Mars Retrograde
2016: Phase 1: Re-birthing your truth and searching for your
Spiritual Vocation
I am trying, very hard, to swing a
positive perspective into this Mars Rx business. There are two
planetary things that I abhor and dread. Mars conjunct Saturn and
Mars Rx. Yay! Both of those energies are coming in. Dammit. We've got
some time before Mars/Saturn. So, I'll not whine about in Phase 1.
I'll save it for the final phase (as Mars exits his shadow) since
that is when the conjunction occurs.
Mars stations Rx on April 17 while
conjunct the fixed star Antares. Shortly following, we have a Full
Moon in Scorpio—a sign that holds Mars as the traditional ruler.
The modern ruler of Scorpio, Pluto, turns Rx the same day at 17
degrees Capricorn. Then, of course, Mercury turns Rx (at 23 degrees)
in Scorpio's opposing sign of Taurus on April 29 while in a nearly
exact sextile to Chiron in Pisces.
The slow down preceding these planets'
Rx motion is palpable now. It's as if the “Quickening” from our
eclipses is now subsiding and we are able to slow down, look back and
assess where we are. Interestingly enough, Venus is trine Saturn Rx
on the day Mars turns Rx. She will have just made an inconjunct with
Jupiter the day before. She is waxing in square to Pluto (19th/20th)
and conjunction with Uranus (22nd/23rd). Man,
her dance card is full! Before leaving Aries, she even stands off
with BML in Libra on the 28th. I think she is important
through all of this. Especially the beginning. After all, she is the
ruler of the other side of the incoming Full Moon in Scorpio
equation, the Sun in Taurus. In essence, her movements leading up to
and immediately following the Full Moon herald our official
transition from Aries season into Taurus. She enters her home sign on
April 30/May 1. In the meantime, Mars' antithesis is traveling
through HIS sign as he, himself, is debilitated, stalled and
preparing to back peddle. He is weakened. She is empowered...oh, she
is tested and tempted while square Pluto and made erratic by the
conjunction to Uranus; but, that is still power folks. Basically what
we “want,” what we value and what we desire is being excoriated,
cleansed and then CLEAR! PREPARE THE PADDLES! (HEAR THE STATIC OF
THEM RUBBING TOGETHER) SLAM! SHOCK! REBORN! SHE'S ALIVE!
We may kick start Taurus season with
everything being about Mars/Pluto. But, the rest of the season, it's
all about Venus. She steps onto center stage. From Taurus she plays
amicably with Neptune (May 9-10), Jupiter (May 10/11..as he stations
direct) and Pluto (May 14th). Still beautifully empowered,
throughout. Also, she meets up with Mercury Rx while he makes his 2nd
trine with Pluto. Basically the two switch places. Venus steps into
the trine with Pluto as Mercury wanes out. The conjunction of Mercury
Rx/Venus and both of their trines with Pluto occur on our Taurus New
Moon degree (about 17 degrees Taurus on May 6). Which, of course,
means that the New Moon in Taurus is richly flavored by a nice Earth
Grand Trine with Sun/Moon/Jupiter/Pluto. Talk about rich for sowing
seeds.
Assessing the beauty found in the
empowerment of Venus throughout the beginning (at least) of Mars Rx
has helped me see the potential benefit of this transit. It's as if
Venus is enlivened through this. We know what we want and are ready
to boldly go after it while she is in Aries. However, what we “want”
is tested and reconsidered as Mercury turns Rx. We eventually reset
our brains, adjust our plans and how we think about the thing; then,
we decide whether what we want is worthy of our efforts or
not...reconsider our values and what is important. We may even make a
few attempts to reach out and grab the thing but find out it's going
to take a metaphorical change in the batting order to get it. A few
trial/practice runs...which will aid in the assessments of worth but
eventually lead us in the direction we need to go after the
assessments are over. If what we deem is still found worthy
throughout all this; then, we will continually strive to obtain it.
That's not a bad thing. It may, however, be a testy thing; because,
the methods we've used in the past to get there are not going to
work. There is the matter of delayed gratification and the need to
change the way we do things. Many will circle around to upholding and
recognizing the value of what they already have as ambition wanes.
Violent and aggressive means of
assertion will be attempted within the frustration of Mars Rx. What
the Universe is calling for is a kinder and gentler approach. We've
never really been taught this in our culture. Most certainly not in
the US. Not directly anyway. I mean, out of one side of our mouth the
country speaks of the “American Dream” while out the other side
comes this “Nanny Nation” that longs to keep a vast majority of
folks dependent upon government systems and focused on barely meeting
their most basic needs (food, shelter, security) while distracting
them from focusing on things that happen within higher levels of
government structure and, according to Maslow, higher levels of
consciousness.
It makes me wonder what would happen if
our labor force just completely laid down, went on strike or just
quit feeding into “the race.” The country would come to a
standstill. It would be much different than when the
political/government factions lay down...as they've been known to
do...coming to a screeching halt over budget issues or what have you.
In those instances what I've noticed is the labor force just keeps
moving forward and life in general in the US goes on as normal. But,
without the power of the labor force? The service industry?
LOL...yeah. Completely different story. I don't anticipate this
happening. However, the possibility does make me smile. And, I do
think some will revert to putting their energy into things that may
seem more important to them than whatever bidding their boss doles
out. Priorities are due to change a bit as we reconsider the work we
do in the world versus what our Spiritual vocation might be.
Real everyday people have a whole heck
of a lot of unrecognized power through the blood, sweat and tears
that TRULY keep this country running and through the power of their
consumerism. The marketplace responds to consumer demand...because it
has to in order to financially survive. The American public demanded
quick, cheap and easy food in the era of excess. We got it only to
discover what we initially wanted came wrapped in lethal packaging.
So the American public started to demand healthy, fresh, non-polluted
food and the industry is slowly doing a turn around in an effort to
accommodate that. Thus, the power of the everyday person is
illustrated. What makes anyone think that the same thing will not
happen with businesses built on bigotry who lean into these state
“Religious Freedom Restoration Acts” negatively? Because it will.
Bigots aren't the only folks who run businesses, own land and run
this country. But, they will surely stick out like sore thumbs in the
very, very near future. Ripe for the snatching of our dollars from
them and giving them to someone else. We do have choices and we don't
have to speak/yell/scream a freaking word to make them or become
mirrors of the passive violence they portray. We can and should
merely walk away and go somewhere else leaving the dying thing to
die. As it should. The more vigorously they show themselves, the
easier it will be to spot them and discard them. You know?
So wrapped within this Mars Rx, there
is opportunity to restore and take your power back. That comes
with an assessment of value. Recalculating what is important and
deciding what is not. Some things that were taken for granted or
overlooked grow in importance. While, at the same time, we discover
things that we have previously held at priority aren't that important
at all. Mercury Rx provides the opportunity to re-assess matters of
value and worth (both on a personal/spiritual level and on a
material/worldly level). Meanwhile, we are also taking assessment
measures in regard to what we want. How much do we want it? To a
degree that we are willing to try to obtain it more than once? Enough
that it is worth slowing down and really thinking about it? Enough
that we are willing to change the way we do things and the way we
think about doing things in order to get it? Are our abilities to
navigate frustration tolerance and delayed gratification up to par?
Oooh those two things...frustration tolerance and delayed
gratification. THOSE are the irritants coming from Mars Rx that
forces us to the value re-assessment table. Is it worth it? Is it
worth the wait? Is it worth getting up and giving it another a try?
Is it THAT important?
And, this is just part of it. There is
more. The sign of Taurus resonates with the Heirophant in Tarot. The
Heirophant who is staunchly certain of his beliefs and stands strong
on a pillar of unshakable values. Only problem with that? That pillar
of Value is not steady now but shaking due to Venus' pressurization
between Uranus and Pluto. Venus levels out eventually. But, she is
tested here. This testing plays into the beginning of the
retrogrades.
Mars is in the sign of Sagittarius.
Sagittarius lords over things like religion, politics, professional
sports, in-laws, grandchildren/grandparents, public school
systems/teachers, published information like the News, legal systems
(to a degree especially in regard to written laws), philosophy,
foreign affairs and international travel. Mars here has a duty to the
entities that Sagittarius lords over. Direct, he is marching out in
defense of all these things as if he has all the answers. Because, a
lot of the time, Sagittarius does have the answer and fears not
telling you of it. Preaching about it. Educating you. Mars champions
these causes in Sagittarius and, at times, over-reaches and brings
the truth too forcefully. Meaning, spoonfuls of knowledge are not
offered; they are force fed....shoved down our throats as we are told
to just swallow the truth. However, as Mars back peddles into a
corner, we are given time to assess our own truth, our own
philosophy and decide where our own spiritual duty lies.
Saturn Rx in the same sign puts the
burden of accountability upon our own shoulders. Meaning, there will
not be an authoritative faction there to spoon feed to you what is
right and what is wrong. All that in regard to legality is under
scrutiny and question right now. So, laws are wide open for public
interpretation and question while we have to decide for ourselves the
thin line that separates the gray areas of right and wrong for
ourselves. AGAIN, this heralds a need to revert back to an assessment
of value. Is this important enough for me to stand on a soapbox about
it and risk getting hit with rotten tomatoes? Or, could I
maybe...just maybe...get my message across more clearly by just doing
whatever it is I have been preaching about instead? Just because it
is legal to discriminate (for example), does that mean I will be ok
with doing it? Or, regardless of what the public law is saying is ok,
will I decide for myself that it is wrong and steer clear of it? You
know what I'm saying? What if...what if...a new law was enacted that
said it was ok to beat your spouse under X conditions. It's legal. No
one will persecute you for it. The law has your back. (By the way,
there are still laws on a few state books that allow this under
certain conditions.) You going to do it? Or does that meet with
resistance in regard to your own philosophical views and beliefs? In
other words, just because the world accepts something as truth and
law that doesn't mean it sits well with you. Just because the world
says, “Hey! It's ok if you are an asshole!” Does that mean you
are ok with being an asshole and bearing all the karmic consequence
that goes along with that? Or, will you just keep walking and holding
yourself to your own truth and decide that being an asshole and
beating your spouse is not congruent with your beliefs. I'm not
telling you to break the law. I'm just saying, just because a law
says something is legal that doesn't make it morally sound. It
doesn't make it ok inside of you. So...what will you do with that?
Can you decide what is really right and wrong for yourself (and the
situations you are in) or do you need someone to preach it to you?
Wrapped up in this are also tests of
faith. Things we previously believed in and causes we previously
carried a torch for come under scrutiny and question. Gray areas
emerge littered with question marks that no one outside of your
situation can fully understand the way you do. What if you find
yourself at an opposition with your religion or the law? Can you rely
on your personal truth to lead you home? Another example: My baby is
starving. Is it ok to steal food to feed him? My religion says, “thou
shalt not steal.” The law says I can go to jail for it; but, I've
been to every public office and can find no assistance. I cannot bear
to watch my child suffer. So, how do these laws and beliefs support
me in the end? I've fallen between the cracks and theft is seriously
looking like my only viable option. I could take this opportunity and
preach to you about what is right and wrong in this situation. But,
if you are really IN this situation, my preaching is not going to
matter much. It's going to come trickling down to you and your own
assessment of...ok, if I steal food for my child, that will fill an
immediate need. But, what if I get caught? I'll go to jail and be
unable to care for my child at all. I may, in fact, lose my child
forever...but, at least he will be well fed and taken care of. Won't
he? See, decisions like that can't be made for you. Though, some
folks may try the choice still comes down to you and what you can
sleep with in the end. So, yes, we will question our own religious
beliefs and personal theories as a myriad of gray areas emerge and
the ways we have done things in the past continually fail as what we
thought was important in the not so distant past continues to shift.
At the Genesis of this Mars Retrograde
we are doing a lot of reassessments as we re-consider what is truly
important and retrace our steps in regard to how we got to where we
are right now. Our hearts come under pressure. Deep and well rooted
values come under scrutiny. And, within that, we may change our
minds. Thus, our path forward is altered. We consider, how would we
have handled X past situation had we known what we know now? All the
while, re-calculating. Re-calibrating...while we are also continually
tying up loose ends and cleaning up messes we previously left in our
wake as Mars moved through this territory the first time. Our steps
become smaller and our pace becomes slower as Mars retreats. Plus, as
Mercury is Rx, time slows giving us ample opportunity to think about
what it is we are doing. Meanwhile, Venus is empowered and trying her
best to show us what is important. Listen to her. Be present and
appreciate what it is you have in your life right now. Honor and be
thankful for that while remaining open to recognizing it at the same
time. Don't be surprised if you change your mind about what is really
important. That is what is supposed to happen during this phase.
Then, as this occurs, what we are driven to defend, honor and fight
for changes as does the way in which we fight, defend and honor.
And this, my friends, is only the
beginning. This Mars retrograde has many themes and will cover
several areas of life. Each marked with personal nuance. Mars does
rule Aries, after all. Which is the body of you. The beginning of
everything. The head. The birth and genesis of life. Part of what you
are is directed by what you believe. So, the causes you champion and
the truth you defend is part of that. Both of which is going to be
revisited in this first portion of the Mars Retrograde. In the end,
you will be changed. This is only the beginning.
MORE TO COME!
Phase 2: Mars enters
Scorpio: Cast into the Underworld
MAY 21, 2016: FULL MOON
IN SAGITTARIUS (featuring Moon conjunct Mars)
5:15 PM EDT
1 SAGITTARIUS/GEMINI 14
MOON AT 2 SAGITTARIUS: White
capped waves dance rhythmically under the winds. Lax response to
vital call to activity. Power to stir and impress one's own rhythm
upon materials. Proud adornment.
SUN AT 2 GEMINI: Santa
Claus is furtively filling Christmas stockings. The natural
beneficence in any normal human heart. Alertness to the wishes of
others; the often hidden pride of benefactors.
Sun/Venus opposite Mars May 22 (Sun)
May 24 (Venus)
Mercury direct May 22
Mars into Scorpio May 27
Phase 3: Mars
prepares to turn direct and the 2nd Full Moon in
Sagittarius: Enlightenment
Mars inconjunct Uranus
June 19
JUNE 20, 2016 FULL MOON
IN SAGITTARIUS: This one switches the batting order of New/Full
Moons. NOTE: WE HAVE TWO FULL MOON'S IN THE SIGN OF SAGITTARIUS
THIS YEAR!! To me, the second one is quite significant and calls
for a realignment of what we really think/do in comparison to what we
profess to believe. A true Astrological Blue Moon.
7:03 AM EDT
29 GEMINI/SAGITTARIUS 33
SUN AT 30 GEMINI: A
parade of bathing beauties before large beach crowds. Use of
individual vanity in raising racial standards. Examination of
intellectual values for use in the soul life.
MOON AT 30 SAGITTARIUS: The
Pope is holding audience in a hall of the Vatican. Wealth of
spiritual resources which can be tapped for the glorification of
every relationship. Concrete form of ideals.
Phase 4: Emergence:
Mars direct and retracing his shadow
JULY 4, 2016: NEW MOON IN
CANCER
7:02 AM EDT
12 CANCER 54
SUN/MOON AT 13 CANCER: A
hand with prominent thumb is held out receptively. Strong, active
and self-certain will or persistent yet blind plunging ahead into
reality. Freedom from soft illusions.
Venus trine Mars July 6
Mercury trine Mars July
10
Phase 5: The Game
Changer: Mars re-enters Sagittarius
Mars enters Sagittarius
Aug 2
AUGUST 2, 2016: NEW MOON
IN LEO
4:45 PM EDT
10 LEO 58
SUN/MOON
AT 11 LEO: Children play under a huge oak, sheltered from the Sun.
The sustaining and protective power of ancestral background against
emotions. Appreciation of inborn cultural restraint.
Venus square Mars Aug 6
Mars conjunct Saturn
August 24 (Mars exits his shadow)
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