that's where she comes in, to teach balance and connection. The MARS part of us wants to sever and push away, is perennially afraid of losing himself in another. MARS will fight for what he believes in and sees life through the eyes of a soldier on the battlefield. It's hard for MARS to put his weapons down.
MARS is now in ARIES, one of his two domiciles. This means he is comfortable and wielding maximum power. In traditional astrology, MARS is considered to be one of the malefic planets and can easily stir up trouble. In evolutionary astrology, we know that no one is permanently stuck at any stage, and we all came here to Earth, to learn and grow. As I don't need to remind anyone, we are in quite a roaring river of change on planet Earth, and we don't know where we're headed. It's a time to let go of the shore, keep your head above water, and keep an eye on each other. We all need each other, and we all have a part to play in the Great Change through which we are living. Between now and Winter Solstice, JUPITER and SATURN will finish up their passage of CAPRICORN for this round, and MARS will play his part in activating them (and more) by square while retrograde. Buckle up and stay in your center. This is going to be a wild ride.
When MARS turns retrograde, something that happens roughly every two years, he gets more intense, as he gets closer to Earth at this time. The peak of the closeness coincides with the peak of the retrograde, which happens when the SUN and MARS oppose each other, and square PLUTO on October 13.
In any year, MARS retrograde is an important transit, but this isn't just any year, right?
To compound the "go for broke" vibe of this retrograde, MARS will be traveling in a stellium with asteroids LILITH, ERIS, and CHIRON, also in ARIES. There will be no stones left unturned in these next two months. As I have said in recent posts, please take care of yourselves in terms of preparation of water, food, supplements, pet food, and meds; have extra of everything and be calmly prepared for anything.
Please take this into account when planning anything over the next two months. Everything for the entire year so far has managed to somehow be SO EXTRA, that I am advising you to take this time very seriously, and to read below for the specific dates of MARS rx square SATURN, PLUTO, and JUPITER.
SUPER IMPORTANT DATES
September 5: MARS station retrograde at 28 degrees
(use this date as the practical start of rx)
September 9: MARS turns retrograde at 28 degrees
September 27: MARS rx makes second square to SATURN rx at 25 degrees
September 29: SATURN stations direct at 25 degrees of CAP, square MARS. AMPLIFICATION
October 7: MARS rx square to PLUTO, while opposite SUN in LIBRA.
October 9: MARS rx forms a GRAND CROSS with SUN in LIBRA, MOON in CANCER, JUPITER PLUTO SATURN in CAP.
October 14: MERCURY turns retrograde in SCORPIO
October 17: MARS rx makes 2nd square to JUPITER in CAP
October 13: MARS opposite SUN: peak of retrograde, MARS closest to the Earth
November 3: MARS rx reaches station degree of 15 ARIES
November 3: US Presidential election
November 9: Stationing MARS rx opposite VENUS in LIBRA (relationship red flag warning)
November 14: MARS stations direct!
These MARS retrograde transit forecasts are excerpted and modified from
Steven Forrest's wonderful Book of Fire.
Read your rising sign first, and then if you were born during the day
read your SUN sign second, or if at night, read your MOON sign second.
ARIES RISING/SUN/MOON
There may be a fork in the road and there may be a critical decision point during this time. Don't panic, or lose your balance into fear. If called for, use just the right amount of force. There may be conflicts with authority in your career world.
This is an activation of your inner warrior, and you are being pushed to find courage, and meet the challenges with HEART. Don't be the victim, but don't let anger rule your life. The battle has to do with your mission in the world, and there are others whose fates are dependent on your being courageous.
TAURUS RISING/SUN/MOON
You have reached the point of breakdown or breakthrough, in terms of your spiritual path. There are hungry ghosts in your zone that you must battle, and defend your psychic space. No matter how weird things get, and I assure you they are going to get a lot weirder, you are learning to be unflappable and steady. Your assignment is to stay centered no matter what happens. You are learning spiritual courage, and no matter how scary, you do not turn away, because then the shadow becomes even scarier.
Your ongoing search for the meaning of life is extremely activated right now. Your quest includes higher-minded education and testing your beliefs against reality.
Beware dogmatism, fanaticism, or excessive preaching.
GEMINI RISING/SUN/MOON
There are challenges in the terrain of your tribe, and you may encounter some social conflict at this time. It's time to focus on your big, courageous goals, ones that you commit to with relentless devotion. You need a network of solid allies to aid you in fulfilling this mission, so beware of empty alliances, court intrigue, and overextension.
You are being tested in your instinctual, emotional responses to your intimate partner, and any unresolved psychological wounds will show up in your intimate behavior. Honesty is the most important guide now. The knowledge of your mortality puts what is and isn't important into stark perspective. Do your best to bring that perspective into your entire life. The goal is to live each day as if it were your last and to love with that kind of transparency, honesty, and nakedness.
CANCER RISING/SUN/MOON
What is your mission in the world, CANCER? Apart from your family life, your role in the world is also important and emphasized right now. As one who thrives while being protected, this is a time that you too are asked to help be a protector of people, ideas, and creatures that cannot protect themselves. Beware of any tendencies to define yourself as the victim.
There is a lot up in your intimate world in 2020; and all versions are subject to big lessons. When you can accept that there is a certain amount of struggle built into any human closeness, you can also realize that this is how you develop mindfulness skills to deal with it. Be direct and truthful about what comes up for you, avoid the side scuttling and non-direct manner that can feel safer to the Crab, because under this transit it will only cause trouble.
LEO RISING/SUN/MOON
Normal travel is not permitted these days, but there are other ways to express the intense fire of this transit in your 9th house: you benefit from cross-cultural education right now, the kind that broadens your horizons by hurling yourself bravely into life. Intentionally crossing cultural or social boundaries close to home is one way to do this, if your intent is to be respectful and learn. It's a time to test your beliefs against reality, in the name of coming to an honest sense of the meaning of life.
Finding the right work is important for you now, in this time of great upheaval and contraction. It's time to up your daily self-care and be aware of not bringing extra heat into your system (or pitta as its called in Ayurveda) in the form of spicy food, hot or acidic drink, warm colors, heated thoughts, or vigorous/dangerous activities.
VIRGO RISING/SUN/MOON
Intimate relationships are the place that this MARS retrograde will be influencing you. The themes of emotions, instincts, and unresolved psychological wounds, and how they manifest in our intimate behavior are stirred, and up for healing. Your relationship to your own mortality as well as those with whom you share your life is also on the table to be examined in an active way. Honesty is the way through all of this, both in self-examination as well as in interactions with those with whom we have deep bonds. Death gives the great gift of helping us to see what is important and what is not important. The goal is to live each day as if it were your last and to love with all your might, as this all ends.
No matter what is happening, the channel of honest, vulnerable, creative expression will help. There is a focus on passionate love affairs and you are tasked with finding confident and legitimate expression of your sexuality as a way of resolving any unresolved, inhibition karma in this part of your life/relationships; in a grounded and aligned way, trust your lust. The goal is to leave behind any unresolved, karmic relationships where you have been hurt.
LIBRA RISING/SUN/MOON
All the categories of partnership are in the cook-pot, LIBRA; marriages, close friendships, business partners. All of these categories are subject to some conflict at this time, but it is also a fantastic time to develop some mindful skills for dealing with it. Take this as an initiatory experience in which you are being tested and given an opportunity to grow in the places where the dangers of numbing familiarity in long term relationships is an ever-present danger. This is an active and pressurized opportunity to learn the art of intimate conflict resolution. Your tools are direct truthfulness. Resist the familiar temptation to harbor covert tensions while taking the position of tolerant forgiveness.
Your inner world is also requiring emotional courage, it's time to face the truth of your own soul. Your domestic life is in need of resolving any anger, resentment, and depression, and these may stem from psychological wounds from your family of origin. Do not allow seething resentments or frustrations to build deep within as it will cause you immense suffering under this transit and you will eventually blow. Be proactive here.
SCORPIO RISING/SUN/MOON
Active, defensive self-care is your main tool for this transit. Inflammatory thoughts, actions, foods, can undo you right now, so stay cool with your breath, thoughts, colors, and alkaline food. Protect yourself in these ways to prevent stress-related disorders. Your work is the place to focus; ground yourself into the most meaningful version you can find and seek the path of mastery.
If you find yourself in a work environment where your boss is being abusive, it's time to stand up for yourself and stop accepting the abuse. This is a time to become your own authority.
Finding your voice and trusting your own perceptions is a big part of this testing transit for you. Learn to be effective in an argument do not let yourself be silenced by those trying to overpower you. Say what you need to say, but guard against becoming compulsively argumentative.
SAGITTARIUS RISING/SUN/MOON
This retrograde is charging you with the urgent need to express yourself honestly and creatively. This isn't a huge leap for you, truth-tellin' Sag, but the heat is on for you to have the courage to sincere to the point of genuine vulnerability. There may be things that come up around the karma of passionate love affairs so the above likely applies to this arena. Take the emotional risks if and only if your lust is trustworthy.
This time may challenge your resources in deficiency or in excess, both can be stressful. You can win either way if you are willing to accept the risks in claiming the resources you need for your journey. Elevate your self-confidence and don't be afraid to follow your path with heart.
CAPRICORN RISING/SUN/MOON
This MARS retrograde is deeply stirring your deepest inner world, your home, and the place you go to feel safe from the world. You have been doing such hard work for the last 2 years and this is an important passage in this journey. This is a time to claim and protect your home from the outside world and to be vigilant against familial conflict.
You are being tasked with empowering yourself as a leader and maybe called forth to protect the weak or meek. Let go of that which is no longer serving you and find the right amount of force to use in any situation, not too much and not too little.
AQUARIUS RISING/SUN/MOON
You will be tested around the right use of your voice, and around trusting your own perception, even in the face of resistance, denial, or intimidation. The best way to move through the potential weirdness of the next 2 months is by walking around or driving around your local zone. This can aid you in achieving maximum, penetrating thinking. Be sure to bring forth your best truths.
There may be some messages from the psychic realms that you have to deal with, that feel stressful or weird, so this is a good time to train your nerves to become desensitized to fear. Stay centered no matter what happened and build your spiritual courage.
PISCES RISING/SUN/MOON
OK PISCES, this MARS retrograde lights up your second house of resources. Its time to guard against burning through your savings. You want to do what you can to build your resources and be willing to accept the risks entailed in claiming the resources and tools that you need for your journey.
This is a time that will bring focus on your tribe, and there could be some stressful karma or conflict in this part of your life. Cooperation may be somewhat out of reach during this transit, but it's a good time to set goals that require courage.
Wishing you all kinds of luck and grace through this retrograde.
May the odds be ever in your favor!
If you need a consultation to help navigate these rapids, I'm here to help.
PaetraTauchertAstrology.com
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