Making these images on my snapchat cracks me up. Awesome that they have the zodiac stickers tho!

Anyhoo, I’m finally getting around to discussing Mars Retrograde. This started all the way back in April, around the 17th, when Mars stationed retrograde around 8° Sagittarius (really though, it started in February when Mars passed 23° Scorpio and entered the shadow zone). Mars resubmerged into Scorpio around May 28. Since last Sunday, he’s been slowing waaaaaaaaaay down. The moment when he stops going back, or stations direct (fancy astrology terms, baby!) is coming up in a few days on June 29. This means Mars will be hovering around 23° Scorpio for over three weeks, finally moving forward again by July 11! At the beginning of August, we’ll get back into Sag and by the end of the month, we’ll have exited the shadow zone.

So what does it mean? Mars is our drive, will, passion, our outgoing energy to achieve our goals. Mars rules Aries, the Ram, the First, the “I Am.” Mars likes to do what it likes to do, and doesn’t like to be told no or to necessarily consider others; that’s more Mercury’s job, right? Well in fiery Sag, Mars loves it because it’s pushing for your higher truth, goals related to travel and expanding horizons. When the retro started, that Mars energy that usually goes out, became refocused inward. We started reevaluating what our truth was, if we were really heading in that direction. THEN, Mars went back into Scorpio.

Mars traditionally ruled over Scorpio as well as Aries, when Pluto was discovered that rulership changed. The personal will becomes enmeshed with those closest to us. Am I doing this because I want to or because you need to? The personal power of the will becomes diluted, and that can cause Mars to chafe. We might be more aware, if not resentful, of our close ones making demands of our energy.

I’ve talked about this in various other posts, but the overall effect of this year’s Mars Rx seems to be really going back and digging up secrets, figuring out who we are going to merge wills with and who we are not, how those connections work for us. Once we’ve investigated our way out of Scorpio, we’ll take the truths we learned there into the light of Sagittarius and decide our own path. This process over these almost eight months (Mars rarely goes retro, and usually moves through the signs muuuuuuch more quickly) has tested our will in close bonds. By the end of the summer (Northern Hemisphere), we will have much more clarity and focus in terms of what we want to do, and we’ll be less entangled as we have been.

Personally, what I’ve noticed as an Aries Ascendant is that I’ve felt markedly more relaxed than usual. I’m often running around from thing to thing so fast that there’s not a lot of time for reflection. During this Rx, I’ve felt less impulsive and hasty. I take things slower than my normal breakneck pace. Like it’s more important to relax and be safe than be anywhere on time-not that I haven’t been punctual, but unhurried, unrushed. Even in times of conflict, I noticed that my usual reaction to crush any and all opposition was not on the surface. I’ve also been a little listless. I have had drama with my close relationships, but I’ve noticed that I’m talking more than fighting, listening more than doing. It’s been restful while seeming like an eternity-I felt early on that if I tried hard to do something, the resistance was so great it made the task impossible; when I stopped doing the Mars TRYING so hard, things flowed a lot easier.

So these next two weeks will be v interesting. I’m wanting to see if we’re going a little stir-crazy by July 11. My prediction is that we’re gonna feel a bit stagnant by then, like what is happenniiiiiiiioooiing? But after that clears and we’re done with the 8-month event in August, our will shall be in time with our higher truth. We’ll have dug deep into our relationships and have a force of will looking globally outward.

Let me know what you think! Any stories to share about the Mars Rx experience?

Cheers,

Will

Lil quick reference:

-2/19-Mars enters shadow zone at 23° Scorpio. Mars reached 29° Scorpio around March 4ish, and was into 0° Sag around March 7.

-4/17-Mars stations retrograde at 8° Sag.

-5/28-Mars back into Scorpio at 29°.

-6/19-Mars reaches 23° Scorpio again. Going very slow, he’ll be at this degree until about July 11. That’s over 3 weeks of Mars in the same spot.

-6/29-Mars stations direct.

-8/3-Mars re-enters Sag at 0°.

-8/23-Mars reaches 9°, emerging from the shadow zone.