27th of June 2018, Mars the planet of power, drive, assertion and strength will be going Retrograde in Aquarius the sign which focuses on the collective group (Society and Collectives), innovation and ingenuity.  The force will be strong with this one, as Mars retrogrades least in Aquarius. The rarity of this retrograde reflecting its potency.

The last time Mars went retrograde in Aquarius was 1971, the time before that 1939. Mars Retrogrades LEAST in Aquarius and if your under the age of 45, you have never experienced this energetic shape – shifting before. This is a new energy to help you innovate and create new tools to operate with. New methods that can streamline and accelerate your progress around Anger, Rage and Frustration being some obvious themes. Aquarius provides the ability to investigate how to do it in cool detachment is the first gift of this transit.

Currently Mars is well and truly in the shadow of this retrograde, meaning it is already slowing  down to begin its retrograde phase, 15 days out. It will shift only a degree before it turns retrograde, in 15 days. Meaning for a fast, quick pace action packed planet like Mars, you maybe feeling the beginnings of its frustration in the slow down and/or sensing areas for realignment and changes.

Mars will retrograde at 9 degrees of Aquarius, back to 28 degrees of Capricorn, the exact degree of Mars’ exultation (its most powerful degree). Mars will station direct at this degree, but won’t move out of its Retrograde shadow until October 11th; When Venus begins her Retrograde.  This means Mars will be in Aquarius from Mid May until Mid October, which is a long time for Mars to be pulsing its rays in the Aquarius area of your Chart. By the time this Retrograde cycle has ended Mars will have been in Saturn based Signs for 7 months. That is a lot of activity and energy to be thrown at saturnine signs who feed off hard work with no shortcuts.

Another auspicious signifier that this retrograde will be unusually strong, is the fact that Mars first entered Aquarius within hours of Uranus (Aquarius’s Modern Ruler) going into Taurus. Aquarius and Taurus are signs that square each other, thus these energies will directly connect during this retrograde phase. Uranus in Taurus is a once every 84 year cycle, Mars’ retrograded last in Aquarius 46 years ago.

Uranus and Mars are fast, reactive, innovative and exciting energies. Mars being retrograde for these contacts slows this fast pace down, to a stand still at some points.  Dis-satisfaction from surprising areas might be what gets the ball rolling, as this unusual slowdown frustrates, and triggers !

Pushing forward and being the aggressor is never recommended at this time, but listening the subtle shifts and changes are. It’s a time for revision, reassessment and basic implementation, not running full steam ahead casting fury and aggression to get what you want. Burning energy to get things going, works against what this transit is offering. Its more gentle than that, and demonstrates that sometimes you need more than brute force to get things up and going.

There is a spiritual letting go aspect to this Mars Retrograde which is unusual. (This Mars Retrograde is really delivering in the Unusual stakes, which is how Aquarius energy rolls).  Mars when in Aquarius, conjoin’s the South Node (Ketu), 3 times. The South Node, depending on your take on the Nodes, is either your past lives, or the tail end of the dragon which in legend has been split in two, creating The North Node (Rahu) and the South Node (Ketu).

Ketu gets rid of things you don’t need, to live a less materialist or all-consuming life which is connected to nothing, (Ego). Mars when retrograde conjoin’s this South Node (Letting go, spiritualizing), which is urging a very deep detox, or cleaning around long-held beliefs, deeply held systems and understandings, which was are almost soul defining for you. Mars is blasting lots of heat and energy urging you to let go !  Setting up new frame works, and dropping old bullshit which might have anger / rage / resentment as a theme, before really pushing forward post October/November.

This Mars contact to the Nodes is about looking to see how you can balance the desire of moving forward with the new; in an authentic and balanced way, that is Spiritually authentic and true to yourself, whist moving into new ground for your own personal evolution.  With theses Nodes being on the Leo / Aquarius Axis, individuation and the collective are themes that will run through this Mars Retrograde, when it conjoin’s the Nodes. Are you doing things for yourself or for others ?, should you be taking more control over what your personal passions are over what society says you should be doing ? Have you become an egoist nightmare ? and do you need to spend more time jamming with others ?, perhaps taking other people into account ?, Are you hiding behind a mask or other people’s drama from your own truth ? Do you feel you have to play a role to be significant or important in life ? Do you feel like the outsider ? How can you bring yourself in ? Some Astrologers have observed the Deaths of both Kate Spade & Anthony Bourdain, occurred on week of this first Mars / South Node conjunction, which connected to personal aspects of their charts, showing how heavy this combo can truly be.

Of course, when Astrology is really conspiring against you, it happens in 3’s or more. Naturally the Aquarius Full Moon Eclipse of 27/28th of July, will occur conjunct this Retrograde Mars. I mean why would such a rare event not co-inside with an Eclipse ! Eclipses are accelerations, they basically push the story along ! Eclipses are strange times. They are 2 week intervals every 6 months where, The New & Full Moons become turbo charged.  Mars Retrograde conjunct this is VERY Auspicious and it will be interesting to see how this all unfolds, as Eclipses bring very quick beginnings and endings; With Mars Retrograde, next to it, it might feel like a lot of the action is out of your control, or there is the potential to feel powerless, But I wouldn’t say it’s not in your favour long-term.

Mars retrograde by nature, like all retrograde’s of personal planets, are a time of turning inwards. There is a feeling of restocking, reassessment, contacting and understanding the very basics of how this planet and its signifiers operate within and around you. These are real opportune times to connect deep into how these energies operate in specific areas of your life. The fact that this particular Mars retrograde in Aquarius is so rare, alongside the contacts with Uranus, The South Node and the Eclipses all signify a slow down and then a speed up of a particular theme or story in your life from deep and unexpected places, with some of it out of your control. What you can control is your response.

Mars being the Archetypal  Warrior, how you look after your Warrior and how you might gain from letting go of outdated ideas, techniques, attachments and feelings will allow you to look at how your gladiator operates. Maybe the end of this Retrograde phase your strength and commitment to change will really surprise you !

The best way to work with this transit is to be active in the change, and to not be complacent. Reassessment of how you deal with Anger and Rage is always a good start point for Mars retrograde, remembering any avoidance of the above work will potentially explosive by the time Mars turns direct, later in the year.

Mars Retrograde Through the House

Mars Retrograde in Aquarius : 26 / 27 June – 27th of August 2018

Aquarius / Aquarius Rising 

This Mars Retrograde will work in how you present to the world, how you assert, present, dress, mask and operate within the world. Time to take some power back and show whose boss ? Time to do something for your own satisfaction rather than the good of others? What is it time to update and present to the world that honours who you really are ! and how you personally like to be represented ? Is it possible that you can actually show the world and actually BE yourself !

Pisces / Pisces Rising 

The House of the Sanctuary and Privacy, is where Mars will be asking you to do some spring cleaning in. Clearing out the old dated beliefs around Spirituality and personal pleasure or sanctum. Where you find sanctuary and where you might clear out your secrets, which only hold you back. The most personal of the personal areas is where the secretive Pisces and Pisces Rising will see a resurgence, honouring the magic that makes these people so loved and adored. There is also an element of claiming it for yourself and not others, as the South Node helps you purge all the toxic shit from your inner and private sanctum. Empowering your natural magic, with no guilt and honouring and strengthening your greatest light. Yourself.

Aries / Aries Rising

Aries may see more focus of energy and slow down in areas of the collective and group activities. Perhaps a re-assessment of what hopes and dreams you really want to manifest for yourself. What is out grown and out dated. As massive growth spurt will occur in your acquaintances, your group associations and your dreams and wishes, post retrograde. Perhaps its time to open the perimeters to include others in the vision and the interaction. Time to Rest as your ruler goes against the nature of its attributes and its skill set. This might all be a bit weird, but at the very least it’s an opportune time to rest, and recharge.  Weird collective and groups are a massive YES right now. Just try not to dominate them.

Taurus / Taurus Rising

How you view Status, and Acclaim, How you want to be recognised and where you look for reward might be shifting and evolving over this time. You might decide its time for the goal posts to shift and its time to put your energy into other things to elevate your status. Career and how you use your energy in your career is under the microscope. Time to ditch anything that is draining your energy and not giving you the street creed you deserve. Looking for alternative or things that may not on paper be an obvious path, is a good way to tap into your future vibe of Uranus in Taurus. Being a Taurus, now with Uranus, you are the future and Mars Retrograde will potentially help you arrive. But its all hush-hush for now.

Gemini / Gemini Rising

Time to go deep into deeper education / belief / philosophy and ideas that might take you out of the comfort zone of what your usual dexterous nature feels natural with. Travel may also be delayed. You might find you need to do some study to get to the next step. Either way Mars Retrograde makes you stop and focus in on one particular thing and go deep into. Strengthen your knowledge base and solidifying a subject that will be the focus of this time. It really is time to be the Master of One, rather than the Jack of all trades.

Cancer / Cancer Rising

Cancer sees its self in a natural water house, yet, this Mars Retrograde goes deeper into the areas, where Cancer might decide to find protection in its shell; rather than languish too long in these waters. A natural in this area, although perhaps a little reluctant, Cancer finds itself swimming in the waters that Scorpio likes to tread, and where Mars also has traditional rulership. Deeper connections with self, and others, Psychological patterning and habits, Occult or Mystical habits and studies, Shared Resources, these are the things that Mars will begrudgingly force Cancer to re-assess and evolved with. What Cancerian’s might prefer to avoid focusing on, Mars will stop and stall and make you use that dead wood for kindling as you clear space for better situations for all of the above. It will be slow but very magical and cathartic, making you come out of your shell a little bit more.

Leo / Leo Rising

Leo will see Mars Retrograde show them how relations with others is vital to the creative growth and development of the self. Leo might have to focus on its relationships and engagements with others, whether your like them or not ! Mars Retrograde might FEEL like your giving away your power, but its more about understanding HOW you engage with others and taking the foot off the accelerator to see how you can do it in a way that honours yourself and others better. Being brave is what Leo’s do best and when you travel down the road of looking at how you engage with the group and what you can do better is the bravest thing you can do as an individual.  Remember they don’t have to be traditional, Aquarius your opposite LOVES to do things that are not conformist and not necessarily Method Traditional.

Virgo / Virgo Rising

Mars Retrograde, hits the house you rule and it might, in your brain be natural and obvious. But executing it might be a bit of a struggle or more complicated than you first thought. Day to Day routines, Health, Work and what you do every day as a ritual to keep your balance. The Mind, Body, Spirit triangle; is where Mars operations for this retrograde. Mars is challenging you to slow down, re-assess and clear out the dead wood for Zen and Daily results, honouring all elements of the pyramid. Getting analytical and evaluating is what Virgo’s live for, but with Mars slowing down to show the deep gaps in the floor plan, as well as the slower than usual momentum is what frustrates and where anger issues might come in. Stick with it ! Mars Retrograde is helping you perfect the routine that will make you thrive for the future. Being innovative and thinking outside the box is really where the talent of this retrograde lies. Work smarter, not harder.

Libra / Libra Rising

Creativity, Love, Pleasure and children all the things that need the light to grow and nourish will be the area of life that needs weeding and focused attention this Mars Retrograde. The slow down might make you feel like your 3 steps forward and 2 back, but the pleasure you get from the reinvigorating and reconnection of these things will put you on track to enjoy your creative and pleasure pursuits for years to come. You might be surprised at how innovative you can be. Reconnecting with children will be invaluable.

Scorpio / Scorpio Rising

The home, the nest, the safe area or zone your call home, is where the spring clean is happening. Alternative ideas about living situations, changes in how you want to pursue this, psychological blocks or wounds around this may come up for tending and healing. Issues to do with ancestry, where you come from may be areas that you may reflect and clear weeds from. Either way new and innovative ways to rework home and where you call home are in the works. Just don’t force it right now. Its more Aha moments right now.

Sagittarius  / Sagittarius Rising

Mars Retrograde is officially the green light to lighten up rest.  Mars Retrograde might see you decide to indulge in some light communication and reading, not over do it. Sagittarius LOVES to do and engage in it all. The Mars Retrograde might be a good way to sit back and enjoy the less frantic and more simple exchanges of communication. Relations with Siblings might come under the microscope as Mars might put pressure on you to make some changes to honour both sides of the equation. Enjoy the breather and the slow down, engage with simple and uncomplicated pleasures.  If you end up having to deal with siblings, LISTEN and don’t get all fiery. It’s not the time to start a family war or drama.

Capricorn / Capricorn Rising

Capricorn loves money, cash, income, worth and self-worth. Mars loves fast pace, action and progress. Mars Retrograde in your financial / self-worth sector sees all of these things come together to assess what TRUE worth is, and blow out all the blocks to attaining true self worth. This transit maybe slow and there maybe frustrations with lack of progress and getting on with it. It might see you to decide there are better & other ways to make money that honour your own personal self worth. Either way this will be a transit that might see you come out the other side completely different from how you entered it. Aquarius does have moments of genius, but with Saturn being the old ruler of Aquarius AND your ruler, it indicates more about doing the REAL work before you get any payback. This house IS about Money you earn, but your own self worth and how you honour and acknowledge it OVER money and finance is worth more than anything you can put a price tag on. Mars Retrograde WILL make you work it, with a lot of dead wood set to be hauled out. As you re-claim yourself, one slow goat step at a time.

xx