In a few days time on the 1st March Mars the planet of action and force turns retrograde for 2 and a half months. Mars only turns retrograde every couple of years so this is not a very frequent occurrence but it is significant when it does happen as the driving force of the zodiac, the one universal influence which pushes all of us forward on a regular basis suddenly goes into retreat. Mars this time is in the sign of Libra too, a place where it is not normally very happy and so in effect we have a double dose of Mars in a rather grumpy mood. What are we likely to be in for and how will this irritable Mars affect our lives? I offer a few passing thoughts on the matter.
Mars first and foremost is in the sign of relating and equality and Mars’ heavy handed approach doesn’t really mix well with the softly, softly “I don’t want to get involved in any arguments” approach that Libra normally brings. Libra as a sign would rather find a compromise than come to blows, but Mars tends to hold out an ultimatum in it’s search for justice, unity, equality and peace. This is why those with Mars in Libra tend to be rather aggressive, direct and uncompromising in their approach to life, love and sexuality too, they tend to fight for what they want and they tend to make a lot of noise in doing so. Now as Mars stops and starts to reverse all that noisy energy is held in, it is trapped and internalised and that is going to cause frustration and friction.
Just imagine if someone told you that you couldn’t work for two and a half months, you couldn’t go out and do the things that you want to do, associate with the people you want to see, you were held to a vow of celibacy? How would you feel about it? That’s the kind of mood that Mars is going to be in until May. Mars in not being able to express it’s desires directly is going to get seriously irked and may lash out in frustration, but often all this anger will be misplaced or misdirected. Mishaps, accidents and fights can often happen under Mars retrograde just because this is restless energy that does not have it’s normal outlet. It leads to a situation where you will not think straight or rationally, and many of the decisions you take will be based on trying your get your own way when the best policy might be to take stock and be a bit more patient.
Often when projects are started during Mars retrograde you find that you are not hitting the right notes, and you might have to go back and readjust things once things start moving forward again. In the same vein, as you can’t use the front door, to get what you want you might have to use different tactics to achieve your aims, to use the back door instead, to make secret alliances and to carry things out in a more underground and subversive manner. The crux of the matter is that in not moving forward the energy levels on offer are not going to be on maximum, we are going into a time when one will have to conserve our resources and strength. It may be that Mars may have to lie low for a while until it can move direct again and be effective once more.
It is not a surprise that Mars ruled the sign of Scorpio before Pluto was discovered and the more Scorpionic traits and the association may have come about because of Mars retrograde periods. You can see the parallels can’t you, and thus it is possible that undercover alliances and deals may be formed under Mars retrograde in Libra, jealousy may rise, hidden sexual affairs arising from the frustrations that Mars is under may thrive, but once the Mars goes direct and the energy is reversed, those alliances and relationships may not work so well after all. This is time when it is possible to develop existing relationships and plans but it is generally accepted that you shouldn’t make important new relationships or make brand new deals under the influence of Mars when retrograde. If you raise arguments, cast the first stone so to speak then it may work for a while but once the dust settles you are going to find that you were probably the one in the wrong and you may lose out in a big way.
In the middle of this particular retrograde period, Mars will be part of a very dangerous looking cardinal cross, all based at 13 degrees of the cardinal signs. As you can see from the above chart, Mars, Jupiter, Pluto and Uranus will all be on the same degree and Mars at that time will be sitting on the very unfortunate star Algorab in the constellation of Corvus the Crow. Algorab according to Vivian Robson, one of the foremost experts in the last century on fixed stars said of it that it brought “destructiveness, malevolence, fiendishness, repulsiveness and lying”. Combine this with Mars which will be irritated and working in a more round about way than normal and the rest of the planets that in their current state have brought about the revolution in Ukraine, and there is the potential for some pretty significant world events to occur, and quite frankly I don’t think that they will be very pleasant ones. Quite possibly any action (Mars) taken now will be either illegal, reckless, through manipulation and false motivations, possibly destructive and prone to ultimate failure when Mars turns direct on the 20th May. If you have any planets or angles in the firing line at 12-14 degrees, then please be very mindful of your decisions and actions around these times especially on or around the 23rd April as you may be motivated to do something rash, unpredictable and over the top and probably something that you may regret in the fullness of time.
There is one other possibility depending on how you personally react to Mars retrograde in that the opportunity to act or progress any existing ideas, relationships or plans in a new and exciting way may be lost because of the lack of energy that Mars is exerting, and thus a crucial opportunity may be lost. In being mindful and also being brave, you might be able to implement new schemes or ignite a personal contact that was waiting for the right moment to blossom. If you allow yourself these two or so months to recharge your batteries, save your strength and to carefully pick your moments in when to act and who to speak to and approach in a clever and intelligent fashion, then you may be able to make the most of what is on offer, although you may be sorely tempted to stray from this path. A good time maybe to take advantage of Mars in this more reflective mood might be when it hits 24 Libra between the 22nd and 25th March as this will coincide with a conjunction to the star Spica in the constellation of Virgo. This is a lovely star connected with the autumn harvest bringing with it brilliance and gifts to the table that you might be able to take advantage of.
In summary then during Mars retrograde, my advice to you would be that you do need to be canny and clever enough in the manner that you use this energy shift that will soon be upon us. Try and make the most of this time of review and recuperation, before Mars once again turns direct in late May and normal service resumes.
