The Technical Explanation
On June 27th Mars will turn retrograde at 9 degrees Aquarius and back track to 28 degrees of Capricorn.
Mars will be retrograde from 27th June until 28th August, but the full effect of this transit (including the shadow periods either side (when he first contacts the degree to which he will later return until when he finally clears the degree at which he turned retrograde)) will be in effect until 9th October.
The Effect
When a personal planet (Mercury, Venus or Mars) moves ‘seemingly backwards’, it has a strong effect on us. That’s because these planets are the closest in proximity to the Earth and they affect how we function in our every day lives.
Mars is responsible for the way that we act, for our motivation, drive, initiative, ambition, will, passion and enthusiasm.
It is also the planet representing anger, aggression and war.
The ultimate goal of Mars Retrograde is to show you ‘what lies beneath’, so watch for events and situations that act as triggers and bring to your conscious awareness blocked Mars-related energy; such as frustration, apathy, depression, feeling stuck, anger or even a sense of rage.
Delays, Traffic Jams, Endings, Arguments, Altercations, Accidents… are a few of the possible ways that Mars Retrograde can call your attention to these emotions.
Signs, Dates, Degrees – Where is this Likely to Affect You?
When Mars retrogrades through the sign of Aquarius 27th June to 13th August- , you may find yourself becoming consciously aware of:
- A Sense of Rebelliousness
- The Need to Break Free/A Perceived Lack of Freedom
- Wilfulness/Argumentativeness
- A ‘My Way or the Highway; Attitude
- A Desire for Greater Excitement
- Stubborn/Fixed Ways of Operating
- A Sense of Being Unacceptable
- Anger About the World/The Society in which You Live
- Frustrations Around Feeling Different/Not Fitting In
- Dis-ease in the body related to the lower legs, ankles, the nervous system, circulation, eye disorders, clumsiness/accidents
When Mars retrogrades through the sign of Capricorn – 13th August to 28th August , you may find yourself becoming consciously aware of:
- Thwarted Ambition(s)
- Self Sabotage
- An underlying Fear of Failure
- The Need for Confirmation
- Guilt
- Restriction/Blockage (both in life and as ailments in the body)
- Burdons
- Push back from Authority Figures
- Daily Life Experienced as ‘All Too Hard/A Struggle’
- A Need to Control
- Stress
- Lack of Vitality/Anaemia
- Inflammation/Arthritis
- A Need for Stronger Boundaries
Although this is likely to have an effect on all of us, those with Planets between 28-30 degrees of the cardinal signs (Aries, Libra, Cancer, Capricorn) and 01-09 degrees of the fixed signs (Taurus, Scorpio, Leo, Aquarius) are likely to be the most strongly affected.
Remember to look to the house(s) _(life areas)_ of your chart where this is occurring!
Conscious Awareness an1d Subsequent Healing
What is causing you to feel this way?
Write it out, learn from it, clear it and seek to heal it.
Whatever you can do now to change the circumstance(s), clear the blockage(s) or bring healing, will free up and release energy that was previously used to suppress these very feelings; enabling you to move forward unencumbered and with a renewed sense of freedom and vitality.
Yes, Mars energy remains a big topic of 2018 and with Chiron now residing in Aries (a sign ruled by Mars) we all have the chance to take a deeper look within and to choose to respond differently to what’s occurring within our lives.