#Crashboombang: A primer on Mars Retrograde 2020
(From someone who could use a hug and a support group right about now).
It’s been five days since Mars went retrograde (a two-month-long manly PMS which is particularly exacerbated this time by his ongoing showdown with Jupiter, Saturn and Pluto, aka the Capricorn clusterfuck of 2020). Fun. My Whatsapp is already inundated with retrograde haikus with a heavy WTF-is-going-on-in-the-skies-I-want-to-sit-in-the-middle-of-the-room-and-cry theme. Unsurprisingly, all these clients and friends have key placements such as the Sun, Ascendant or a stellium in cardinal signs (Aries, Cancer, Libra, Capricorn). I have an overwhelmingly cardinal chart myself with Ascendant + six planets in cardinal so when I tell you how to handle this retrograde, know that I say it both as a psychological astrologer as well as someone who currently finds herself being pulsed mercilessly in Mars’ megawatt cosmic blender.
Right, so let’s get to it. I’m not going to tell you what Mars represents or what a retrograde is because this information is easily available online and I’ll just run out of space here. But psychologically speaking, retrogrades = introversion. The archetypal principle represented by the planet in question (in this case, Mars) turns inward. Also this time, Mars is in Aries, his own sign where he tends to be extra.
Right. Here are some potential shit-storms coming your way in the next two months, what they mean for you psychologically, and how you can best navigate them:
Frustration/Things not working: If you’re dealing with clogged toilets, long queues with an unreasonable person in a position of authority at the end of it, vehicles, refrigerators and air conditioners breaking down, computers crashing, your debit card randomly getting rejected, lost documents, getting cake batter all over the ceiling or any of the million daily disasters that have a way of occurring as a string of events on the same day, or so close to each other that you start feeling singled out by the cosmos, this is your Mars Rx memo to A) SLOW DOWN and B) RELINQUISH CONTROL.
Focus on the thing right in front of you. Accept that you cannot do it all. If this means delays in meeting a deadline or knocking a few things off your to-do list, so be it. I’m going to say this very loudly so Aries and Capricorn placements can hear me: DO NOT FIGHT THIS OR ATTEMPT TO CONTROL IT, YOU WILL ONLY MAKE IT WORSE. [Note: For those learning astrology and want to understand the rationale: It’s not that Mars rules any of these aforementioned examples individually, as much as the fact that Mars rules your will. These events represent a thwarting of one’s will that is a signature of Mars Rx square Saturn.]
Burns/Cuts/Bleeds/Emergency surgical procedures/Inflammation/Heat/High fevers/Explosions/Accidents: This is more textbook in the sense that these are all Mars-ruled but if you’ve had any emergency medical visits that involved even minor surgical procedures (this may include visits to the vet as well) or if you’re dealing with any of the aforementioned symptoms (cutting yourself accidentally with everything from kitchen knives to foil over and over, meeting with road accidents, having nose bleeds or unusually excessive menstrual bleeding, burning yourself while cooking or baking, having pressure cookers and other hot things explode, skin eruptions, ulcers and other types of inflammation or generally colliding with heavy objects or hurting yourself enough that you notice and go “weird that this is happening”) this is about YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH ANGER AND HOW YOU EXPRESS IT. These symptoms usually point to a build up of resentment from habitually repressing your anger or struggling to express it in a healthy, balanced way.
So if this is your Mars Rx, pay attention to the rage that simmers just beneath the surface, the people you find yourself yelling at in your head, the things you wish you had said or could say (Hello, Cancer and Libra placements!) If your symptoms are mild and/or the anger is manageable, you’d do well to use this retrograde to find some constructive outlets for it. Perhaps you struggle with vocalising your displeasure for fear that you might cry (Hi water Mars people) or come across as nagging and irritable (Hey Virgo) but writing is your safe space. You could then make emails your go-to form of communication with friends and family or leave little (friendly) notes with house rules for your flat mate. If, on the other hand, you find yourself seething with anger, just waiting for a trigger or your cooker just exploded, it could say something about the intensity of the inner situation. In this case, AVOID EVERYONE AND EVERYTHING THAT THAT PRESSURE COOKER COULD BE A SYMBOL OF. Use the retrograde period to calm down, breathe, reflect, get yourself together, work on finding the right outlet for you to express your anger and by the time Mars is direct (Nov 13th), you’d hopefully be more consciously related to your Mars instead of projecting it on “all those pushy/aggressive/self-centred people.” [Note: You may also be dealing with people coming out of their way to provoke you when you’re just sitting tight and minding your business. Do not engage. Make sure your boundaries are firm and clear. If Mars is about to square Saturn and both are in their own signs, I’d rather embody Saturn.]
Finding yourself with too much to do, too little time and no one to help: This may look a lot like Scenario 1 but the difference lies in where you find yourself in the Mars spectrum. Do you tend to do it all yourself, have trouble acknowledging limits or taking no for an answer? Then this is your memo to slow down and relinquish control (scroll up). If, on the other hand, you tend to get stressed and overwhelmed when you have a lot to do or you’re known to throw your hands up and cry when faced with chaos or challenging situations, or rely heavily on others to see you through (Hello Cancer and Libra Mars), then this is your invitation to step up and own your Mars.
While the outer chaos may look very much like the first example, the point that Mars is trying to make here is that YOU HAVE A MARS. ERGO, YOU CAN DO THIS. This will push you to your limits and often physically, test your courage, have you confront your anxiety and set you up to handle the most impossible to-do list with little or no help. This is the classic sit-in-the-middle-of-the-room-and-cry scenario but if you struggle with dependency issues, this is Mars teaching you self-reliance. RECOGNISE THE INVITATION AND RESIST THE URGE TO GET MAD AT EVERYONE WHO CAN’T BE OF ASSISTANCE. Your reward is the sense of potency that comes only from a solid relationship with one’s Mars.
Frustration of desire: In the most fundamental sense, Mars as a drive is the “I want” of your psychological makeup. It’s your desires and how you go about pursuing and fulfilling them. This often gets whittled down to sexual desire and while that’s a huge part of what Mars represents, it’s by no means the only thing Mars is after. Mars Rx may bring up everything you long for and can’t have. This isn’t (just) to torture you but to make you conscious of where your energy is being squandered. EXAMINE WHAT YOU WANT AND WHY YOU WANT IT. See if there’s an alternate route or if you’re banging on a closed door and THIS IS MARS REDIRECTING YOU. Accept the closed door and find other healthy, constructive outlets for Mars and notice just how alive you feel. [Note: The more energy you invest in things and people that leave you unfulfilled, the less vital and potent your Mars feels, and that’s a recipe for depression.]
Illness, Exhaustion, Hospitalisation: This is a variation of the first example and it’s quite likely that you’ve been overdoing something anytime since Mars entered Aries end of June. You’d know immediately but even if it isn’t immediately obvious, this is a MARS BURNOUT and always a memo to slow down, retrograde or not. This is usually the case when you’re so consumed by something (artistic work, a hobby or anything that has your Mars all excited about a challenge and therefore on overdrive) that you become disconnected from your body and can’t seem to hear its repeated pleas for rest. The illness comes as a reality check and you’d be wise to honour it. Actually, you may not have much of a choice.
Right, I’m off now but Mars Rx is with you till Nov 13th so use it wisely and don’t let it completely unhinge you! If you’d like to read more about Mars in Aries (June 2020 to Jan 2021), go grab my book 2020: The Second Half on Amazon.