Mars stations retrograde at 28° Aries on September 9, at 6:22 PM EST: the red planet has been in the sign he rules since June 27, and he is going to be there until January 6, 2021.
Mars normally stays in a sign for about six weeks, he travels through the whole Zodiac in two years, and he goes retrograde for two months only once every two years. The last time he was retrograde in his home sign Aries was in 1988: this transit is quite rare, and it will happen again only in 2067.
The God of War will be in apparent backward motion until November 13, when he will station direct at 15° Aries. This cosmic event is going to invite us to reflect upon what we really want. Mars retrograde will encourage us to experiment and learn from a process of trial and error, reevaluate our decisions, and the way we habitually take action.
Mars in Aries: a Catalyst of Evolution
Aries is the first sign of the Zodiac: it correlates to the process of birth, and its function is to initiate a brand new process, a new cycle of growth. Mars, the planetary ruler of Aries, represents the way we go after what we want: he correlates to our conscious desires, our subjective will, our determination, and sense of direction.
Mars in Aries is a catalyst of evolution: he is pure Cardinal Fire. He embodies the principle of direct action, of Yang energy, he is sharp, decisive, and forward-moving. Mars in Aries encourages us to take the leap, to learn from direct experience, from our mistakes, from an ongoing process of trial and error.
Mars retrograde in his home sign represents a turning point for the collective and for each of us as individuals. He invites us to explore our desires, reassess what we want, experiment with our individuality, cultivate a deeper sense of determination and willpower. Doing so, we discover what needs to be done and improved in our approach to life: we can make conscious choices and decide what we truly want to focus on.
Mars Retrograde: Understanding our Desires
What do you really want? What sets your soul on fire? What motivates and inspires you? What are you fighting for? Why do you want it? What are you willing to sacrifice for it? Are you strong enough to have it and manage it? Mars retrograde in Aries will keep asking us these questions.
The higher purpose of this transit is to gain a deeper understanding of our desires and the real motives behind them. Mars retrograde represents an invitation to explore our instinctual needs and wants, in order to achieve a more profound awareness of what we are fighting for and why. He encourages us to go after what we are passionate about, and let go of those desires that don’t reflect our true self, those desires that are not anymore in alignment with who we are.
This planetary event is an opportunity to create a brand new sense of Self, to embody a deeper feeling of independence and autonomy, to establish different goals and ways to achieve them. Mars retrograde invites us to discover a new life direction rooted in a deeper awareness of our mission, in profound self-knowledge, and complete acceptance of who we are.
Internal Ignition and Conscious Sexuality
Mars is our passion, our drive: the red planet correlates with our physical energy and life force, and with the way we experience and express our sexuality. During his retrograde cycle through Aries, we have the opportunity to rediscover our soul intentions, to connect with our drive to accomplish and achieve, to establish a deeper relationship with our physical bodies, our sexual impulses, needs, and desires.
Mars retrograde in Aries represents internal ignition. Martian energy is typically directed outwards, not inwards: this is what makes this particular retrograde more challenging than others. Yet, if we manage to harness his power consciously, we can establish a deeper connection to our instincts and our sexuality.
The invitation of this transit is to honor our primal impulses without being enslaved by them, to work on integrating our higher and lower nature, without suppressing or censoring parts of ourselves. If we use this energy wisely, we have the opportunity to become more self-aware and to discover conscious ways to live, enjoy, and express our sexuality fully.
Mars square Jupiter, Pluto, and Saturn
During his retrograde transit, Mars will square Jupiter, Pluto, and Saturn in Capricorn for the second time. Throughout 2020, we witness a cycle of three exact squares between Mars in Aries and each of these planets in Capricorn.
Nonetheless, we are going to feel the influence of these aspects, especially of the square between Mars and Saturn, for the whole month of September. The first exact alignment between the two was on August 24, and the second one takes place on September 29, when Saturn stations direct. The second squares to Pluto and Jupiter will happen on October 9 and October 29: Mars will still be retrograde while Pluto and Jupiter will be direct.
During this time, we need to keep our instinctual responses in check, be mindful of not overreacting, and give ourselves time to ponder and reflect before acting on impulse. If we harness this potent energy consciously, we can have the chance to let go of disempowering attitudes and beliefs, become stronger and more resilient.
Mars Retrograde in Aries: a Deeper Sense of Freedom
These transits give us the opportunity to recognize what no longer works and what we no longer need. Mars retrograde allows us to experience a deeper sense of freedom if we manage to keep up with the frustration and the tension that can come up during this cycle.
Ultimately, the powerful cosmic events taking place throughout the rest of 2020 remind us that the most life-changing experiences and transformations tend to happen when we feel deeply uncomfortable.
The retrograde journey of Mars and his alignments with the planets in Capricorn are an invitation to explore our tension, our stress, and discomfort. If we are willing to do so, we can reach more profound levels of self-mastery, putting into practice the inner work we have been doing so far.
Comment below with what resonated with you the most and tap on the heart below if you enjoyed this article 🙂
