Mars Retrograde is happening — and that’s not exactly good news
Just when you were getting used to Neptune’s life-changing retrograde, Mars steps up with its own retrograde on June 26th and will remain there until August 27th. Like the mighty red planet itself, this retrograde cannot — and will not — be ignored. Everything from how you handle conflict to your energy levels to your sex drive will be affected. Yep, things are about to get super real and frustrating — fast. This is primetime to get honest about our desires and rethink why we want what we want and how we go about getting it.
First thing’s first: if there was ever an alpha male or alpha female planet, Mars would be it.
Not surprisingly, Mars represents the God of War and rules Aries. Like the ram, Mars is passionate, assertive, and impulsive — mostly because it believes what it’s doing is always right. It also rules our animal instincts, encompassing everything from how we desire to how we express our anger to how we survive. When it’s going direct, Mars is assertive, straight-forward, and goes after what it wants.
However, when it’s in retrograde, our energy and actions are halted. We begin to second-guess our instincts. Action is replaced with inaction, and our assertiveness is diminished, leaving us to question if we really know what we’re doing after all.
As a result, we’ll be anxious about taking on new projects, relationships, and anything else that’s new because we won’t feel totally in control of our instincts and actions. Then — get ready for it — there’s the issue of sexual frustration we might have to deal with. Yikes.
Mars energy, on a good day, is healthy sexual energy. But when we’re dealing with Mars Retrograde, we’ve got a whole lot of sexual tension going on that we don’t know what to do with. Our sex drives might wane or we might not pursue that summer love in fear that it might blow up in our face. Or we just might not be feelin’ lusty and will simply go through the motions of knocking boots without any real passion.
So what are we to do?
First, don’t panic. Though we’ll have difficulty trusting our guts during Mars Retrograde, this is an excellent time to rest and recharge. You won’t feel like diving headfirst into anything right now, and that’s totally okay. Instead, slow your roll and pace yourself. Reassess where you are and use this time to come up with a new strategy — maybe you’ve been handling or seeing a situation in the wrong light.
Not surprisingly, you might even begin to rethink how you handle Mars-centered topics, such as conflict, initiation, and passion. Perhaps a softer touch will work more effectively than an aggressive one.
And if you get a call from an ex or former friend? Well, don’t say I didn’t warn you. Mars in retrograde often causes old relationships to open back up because a) we have more to learn or b) we are afraid to move on, or both.
Above all, approach any endeavor, especially new ones, with a “wait and see” approach and don’t put all your eggs in one basket — whether it’s a job, project, or relationship. Stay open and receptive to whatever comes your way, but know that you don’t have to — and shouldn’t — make any hard decisions right now. Wait until Mars goes direct after August 27th to make any bold moves.
With both Neptune and Mars in retrograde, we are in for some changing times, bbs. Remember: the more we resist, the less chance we give ourselves to learn and grow from the experience. See your frustration as a blessing in disguise and take a breath.