Mars Retrograde in Aries 2020
Mars Retrograde in Aries 2020: September 9, 2020, to November 13th, 2020
NOTE – There are NO retrograde periods for Mars in the year 2021. The next Mars Retrograde after this 2020 one is from October 30th, 2022, to Jan 12, 2023, in the sign of Gemini.
On this Page:
- The significance of Mars Retrograde.
- Indicators in the charts of people especially sensitive to the Mars Retrograde cycle.
- How this Mars Retrograde cycle affects each sign of the zodiac.
Overview
“Mercury Retrograde” has certainly become a buzzword – or buzz phrase – these days. The Mars Retrograde cycle is lesser known, and it occurs less frequently than Mercury Retrograde, but it is certainly no less significant nevertheless.
What is Mars Retrograde? Occasionally, Mars appears to be moving backward in the sky. “Appears” is the keyword here, because, technically speaking, no planet actually moves backward in their orbits around the Sun. In fact, they don’t even slow down. Retrograde-station-direct cycles are essentially illusions that result from our point of view from Earth, simply because the Earth is also orbiting the Sun at a different speed than the other planets. Mars is Retrograde approximately 58-81 days every 2+ years.
If Mars is retrograde in the natal chart, this is what the Karmic Insight report has to say about this position: “Asserting yourself vigorously and directly is complicated by the fact that you had a prior lifetime or lifetimes in which aggression was either misused (by you, or against you) and/or all personal initiative and self-will was insistently discouraged (perhaps due to a belief system that advocated passivity).
In any case, the message that was impressed upon you was that forceful action is wrong or dangerous. Thus, if you stand up for yourself, you now tend to hesitate, back down, or even be plagued with fears of retaliation.”
Mars is Retrograde in Aries from September 9 to November 13, 2020.
Mars Retrograde Dates in 2020:
Mars is retrograde from September 9th to November 13th, 2020.
- Mars enters its retrograde zone on July 25th, 2020, at 15° Aries 14′
- Mars turns retrograde on September 9th, 2020, at 28° Aries 08’Rx
- Mars turns direct on November 13th, 2020, at 15° Aries 14′
- Mars leaves its retrograde zone on January 2nd, 2021, at 28° Aries 08′
Mars spends its full retrograde cycle in the sign of Aries.
Details: September 9th, 2020 Mars turns retrograde at 28 degrees Aries 08′ and is retrograde until November 13th, 2020, at 15 degrees Aries 14′.
Times are Eastern. Retrograde times are always approximate.
Mars is in its shadow from July 25th, 2020, forward, and then until January 2nd, 2021.
When Mars is in its retrograde cycle, we are forced to re-assess our current projects, our approach to getting what we want, and our desire nature. Rather than directly assert our desires, we tend towards introspection.
While Mars in direct motion is direct, straightforward, assertive, and aggressive, with Mars in retrograde motion, Mars energy is essentially turned inward–it’s internalized, intensified, personalized, and perhaps pressurized. We can be hesitant about taking action, second-guessing our instincts or our natural impulses rather than acting upon them.
The way we react to situations under normal conditions doesn’t necessarily work for us now, or we don’t exactly trust our instincts during the retrograde phase of Mars.
When anger is internalized, there can be some rather challenging byproducts, such as tension, resentment, depression, apathy, and even some paranoia. On the other hand, it can also be personalized and made more intimate.
Our goal during a Mars retrograde period should not be, however, to simply sit on our impulses or to squelch our enthusiasm. Rather, it should be to better understand our impulses, our survival instincts, our anger, our sexuality, our inner courage, and the ways we go about getting what we want from life. The cosmos are asking us to look before we leap rather than throwing ourselves into action, just for the time being.
In many ways, I think of Mars retrograde periods as similar to Mars transits through the twelfth house. It’s a time when we hesitate more often than we throw ourselves into new endeavors. We tend to second-guess our impulses. We might require more rest than usual. Some of us are more accident-prone or illness-prone, almost as if the cosmos are forcing us to slow down if we haven’t listened to our natural impulses to take a break. It’s time for regrouping, and this is important on both physical and emotional levels.
When Mars is retrograde, it reaches an opposition aspect to the Sun yet is closest to the Earth. This suggests that a completely new perspective on our desires, anger, and motivations is possible during this ten-week cycle, particularly as we are closer to these things, and also through the pitting of our desires against our wills. We can more clearly see the differences between what we feel we should do and what we want to do, and this can lead to greater insight into how we’re managing our lives.
Rather than choosing direct and healthy expressions or outlets for frustrations, we might resort to sneaky, indirect, or obtuse methods of going after what we want. If we push ahead impulsively, we run into problems, obstacles, and frustrations, however.
The answer lies somewhere in between – slowing down, strategizing, and pacing ourselves.
Mars is courageous, competitive, assertive, defensive, dynamic, territorial, sexual, passionate, and self-centered. While Mars is retrograde, acting in these ways may not yield expected results. It’s not so much a bad time to take on new projects as it is a time when we may be less courageous and more anxious about doing new things. Slowing down makes sense.
We shouldn’t panic if a new job, project, interview, or relationship happens during the Mars retrograde period, but we should probably adopt a wait-and-see attitude and take things slowly before locking something down since our perspective may change once Mars turns direct and our needs can seem considerably different.
There is definitely going to be a stronger focus on the past while Mars retrogrades, and this is a good thing to a certain point if we are taking a lesson from past experiences. However, it’s better not to put too much energy into rehashing those things that can’t–or shouldn’t–be changed.
There can be a stronger desire than usual to go back to “fix” old problems and especially disagreements. Returning to old relationships that didn’t end well or that otherwise broke down may not be the best idea, although it can be tempting, as the problems may seem easier to resolve or non-existent. However, after Mars’ direct turn, the frustrations can emerge once again.
It’s, in fact, a very good time to look back at a relationship or endeavor from a new perspective – one that is less clouded by anger – but not so wise to make final decisions based on what we’re seeing or experiencing now.
Aggression and competitiveness are less overt during Mars retrograde. We may be rethinking old relationships or jobs that ended because of disagreement or conflict. While we may, to some extent, make peace during this period, it’s better to take things slowly, largely because the old problems and conditions may resume after Mars turns direct. A different approach is imperative if we want different results.
As well, until we really get into touch with our desires and goals, it’s better not to commit to something important, mainly because we could discover that the goalposts can change more than once going forward.
Mars energy is particularly powerful near its stations–whether turning retrograde or direct–and often problematic. Aggression can rise, and it can seem to come out of nowhere. It’s potent but indirect, which can blindside us.
Retrograde Mars is often connected to warmer than usual weather.
Mars spends its time in Aries for the full retrograde cycle this time around. Mars is the natural planetary ruler of Aries.
While Mars is retrograde in Aries, impatience can be our worst enemy.
Passive-aggressiveness is typical of Mars retrograde cycles, but it’s also a real pet peeve of Aries. We might stew in anger at times, not finding a direct or straightforward channel for releasing it. This is a time for really getting in touch with what we’ve been accepting on the surface of things, but that has been building inside as emotional slush. Mars retrograde in Aries can return us to previous initiatives and pursuits.
Aries rules our initiative, personality, self-employment, the courage to express ourselves, and independence, amongst other things. During Mars’ retrograde cycle, we may need to re-assess our approach to these matters. Circumstances are likely to be such that we feel forced to do so. We might feel some frustration or anxiety about our ability to lead, make a mark, and go it alone. There can be hesitation, caution, and fear of taking risks about beginning or going forward with certain pursuits, particularly independent ones, for example.
We may be revisiting or rehashing old matters or we may be reconsidering or thinking about the past. This is an excellent period for seeing old problems in a new light. While it’s a strong time for identifying problem areas, watch for obsessing over issues, which is a strong tendency with Mars retro.
We can experience lowered vitality and/or health issues, especially those associated with areas ruled by Aries (the face and head, most notably). Accidents are a stronger possibility throughout the Mars retrograde period. We should take extra care with medications, driving, machinery, and so forth. We might overestimate what we’re capable of doing.
We may be less direct when it comes to satisfying our sexual needs. When we can’t find outlets for expressing our desires and anger, there can be struggles with resentment or shame. Energy flow seems interrupted or unnatural and stop-and-go.
Avoid pushing matters or throwing yourself into something entirely new. There is absolutely no reason to suspend your projects during a Mars retrograde period. Reworking and redefining current projects may be especially satisfying, and ultimately very rewarding.
Motives may be hard to discern for others’ actions. As we consider and reconsider our actions and initiatives, we can be more indecisive than usual. Sexual feelings may be stronger and more intense, but the outward expression of sexuality may be less spontaneous than usual.
Any planet that is retrograde is an especially strong and dominant energy in our lives during the retrograde period. Because it is closest to the earth during the cycle, the energy of the planet, while dominant, is more challenging to harness in a controlled, conscious manner. This can lead to irrational behaviors and reactions, particularly since Mars rules action and initiative.
Wherever you find Mars transiting your chart during the retrograde period, you could be especially preoccupied with the affairs associated with that house and/or planet. Some of us experience a lessening of interest, initiative, and enthusiasm in these areas of life during the retrograde cycle, particularly as Mars begins to slow down. There is always a bit of a preamble and hangover for retrograde cycles, and these are likely to occur in the dates of the shadow. While Mars is “moving backward” (from September 9th to November 13th, 2020), there could be some backtracking in these areas, perhaps even some losses. It’s a period of review. Working on long-term projects can have better results than embarking on entirely new projects. In fact, this can be a very good time for making important edits to existing projects. Enthusiasm builds slowly but surely as Mars moves direct again (after November 13th). Mars only begins to travel new ground from January 2nd, 2021 forward.
As noted above, Mars energy is particularly powerful near its stations–whether turning retrograde or direct–and often problematic. Aggression can rise, and it can seem to come out of nowhere. In 2020, Mars stations occur on September 9th and November 13th, and we can consider September 8-10 and November 12-14 particularly potent.
Mars Retrograde: The dates:
- Mars turns retrograde at 28 Aries on September 9th, 2020
- Mars turns direct at 15 Aries on November 13th, 2020.
Shadow period: July 25, 2020, to September 9, 2020; November 13, 2020, to January 2nd, 2021.
For context, Mars is retrograde for approximately 2 months every 2 years. The last time Mars was retrograde in the sign of Aries, however, was August through October 1988. Before that, it was from September to November 1973.
People don’t say what they do, or do what they say!
Mars Retrograde through the Signs – September 9 to November 13, 2020
Some people are more sensitive to Mars retrograde cycles than others. Mars-ruled Aries and Scorpio natives are likely to be particularly sensitive to the effects of Mars Retrograde in general. This applies to anyone who has a number of planets in either sign. Also, check to see where Aries and Scorpio are found in your natal chart. If Aries is on the third house cusp, for example, (which is often the case for Aquarius Ascendant natives) communication issues may be especially prominent themes now. If either of these signs is on the fifth house, then we can expect some stalling in the areas ruled by the fifth house–romance, creativity, and children, for example.
Aries and Aries Ascendant: All Mars retrograde cycles affect you on a highly personal level because Mars is your sign’s ruler. If you have an Aries Ascendant, Mars is your chart ruler, and Mars retrograde can also affect you on the physical plane as well as your personal presentation or image to others. You may not assert yourself or state what it is that you want as directly as you normally do, and you could be withdrawn and introspective, pulling back from life a little as you figure out what it is that you truly want from it. Pushing yourself during this Mars retrograde cycle will only lead to frustrations and slowdowns. It’s time to review how you have been handling yourself in terms of self-assertion and expression of anger in general, and for considering making changes to your approach to getting what you want out of life.
From September 9-November 13, 2020. Mars is retrograde in your solar first house and your sign. You’re reviewing your self-assertion and ability to pursue your desires. Watch that you don’t allow unacknowledged or buried desires to drive your behavior.
This Mars retrograde cycle is very up close and personal! You might find that you are second-guessing yourself, and this is a natural process as you reassess how you have been going about meeting life and reacting/acting. It’s a good time for refining these things.
Mars is your ruler, making this cycle especially relevant to your spirits, presentation, and health.
Your personal initiatives and confidence are affected. Perhaps you are not as confident about your personal effectiveness and more cautious about sharing yourself with others. Personal initiatives might need to be put on the back burner, or you could show less enthusiasm for them. You may not feel right about starting brand new endeavors for the time being.
You could be a little tired and more accident-prone, so be sure to rest up. You are also examining the ways that anger has helped or impaired your life, and coming up with new ways to manage it. In the process, you can experience some real frustrations, but you are also getting in touch with your inner strength. The end result, ideally, is a much-improved you. It’s time to rethink, revise, and reorganize your plans. Backtracking is a good idea now. Patience is important now! Take your time with new initiatives.
Taurus and Taurus Ascendant: All Mars retrograde cycles particularly affect your intuition and spiritual matters, because Mars rules these areas of your life in your solar chart. You may find that you are less able to rely on your intuition during this phase. Perhaps you’re picking up the wrong cues or reading too much into situations. Or, you don’t trust your instincts, feeling a bit out of step. Whatever the case, for the time being, you may not feel that your intuition is serving you well.
This Mars retrograde phase occurs in your privacy sector. This is a background area of your solar chart, and this can mean you experience fewer overt problems than most zodiac signs. Still, there can be issues that need special attention. It’s important to watch for an obsession with private issues or concerns about the past. Although it’s a good time to look back, it’s best not to dwell.
This cycle stirs up any unusual, overlooked, or buried anger, feelings, and desires that you’ve been ignoring. You may think twice before venting feelings, and you could be dealing with some indecisiveness or increased need for rest.
Keep an eye out for deceptiveness and falseness in others. It would be wise to be especially clear when communicating about your inner world or private life during this cycle or take this time to re-examine issues rather than communicating about them prematurely. Private affairs and solitary work might need to be put on the back burner, or you could show less enthusiasm for them. Alternatively, obsession with private matters or concerns about the past could be part of the picture. Misunderstandings or confusion can figure strongly in these areas.
Consider deferring big moves or decisions of you have less confidence in your “inner eye” or hunches. Vague fears and anxieties need special handling. Your desire nature can be rather complicated now, and it can be difficult to find direct routes to satisfaction. Old resentment, hurt, and waves of anger can resurface. There can be lowered vitality, likely due to emotional frustrations and exasperation.
Use this retrograde period to rethink, revise, and reorganize. Backtracking is a good idea before big moves. This is a good time for learning about how your mental health impacts your life. Paying more attention to your need for rest, recuperation, and quiet will benefit you.
Gemini and Gemini Ascendant: All Mars retrograde cycles particularly affect your friendships, group associations, networking, business income, and dreams/wishes because Mars rules these areas of your life in your solar chart. Challenges are possible now. Enthusiasm for generating business income, for group or community activities, and/or friendships may wane, perhaps due to some problems or setbacks in these areas of life. You may be temporarily confused about long-term goals. Some deal with these things by losing interest, others by obsessing over these life departments.
This cycle is a double whammy since it occurs in a Mars-ruled house. You might deal with frustrations and buried anger with friends, in your networks, or in your social life, in general. Ambiguity in these areas of life may lead you to reassess your friendships, group endeavors and associations, or higher goals. There can be a return to an old friendship or troubles from the past resurfacing in a current one.
There may be frustration with goals or dreams not manifesting soon enough, when in fact this retrograde period is strong for making important edits to your plans. Refocusing, backtracking, and reviewing become necessary and recommended now. Certain projects may need further attention before pushing forward with them.
It’s best to avoid sweeping decision-making and it’s wise to conserve energy.
Cancer and Cancer Ascendant: All Mars retrograde cycles particularly affect you in terms of your career, professional life, ambition, public relations, and your reputation because Mars rules these areas of your life in your solar chart. Stalling, snags, challenges, or seeming setbacks might alert you to the need to reorganize your energy and enthusiasm for these matters, to reassess goals, or to change and adjust plans.
Because this nine-week retrograde cycle occurs in a Mars-ruled sector, it’s a double whammy, affecting you mostly in the areas of career, responsibilities, and reputation. Your enthusiasm or motivation for work, responsibilities, and public or professional matters may falter, or you might return to old projects to firm them up or redo them.
Initially, you might feel that you’re only going through the motions in your work until you get in better touch with your desires and needs. Problem areas might magnify. Buried feelings of anger or resentment could surface. Ambiguities might have you second-guessing or reassessing your goals.
Conserve your energy and avoid pushing things that require more time, energy, and patience to develop. This is an excellent cycle in which to edit projects already in progress, but not ideal for all-new initiatives.
You might feel less confident or simply more cautious now. Keep in mind that Mars is direct, spontaneous, brave, and instinctual, but when it’s retrograde as it is from September 9 to November 13, it’s working differently. Some projects may stall. With your duties and responsibilities, you might temporarily lack ambition, fire, or motivation. Refocus, backtracking, and review become necessary and recommended now.
This Mars retrograde puts much emphasis on practical and work matters for you this time around. How you organize your time is in question now.
Leo and Leo Ascendant: All Mars retrograde cycles affect you in the areas of faith, wisdom, perspective, personal philosophy, higher education, travel, and adventure in general because Mars rules your solar ninth house, which in turn rules these matters. You might find yourself less confident about expressing yourself in adventurous ways during any retrograde Mars phase. Your outlook on life in terms of the “bigger picture” could be a little more cautious, and you might find that you temporarily have less faith.
Occurring in your solar ninth house, which happens to be a Mars-ruled house in your solar chart, reinforcing the above themes. Your enthusiasm for life experiences, belief systems or religion, higher education, travel, your personal philosophy, or adventure, in general, may wane, perhaps due to some problems or setbacks, delays, or reorientation. Some projects may stall.
You might question some of the beliefs, topics of interest, or studies you’ve recently been working with, or you could need to rework your studies or a publishing project. A “back to the drawing board” situation can emerge now, but you have the chance to redo, refine, and perfect things, ultimately making them stronger. Legal matters may need a second look.
Throughout this retrograde period, it’s appropriate to slow down, back up, and review. Enthusiasm for specific areas of life could change. Your approach to experiencing life to its fullest may need an adjustment now. There may be some things that catch up with you at this time, and that prompt a need to review, return to a previous condition, or tie up loose ends. There can be treasures in old projects and connections; the trick is to approach them in new ways.
Refocus, backtracking, and review become necessary and recommended. Your outlook and lust for life, for the time being, might not be as natural or spontaneous as it has been. Look for new ways to revive old passions, studies, or interests.
Virgo and Virgo Ascendant: All Mars retrograde cycles affect you in the areas of intimacy, sharing, and finances because Mars rules these areas of your solar chart. Intimate matters may become more intense and complicated during any retrograde Mars phase. Joint financial projects or initiatives may stall, or you could be less confident about expressing yourself in personal ways. Intimacy can feel off.
Anger management might be in order now, and it’s a strong period for reviewing how you have been asserting yourself with a partner. There can be frustrations with the ways you’ve managed power in a partnership. There may be a struggle with addictions, debts, support, or the magnification of fears and phobias that have been driving your behavior. The good news is that you have a chance to better manage them as you see them from a new perspective.
This particular retrograde cycle from September 9-November 13, 2020, most affects you in the areas of intimacy, finances, and sharing. Because it occurs in its own sign, this Mars retro phase reinforces the above themes in your life, in general. Complications in the areas of intimacy or shared finances can emerge.
Ambiguity, delays, or stalling with finances, particularly debts and shared money or resources, could dominate now, making refocus, backtracking, and review quite necessary.
You could be exploring anger and assertion matters over profoundly buried matters, and learning to manage your life on an emotional level in better ways. Mars retrogrades tend to turn your attention to unresolved issues as you could seek closure or look to reopen something that ended a while ago. The steps you take now to reorganize will benefit you greatly down the road.
Enthusiasm for intimate and sharing matters, in general, may wane, perhaps due to some problems or setbacks in these areas of life. A lover or yourself may especially intense or obsessive. An old relationship that ended poorly may occupy your thoughts, or an old lover may return. There can be the magnification of unexplored desires. Financial affairs may require a redo or second look.
Libra and Libra Ascendant: All Mars retrograde cycles affect you in the areas of close partnering and negotiations because Mars rules these areas of your solar chart. Enthusiasm for a partnership or coming from a partner could be waning or not as clear. A partner could seem to be less direct or harder to reach. Partnering projects or initiatives, or negotiations, could stall, or you could find that you are less confident about expressing yourself in a one-to-one setting.
Watch for pent-up anger and passive-aggressiveness in your partnerships, and learn from experiences with these things.
From September 9-November 13, 2020, Mars is retrograde in your solar seventh house, reinforcing the above themes further. A lover or significant someone may be especially intense or obsessive, or you could experience this in your own behavior. Refocus, backtracking, and review become necessary and recommended now.
This cycle forces you to reorganize your energy regarding significant people and partnerships in your life. You could be re-assessing the ways in which you approach relationships, as well as what it is you want from your relationships.
You are doing very important “work” that can benefit you greatly. You have the chance to reassess how you’ve been dealing with partners or potential partners, and you may be finding new and improved ways to get along. If you’re stimulating angry situations, you need to consider your role in the interaction. If you’re coming on too strong, look for ways to tone things down.
With Mars backing up in your partnership sector, taking things slowly is most beneficial. You may be exploring your own issues with anger and assertiveness through the context of a relationship or through a significant person in your life.
This cycle is also about balancing your life out more fully in terms of what you do for yourself and what you do for others.
Scorpio and Scorpio Ascendant: All Mars retrograde cycles affect you in the areas of work, daily activities and routines, and/or health since these areas of life are Mars-ruled in your solar chart. Events might conspire to slow you down in these areas, forcing you to reassess how you’ve been managing this part of your life.
Frustrations with your daily routine can be part of the picture now. Energy levels may seem low. Mars is your co-ruler, so you may be dealing with issues of image, personal presentation, and physical appearance or health as well.
For this particular Mars retrograde phase (from September 9-November 13, 2020), the above themes are particularly strong since Mars is transiting its own sign (Aries) and your work and health sector. Keep in mind that pushing yourself during this cycle, particularly in these areas of life, will only lead to frustrations and slowdowns. It’s time to review whether you’re pursuing your desires, and for considering making changes to your approach to getting what you want from your work, relationships, and self-care programs.
Enthusiasm for your current job or health regimes could wane perhaps due to setbacks, delays, or stalling, but the adjustments you make now can be invaluable. Watch for pent-up anger and passive-aggressiveness on the job or with those with whom you spend much of your daily life. Daily routines or work may feel a little lifeless until you figure out ways to spruce things up. Reorganizing and editing efforts can be very fruitful during this cycle.
Work or chores may be less straightforward or satisfying. There can be much preoccupation with your health or work endeavors, and possibly frustration with daily routines. Refocus, backtracking, and review become necessary and recommended now. This cycle emphasizes practical and work/job matters. How you organize your time, take care of yourself, and manage your daily affairs is up for review.
Sagittarius and Sagittarius Ascendant: All Mars retrograde cycles affect you in the areas of creativity, children, recreation, entertainment, hobbies, and romance because Mars rules these areas of your solar chart. This can play out in a variety of ways, such as problems with a lover or child’s enthusiasm, for example, or a creative project encountering some setbacks, or possibly an event or circumstance that prevents you from enjoying hobbies or leisurely activities for the time being. This may be a period of review regarding your leisure time or a love affair.
From September 9-November 13, Mars is retrograde in your solar fifth house, reinforcing the above themes further. Enthusiasm for a romance or creative project could wane perhaps due to delays or stalling. A relationship with a lover or a child could become (or seem) more complicated or possibly exhausting. Desires can be hard to read for existing relationships – your own desires and/or those of a lover. There can be a change of heart or you could be questioning what you’ve been pursuing in love, and a new approach becomes necessary. Some could be excessively preoccupied with a love relationship, which keeps you in a state of limbo or of feeling stuck in the past.
There could be waning interest in a hobby or a return to an old one. New initiatives with fifth house matters may appear less exciting, or you could find that you are less confident about expressing yourself in fifth house areas of life–creativity self-expression, recreation, children, and romance. Caution and perhaps anxiety or confusion can be more dominant during the Mars retrograde phase. You might temporarily lack motivation, unsure whether current pursuits are fulfilling you.
Watch for pent-up anger, frustration, and passive-aggressiveness in your relationships now. Do whatever it takes, slowly but surely, to get dysfunctioning areas of your life back on track. Refocusing, backtracking, and review become necessary and recommended now.
This period is a time of reassessing areas of your life for which you may have lost some enthusiasm, mainly related to romance, creative projects, leisure time, hobbies, or partnerships.
You may be turning to the past for answers. There can be a change of heart, or you could be questioning what you enjoy or love doing, and a new approach becomes necessary. Aim to do more strategizing than pushing forward with new initiatives.
Capricorn and Capricorn Ascendant: All Mars retrograde cycles affect you in the areas of home, family, security, and domestic activities because Mars rules these areas in your solar chart. This can play out in a variety of ways. For example, household projects may slow down or stall. You might be feeling more defensive during this period, or you might focus on old waves of anger or emotional issues from the past that now resurface. It’s a good time for examining how you have been expressing anger or asserting yourself at home, in your personal life, and with family.
This time around, Mars is retrograde in your solar fourth house, reinforcing all of these themes. Repairs may be necessary, or circumstances are such that living conditions/arrangements seem a little more unstable, in need of improvement, or in limbo. Perhaps the enthusiasm that you have been building for work around the house is decreasing.
You may have an increased desire to rule the roost or feel that this position is no longer in your hands. If this transit stimulates conflict or disputes, it is likely to be family-related–you may have arguments with them, about them, or on their behalf. Refocusing, backtracking, and review become necessary and recommended now. It’s time to review how you’ve been handling your assertiveness.
There can be some reassessments, delays, or backtracking in your life. Events might seem to conspire to slow you down. Ultimately, this affords you the opportunity to catch up and make necessary edits in your life. Particularly at its station dates, keep in mind that sweeping decisions made now can be premature. The retrograde phase is useful for dealing with buried anger and resentment and reviewing and fine-tuning projects around the home. Despite small inconveniences, you’re on a path to new and improved home life and relations with family. This can take a few months, but the work you do now will be rewarded.
Aquarius and Aquarius Ascendant: All Mars retrograde cycles affect you in the areas of communication, siblings, neighbors, acquaintances, and transportation. This is because Mars rules your solar third house. Communication or transportation might take a hit somehow, making it harder to get from point A to point B, for example, or there can be missed meetings, delays and red tape, challenges with studies, or mechanical breakdowns.
There can be frustration with self-expression or impatience with social niceties. Arguments over ideas, opinions, and facts can be more frequent. Personal interests are in a state of flux.
Mars is retrograde in your solar third house this time around, reinforcing the above themes. Mental projects, courses, or studies could be less exciting or invigorating for the time being. Perhaps a project you have been working on and enthused about encounters some snags and you feel the urge to abandon it altogether. You could become quite preoccupied with problems in these areas.
Challenges with self-expression, pushing/selling your ideas, or with neighbors and siblings may occur now. Social interactions can be a little strained, as you may feel the need to hold back or there is a lack of usual spontaneity in your communications. There can be frustration with daily routines.
It’s time to rethink, revise, and reorganize your plans. Backtracking is a good idea. In fact, this is a strong time for making important edits of work already in progress. Slowing down, in other words, can be helpful.
Areas of life where you may need to do some reassessment, waiting, or backtracking include learning, transportation, studies, personal interests, transit, errands, and contacts. Stalling, challenges, or seeming setbacks might alert you to the need to reorganize your energy and enthusiasm for these matters, for re-assessing goals, or for changing plans.
Mental projects, courses, or studies could feel less exciting or invigorating until new information comes in or you explore your goals and desires more deeply. Aim to be especially mindful of what and how you communicate during these nine weeks. You may be returning to old studies, lessons, or projects, or encountering delays in current ones which necessitate some revision and creative planning. Watch for impatience with transit and communications.
Pisces and Pisces Ascendant: All Mars retrograde cycles affect you in the areas of personal finances, income, possessions, comfort, and values. These areas might be ambiguous or a cause for concern and anxiety for the time being. Reassessing these matters becomes necessary. This is a good time for taking a hard look at your budget. It’s also a time for understanding how the management of your personal resources impacts your confidence, in general.
Occurring in your solar second house this time around, the above themes apply doubly. Money-making endeavors can be in focus. Perhaps a money-making idea you’ve been enthused about encounters some snags and you feel the urge to drop or abandon it. It’s possible that it only needs some edits or you need a break from it temporarily.
Caution and perhaps anxiety can be the overriding emotions in certain areas of your life during this retrograde phase. Money and security matters are extremely important to you at this time, but they are not as straightforward as they have been. It’s time to rethink, revise, and reorganize your money and plans. You’re learning a lot more about what you value and need, and it’s a process that takes some time.
You might feel quite a bit of built-up anger if you feel overlooked, underpaid, underappreciated, or undervalued for your contributions. While you might be quite preoccupied with these feelings, they might motivate you to make changes at a later date.
Mars most affects you in the areas of personal finances, business, and comfort levels during these nine weeks. Throughout the period, some decisions may need revisiting. A review of money matters may be necessary and quite beneficial now. This is a valuable time for making useful edits of work already in progress.
See also: Mars Retrograde Dates & Signs
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