Mars retrograde is here to shake up the world, both your personal world and our public, collective experience. Let’s break down Mars retrograde in Aries and how we can navigate it to make it as positive and empowering as possible
Astrology Disclaimers
The first is that while I am fascinated by astrology, study it, and look to it to explain shifts of energy in my life and the life of my family and of my community, I don’t religiously adhere to the warnings of astrologers…
I think it’s really cool and really useful to KNOW what’s happening in the cosmos, but for example, some astrologers recommend not to start anything new during Mars retrograde, to postpone it…
And if I had an opportunity to start something new in the time between Sept 9 and Nov 13 that I just did not want to postpone, I would do it and I personally wouldn’t give Mars retrograde a second thought.
We did not come here to be cautious
We came here to explore, to expand, to learn, to have fun, and to go through our cycles – and if I want to start something new during a challenging cycle, I’ll do it and experience what I need to experience.
The second disclaimer is that from my understanding, the transits in our charts interact with our consciousness, and so the way that our charts and the cosmos manifest into our physical lives is still directly affected by our mindset, our beliefs, and our attitudes.
That means that you are not at the mercy of the stars, you are of the stars, they are just expressing themselves THROUGH you in different ways.
You have agency over your life, and nothing is set in stone because your desire is expressed and manifested through the stars – desire etymologically means “to hope for something that the stars give.”
All of that is to say that...
You have nothing to fear
You are the universe experiencing itself.
You are the point of this whole crazy game.
And so don’t feel powerless – feel empowered to know that there’s a blueprint to help you to navigate it. That’s what astrology is. The blueprint of the human and universal game we’re playing.
Let’s get into the blueprint of Mars retrograde, and what you can expect during the two months that Mars nears us and becomes brighter.
The Details
Mars goes retrograde in Aries on September 9th but it has been in its shadow since July 25th and has already started to shake things up in our lives.
Mars will go direct on November 13th, but we will be in its shadow until January 2 nd, 2021, so just like Venus’s recent cycle – we are becoming intimate with Mars energy during the later half of 2020, a year that has been fraught with difficult astrological events that have clearly manifested into the material.
But remember, these challenges and difficulties are happening FOR us, not to us.
We are going through a collective dark night of the soul, and we are being initiated into the light by getting through these difficulties and by making huge societal changes, and most importantly, I believe, making changes individually in our own lives.
Changes on a societal level
I am seeing that the major theme will be suppressed anger and frustration bursting at the seams, sort of like a pressure pot – but ultimately, there will be a lessening of tension, a breath of fresh air once Mars is direct again. On November 14th, things will start making sense again, and you can start connecting the dots.
It is a good time to lay low and focus on inner work and laying groundwork.
Changes on a personal level
On a personal, individual level, the major theme I am seeing is “hard decisions for an easier life” or “it’s not easy, but it’s worth it.”
Basically, let’s take Martian energy and mix it with Stoic philosophy – the things we don’t necessarily want to do lead us to places we want to go, and doing the easy things takes us to difficult places.
The best example of this is working out. We might not necessarily want to get out of bed and move, but ultimately it’ll benefit us in the long run. It might be easier to stay on the couch and keep watching Netflix for 6 more hours, but that will make us feel worse in the long run.
That can be applied to anything you are going through during this Mars cycle.
A Little About Mars
As Venus is the feminine within us, Mars rules the masculine, the warrior. Mars is the god of war.
Remember, this has nothing to do with gender – we all have feminine and masculine within us.
In birth charts where Mars plays a big role, the personality is often straightforward and feisty.
Mars represents our journey of developing will, courage, and assertiveness. It rules aggression, sex, action, and desire, and when it goes retrograde, these are the areas of our lives that are most affected.
What Mars in Aries Entails
Mars rules Aries, which is what makes this retrograde even more intense. Those with prominent Aries placements might feel this retrograde more than others.
This isn’t something to be afraid of – this is always an opportunity for you to bring more light in, more consciousness in, and face your challenges and your triumphs with a level head.
You know what the energy of this time is bringing, and so you can be prepared to face it calmly.
When Mars is retrograde, we might feel hesitant to assert ourselves, to make demands, or to stand up for ourselves.
We might experience either personally or out in the world a more passive demeanor and might internalize our anger instead of expressing it in a healthy way.
These are all things to watch out for and to work through with awareness. Notice when you are getting frustrated and angry, and don’t try to force anything to work.
Return to your breath, laugh because you recognize the Mars in Aries retrograde energy, and try to work it out another way.
Bring ease into your life during this time through patience, a positive attitude, and light-heartedness.
Recognize that you might be acting irrationally and instinctively during this time, and so rather than indulge in confrontation, spend this time in introspection.
Work with your emotions. Notice them.
You might notice changes in your libido, in your sex life, and in your work life – it is most important to simply slow down, act with care, don’t force anything, bring yourself back to your center and choose patience. Repeated patience.
I told my best friend who has a ton of Aries placements that she will likely be feeling this a lot – that’s not a bad thing, it’s just an opportunity for growth and change. I told her that though she might experience frustration and aggression, ultimately, this will assist her on her journey. Just don’t force anything, be easy about things, and try to go with the flow.
The world at large during Mars Rx in Aries
So this year has seen astrological events play out in real life with amazing accuracy, and it looks like this retrograde is going to follow suit.
The retrograde will intensify the battle for power in government versus people, forcing it out of balance due to intense cosmological pressure.
Some astrologers believe we will see changes in government structures where we might experience movement towards independent factions.
We might also see people stepping up to fight against injustice like we have seen this whole year, but it looks like it’s going to become much more violent in an attempt at the vigilante.
The way that I see it expressed is in the US is that whoever wins the presidential election, there will be a violent reaction from either side.
Because this is the case, I urge the most sensitive amongst us, the most magical amongst us – please make sure to keep up a meditation practice.
Please take care of yourself. Lightworkers, we need your energy to continue to align with the most optimal frequency.
I know it hasn’t felt like we’ve been there since the beginning of this year, but remember we must walk through the demons to enter the temple doors.
What you should personally do during this time
Self-care is CRUCIAL at this time. Time for yourself, especially to journal about your feelings, and to continuously bring yourself back to the light will be necessary.
I highly recommend doing things that will take out aggression and anger such as working out, running, doing something physical.
Consider starting a qi gong practice to make sure energy is flowing correctly in your body and not becoming stagnant because of the frustration.
It is a good time to get into a routine and to bring discipline back into an area of your life that needs it, if not into your entire life.
These two months are an excellent time for planning for the FUTURE – for envisioning not with the intellect, not through thought, but through a creative and magical vision.
Take time to just dream up wild scenarios that you want to happen – focus on the end goals.
Really make the time to imagine amazing things happening for yourself. Make vision boards, but don’t get mad if they keep falling off the wall.
It’s not recommended to start actually working towards these things until November 13th passes, but this is the time to visualize and to dream big.
And the good thing is that after November 13th, we still have Mars in Aries energy, which shifts into a GREAT time for starting new things. So once Mars goes direct, you can start to take inspired and massive action after your two-month rest.
During this time, you might see yourself changing your position or mind on a certain topic to better align and reflect your desires.
SIDE NOTE: Just in case October and November are rough, I am personally preparing by ensuring I’m stocked up on food and have everything I need in my house for a couple of months.
I’m not saying to hoard anything – the hoarding frequency is super low vibrational and will only create negative friction.
None of this is to scare you – nothing is specified, we don’t know how it’ll play out, but I’d rather we all be safe indoors if we need to be if the world needs to purge some more before the year is over.
Journaling questions for Mars Rx
What battles must I face?
Where must I be more assertive if I am not to suffer pointless conflict and strife?
How can I sharpen my will?
How I express my aggressiveness?
Where am I reacting unconsciously?
What am I angry about?
What am I REALLY angry about?
A little exciting announcement – if you were one of the 100 people who got to be a part of the Venus Retrograde workshop, you know how exciting this is…In October, I am hoping to do a Mars retrograde workshop to hold sacred and balancing space for people while we go through this turbulent time.
It’s really an awesome experience and will help you stay cool and level-headed throughout the 2-month period Mars will be retrograde, so if you want to be 1 of 100 people to get in on that, make sure you’re on my mailing list to hear about it first.
Give me an affirmation for Mars retrograde in the comments below, I’ll start with mine:
I am at peace with the world. The world is a safe and friendly place.