Mars Retrograde: Finding Strength Within
Mars is retrograde from September 10 to November 14, 2020, from 4° Aries to 21° Pisces (Sidereal Zodiac)
Mars retrograde represents the courage to act based on previous actions. This builds inner strength and resolve, but it does not always come easily. We must be patient as the internal strength builds and learn to direct the energy through healthy channels. We may find ourselves doing things we used to do to gain strength, as we tap into huge reserves of strength within. But we may just as easily find ourselves at a loss, as if our system shuts down because we cannot handle the extra energy.
Regrets, I’ve had a few… More than a few, actually. I was born when Mars was in Aries, in the first degrees of the sign, which is where we find the lunar mansion Aśvinī, one of the most impulsive signs of the zodiac. Aśvinī’ means ‘horse’, and is symbolized by a horse head, while the ram’s head is the more recognizable symbol for Aries. Whether we take the horse or the ram’s head, the need is to push ahead is pronounced. The horse reflects the sign’s swiftness and drive.
Mars moving into Aśvinī, placed between 0° 00' and 13° 20’ of sidereal Aries, suggests a spike in adrenaline, as we jump headlong into something new, freed from the restrictions of Saturn’s 3rd house aspect from Capricorn. This may challenge us to remain responsible in our actions. The strength is available, initially, at any rate, to do something courageous and new, to overcome something that has been holding us back.
There are some obvious conditions involved in starting anything new during a pandemic, and Saturn’s transit in Capricorn is contrasted (in an angle to Mars) to our need for movement and freedom. Once Mars moves back into Pisces, by October 4, it is back into a stronger aspect from restrictive Saturn. It may feel a bit like bridling a wild horse and putting in a stable — walking it backwards!
Aśvinī
Aśvinī’s ruling deities are the twin horsemen and physicians to the gods, the Aśvinī Kumaras, which suggests an initial progress in the search for a treatment for the virus. While Aśvinī often suggests a swift recovery from illness, Mars is disruptive. There will likely be a push for some new treatment or action plan as Mars enters the sign from August 16. Mars, Aries and Aśvinī all suggest a youthful energy and exuberance which can lead to swift action, perhaps even a protocol which promotes faster recovery.
Another indication of Aśvinī, symbolized by the horse, is movement and travel, or the need for such, at least. There is a problem with all of the above, with regards to healing, movement, and travel; that is, as Mars only makes it to 4 degrees of Aries and then stations retrograde, on September 10.
Although there is an initial push for freedom, for a cure, for acting on an impulse, for doing something new, this will be met with setbacks from mid-September, and until it stations direct once again on November 14, before Mars re-enters Aries on December 24.
We are initially going to feel the need to move on something before we are met with obstacles and setbacks and have to go back over it. It will not be until the end of the year that we can move forward in relation to what we start in August.
Gaṇḍānta
The section of the zodiac known in Indian astrology known as gaṇḍānta, the ‘ending’ place in the zodiac, where both solar and lunar signs end, are where things come undone before being remade anew. This is where Mars will move back and over on three occasions, in August, October and December. These are sensitized junctures in the zodiac, where water signs meet with fire signs. More extreme tropical storms are one possibility, as are emotional outbursts, when things seem to come undone, before being reignited.
The last section of Pisces, the last in the zodiac, represents a need to say goodbye to an old life, before starting anew in Aries. Mars moving back and forth over this section of the zodiac suggests we will be doing the same: starting something new, and then going back over something, before restarting it.
These junctures are a bit of a void or black spot for us to carefully navigate between worlds. Ketu, the south node of the Moon, is associated with this first section of Aries, and it is itself about to move through the section between fiery Sagittarius and into Mars’ watery and hidden realm of Scorpio. This means both of Mars’ signs, Aries, and Scorpio, are going through a lot of changes in the coming months, requiring us to reassess all our actions in a midst of a lot of uncertainty and change.
Ketu brings some hidden influences, and something to deal with from the past, which Mars helps us to externalize and overcome. But while we may wish to move forward freely, there are other factors to look out for that we may not initially see, including the possibility of making mistakes. It may just as likely show the need to overcome past mistakes.
Ketu represents a shadow or eclipse point, which means it represents the subconscious. It taps us up to other dimensions, other realities. It rules viruses, for example, and things that are hidden which seem to work against our best interests, and yet, have a part to play in the bigger picture.
Mars can be destructive because it’s about finding strength, which is all about destroying our weaknesses. Mars sees everything as a battle. Every time we engage with Mars, we are overcoming something. Yes, we may cause problems in the process, but at least it feels better to be proactive. Mars in Aries has no time for procrastination, so Mars’ initial transit in Aries suggests we are all about to get all fired up and very active indeed.
There is, however, the issue of Mars stationing retrograde, which sends everything into reverse for a while.
Setbacks and Delays
Mars retrograde in Aries has its obvious downsides, sending the planet of action into reverse from our perspective, increasing the energy on the one hand, but not allowing it free expression, on the other. When we add the Saturn in Capricorn into the mix, we can see a stark contrast between our need for personal freedom and the needs of others holding up back, or restrictions put in place by governments once again.
Setbacks will be very apparent as Mars retrogrades from September 10, especially as it backs up into Pisces by October 4, and until December 24, coming back into a stronger aspect from Saturn. It seems no one is going anywhere that freely anytime soon, no matter how hard we may push. The initial push from mid-August through mid-September is met with a big push back from the subsequent Mars retrograde, a retrograde period which requires patience not always afforded to Mars’ transit in Aries.
I should know, as Mars is also retrograde in Aries in my birth chart, so I know a thing or two about this configuration. This has proven to be very strong internally, but sometimes too strong for me to handle, creating problems. A planet that is retrograde is powerful and yet hard to fully express. It’s all or nothing. Likewise, my energy can be all or nothing.
There is a concept astrologer Martin Schulman writes about in his book, Karmic Astrology: Retrogrades and Reincarnation, which he refers to as phases; that there are 3 distinct phases someone with Mars retrograde will experience at different times.
Schulman writes about these 3 phases as follows:
- Jumping ahead of himself trying to live the future now,
- In the process of living out the future, experiencing the feelings that he has already been there,
- Repeating in mind the first phase, so that he is actually reliving the looking forward to a future that has already occurred.
See if you can wrap your head around the last phase — and welcome to my world! As an astrologer, I am always writing about the future. In my mind, the future has already happened many times before it actually does, and because of this by the time it happens I am having to relive it — as it happens!
And then, I sometimes think back, looking forward to what has already happened, because I did not have that opportunity until after the fact. Warped, I know! But that is what a retrograde planet is like — it’s warped, twisted. This can send me into either very impulsive actions or being overly cautious.
While someone with Mars retrograde may be more familiar with the need to balance this sometimes impulsive energy, they can also get triggered, especially for those in the compensating phase of the retrograde, i.e. feeling frustrated and reckless if things are not moving forward fast enough. Mostly though, I’ve noticed that those who already have a retrograde planet in their birth chart are more able to handle it, as they’re more familiar with it.
I used to jump impulsively into things and then spend a lot of time regretting my actions, reimagining the past. But I am older and wiser now, and more familiar with this back and forth. We all do this to some degree, of course, it’s just that those with Mars retrograde may do it more so.
When Mars is retrograde in a natal chart, Schulman writes that the individual has ‘learned to sublimate, twist, deny, distort or negate the fulfilment of his physical needs unless the needs of his Spirit are met first’.
The Sanskrit word for retrograde is Vakra which is translated as ‘twisted’ and ‘distorted’. Retrograde planets are closer to us on Earth and stronger, just less able to fully express themselves. It’s too much for us to handle, and we shut down the impulse. Shutting down Mars has its pitfalls, of course. Burying our will to act on something can lead to anger which we may bury even deeper if we are not comfortable with anger. Astrologer Rick Levine uses the analogy of a power plant which needs to be shut down when the levels rise too high to express the Mars retrograde phenomenon.
And even if we are able to channel it in a healthy way, other people are not comfortable with our anger and may try to shut us down. This happens early on in life, during the so-called ‘Mars years’ in the natural time cycles, from ages 1 to 3, the ‘terrible twos’, when we are first shut down by adults around us who cannot handle our wilful side.
Energy can spike or drop dramatically during Mars’ retrograde, where we find it difficult to keep things balanced. Mars retrograde is a great lesson in restraint and healthy, wilful output. It’s as if we are being wound up like a toy car, building energy that is ready to burst forth, and yet we do not have a clear surface to move forward, and can sometimes spiral and crash. Patience is required, and some sort of activity which allows us to vent some steam.
Mars in Aries deals with problems head on, but this will only occur during its retrograde after we retreat to figure out how best to move forward. It may feel like banging our heads off a brick wall at times! Incidentally, I’ve had a lot of accidents to my head and have the scars to show for it. Aries represents the head, of course, while Mars rules the brain and nerves.
Can you hold your nerve?
This bluntness, or perhaps sharpness, of Mars in Aries can cause problems with others, and may literally be expressed by taking up arms or sharp instruments, or by using words as weapons. Mars retrograde in Aries feels its strength but is unable to express it as easily. Burying it deep can lead to distortions, as if the energy builds into a crescendo and eventually releases in unpredictable ways. Having Uranus close by, itself stationing retrograde in Aries by August 16, adds to even more unpredictability and volatility.
Uranus’ retrograde alongside Mars suggests that whatever we are doing, or redoing, over the coming months requires that we keep our internal compass set, to be able to orientate ourselves with the changes that are taking place. Uranus retrograde points to internal changes we must now make, to keep up with the external changes that continue to unfold.
If you are more reserved and thoughtful, you are unlikely to experience the kind of impulsive, and sometimes reckless actions, Mars’ transit in Aries suggests. It may, in fact, lead to you being better able to get up and get going, without causing too many problems. However, if your impulsivity has created problems for you in the past, this Mars transit is one to be mindful of. Use it to gain strength and courage to overcome something, but quit while you’re ahead, especially as Mars stations retrograde in September, and until it stations direct once again in November.
During Mars’ retrograde, between September 10 and November 14, and especially as Mars returns to Pisces from October 4 until December 24, we are likely to feel the push back if we are trying to make something happen prematurely.
Don’t worry, you will have another go at it as Mars returns to Aries by December 24.
So, what can be done with Mars retrograde in the interim?
Well, one thing I would suggest is to get busy reworking or redoing something, perhaps even reinventing yourself, especially if you have Aries or Scorpio rising in your birth chart. Ketu moving into Scorpio in September further points to the need for those with Scorpio rising or Moon sign to make some big adjustments.
For everyone, this is a time to approach the areas of life shown by the house position of Pisces and Aries with caution, as you would with any new thing you are trying out, knowing that you may make some mistakes initially. Nothing wrong with that, of course, as long as you are willing to make some adjustments. Those who stick to their guns, despite all indications pointing to a need to adjust, will find it more challenging.
And another good piece of advice would be to know why you are doing what you are doing in the first place.
‘He who has a why to live can bear almost any how.’
— Friedrich Nietzsche
While Mars is retrograde in Pisces, it comes under the domain of Jupiter, which influences Mars along with Saturn. Whatever action we take, whether right or wrong, this leads to more knowledge and understanding. Jupiter itself will station direct as Mars stations retrograde, so by the time Mars moves into Pisces Jupiter will have already begun to move forward. This adds a helpful undercurrent as Mars enters Pisces from October 4. Although it may seem as if we are swimming against the tide, there is an eye on a bigger truth and Divine plan taking place. Trust that the tides will take you to where you need to be, which may not necessarily be what you wanted initially.
For Mars’ retrograde in Pisces, from October 4 to November 14, Jupiter is strong in Sagittarius, although it is also conjunct Pluto. And the Jupiter-Pluto conjunction is exact by the time Mars stations direct in Pisces in November, bringing things up from the depths one last time, including new insights from the subconscious, and hopefully new insights into a disease which has gripped the world.
Anything that stands in the way can be dealt with at this stage, any fears or strongly-held beliefs that hold us back removed, so we can move forward, swimming with the aid of the cosmic current.
For All Signs
You could read your rising or Moon sign below but be aware that these are general indications and would need to be qualified with other indications in your birth chart.
Aries
You are probably the most impacted, Aries, as Mars is your ruling planet, transiting through your sign. As it does so, it moves back and over the sensitive juncture between your sign and the 12th house of surrender, requiring you to let go a little more, especially after October 4. This may be letting go of how you think things should be, or a complete surrender to outcomes which seem out of control. Relax. Nothing is in control. A lovely sentiment, but one of the hardest for you to accept. By letting go of the way you think things should be, you open yourself up to other possibilities. And by doing so, you will reinvent yourself during this period. This may even express itself as a complete change in how you present yourself, even physically, as you change on many levels of your being, including how you interact at home and with a partner or partners, as well as how you both handle your shared resources and sexuality. Any kind of repression will lead to problems, so make sure you are expressing yourself in every which way.
Taurus
Your relationships are about to go through a lot of changes Taurus, and this has a direct impact on how you communicate what you want, so it may be a time to take your time with others, especially a significant other or others. As Mars moves back and over your 12th and 11th houses, this requires you to let the chips fall as they will, for a time, as you revaluate your friendships and your aspirations. This would impact your bigger picture worldview, who you are connected to in your social sphere and how you may need to adjust this with your partner in mind. You may feel a little lost in terms of these aspects of your life, especially from September 10 until October 4, before Mars returns to your 11th house, for a reappraisal of your long term goals, your day-to-day life, and your relationships.
Gemini
Who are your friends and who are your enemies? Perhaps you are your own worst enemy?! The Mars retrograde will ask you to reconsider who you consider your friends and allies and who or what is working against your best interests, as well as what you are doing in terms of your big plans and how this plays out in your career. This impacts your relations with friends and those who are in positions of authority, showing a need to deal with any conflicts or unresolved issues with any of these people in your life, as well as your relationship with any children, students, or followers — in person or online. Ultimately, Mars represents your own shortcomings, your own weaknesses which may be more apparent to others during the retrograde but hidden to yourself unless you are open to doing the inner work that is necessary.
Cancer
Although you may not be the most comfortable dealing with Mars — or perhaps it’s not comfortable dealing with you! — this is a great opportunity to figure out what is it you truly want and how can you go about getting it. One of the biggest challenges you may face in this regard is that it may feel selfish, but if you cannot be true to yourself, how can you be there for anyone else? Mars retrogrades from your 10th to your 9th house, linking two very important areas of your life, creating the need to take purposeful actions. Remember, however, that inaction is part of the Mars retro thing, so be patient with yourself and others as you work it all out. Eventually, you will be able to express what you want, from your heart.
Leo
While Mars is a very strong planet for you Leo, its strength while retrograde is not necessarily obvious, at least not outwardly, anyway. The strength of this transit is the ability to focus on what gives your life meaning and happiness, including your travel plans, while accepting certain obstacles that are put in your way. Travel and home life are prominent themes for this transit, while changes are more prevalent as Mars returns to your 8th house from October 4 until December 24. Things will work their way out by the end of the year, but patience is required until then. You’ll be glad you slowed down and took the time to reassess your home life and travel plans, as well as your relationship with your mother and father, and the happiness and guidance they have given you, by the time this has all worked its way out and you are free to travel again.
Virgo
The initial station and retrograde of Mars in your 8th house may show some obstacles in how you express yourself and challenge you, but this will build confidence, ultimately. Relationships become the focus after October 4, as Mars moves to reassess how you interact with others. Overall, Mars is asking you to be patient with any new developments as most of these will likely be unexpected. Be open to doing things differently, in your relationships and in how you communicate with your partner or partners. Intimacy with others is one of the bigger issues on the table, so be mindful of Mars’ tendency to bulldoze its way through problems. There are other, more subtle ways, of dealing with issues which help you deal with your re-directed energy, including your sexuality and will power.
Libra
Relationships are a key focus during this retrograde, as well as how you communicate your values with your partner and others, including what you do with your money and resources. There may be some conflicts to deal with, especially as Mars moves back into your 6th house from October 4, but as long as you are willing to make the adjustments while speaking your truth, everyone’s needs can be met. You are known for your ability to compromise Libra, but just make sure you state what you want, too. Mars is your will, but it is reflected in your partner’s will power which may seem to take on more importance at this time. Seeing yourself and your needs in others will allow you to make room for both.
Scorpio
This is a big adjustment for you to make Scorpio, as your ruling planet is Mars. As it moves through your 5th and 6th houses, make sure to adjust your daily life, your health and work routines, to suit the changes you are making in how you express yourself creatively. You may be even making some physical changes as your other ruler; Ketu brings you home to your true self. Anything that is not truly you will need to be discarded at this time, as you rid yourself of anything that is not helpful. The 6th house retrograde requires more skill, to be able to overcome the possibility of repressing your drive which may lead to arguments and accidents if you are not mindful of the build-up. Once Mars moves back through your 5th house, creative pursuits become a focal point once that work is done, and if you have children or followers, you are more able to get creative with them if you make the adjustments.
Sagittarius
You have already been through some big personal changes with other transits in your sign Sagittarius, and this Mars transit will focus on adjusting yourself to your creative pursuits, any children you have, and your professional and long term goals. This will get you to focus on home life, either spending the time with your children or on creative projects, so that you can tune into what makes you truly happy. While Mars transits these areas of your life, it may be useful to get rid of any clutter in your home and in your relationship to your partner and children, so you can focus on what is important, and what is enjoyable. This may require some literal adjustments in your home environment as you make room for these activities.
Capricorn
Now that Mars is stationing in your home environment, while looking at your long term goals, you may feel the need to change things around your home with the changing emotional landscape, Big changes are taking place in your outer world, too. When you have a change of heart, this can be reflected in your home, and subsequently, in the way you express yourself and indeed what you are expressing. What makes you happy? This will be one of the most important questions to ask, while Saturn’s continued transit in your sign continues to ask you to simplify your life and adjust yourself to the changing environment.
Aquarius
Mars retrograde in your 3rd house will get you to focus on your interests and build your confidence by being true to your unique self, your unique philosophy and career objectives. This may mean some adjustments are required in your career and to your finances, especially as Mars moves back into your 2nd house from October 4, and until December 24, focusing you on what it is you value, beyond money and resources. These things are important to express your unique gifts, of course, but you may also find you are resourceful in whatever you have to work with.
Pisces
Mars will impact you very personally Pisces, asking you to adjust yourself in relation to your values and unique purpose in life. This may include a reappraisal of how you present yourself to the world, as well as how, or if, you speak your truth. This is a powerful time for you to reassess your unique purpose and vision, while making the personal adjustments to changes taking place, which will be more impactful after October 4 and until the end of 2020. This will have a knock-on effect on your home life and relationships.
OM TAT SAT
Reference
Schulman, M. (1977) Karmic Astrology: Retrogrades and Reincarnation Vol. II, 1 edn., Maine: Samuel Weiser, Inc..
