At last, Mars is stationing direct at 8 degrees of Gemini today at 12:56 pm PST, January 12, 2023. Mars started its retrograde back on October 30, 2022. Mars entered the zone in Gemini that it would retrace to this same degree back on September 3, 2022. Take a moment today or tomorrow, what has transpired for you personally in these last four months? You can add to this reflection again on March 15th as Mars will finally leave the zone of its retrograde.
As a reminder:
Mars retrograde in Gemini dates:
September 3, 2022 – Mars enters the retrograde zone
October 30, 2022 – Mars stations retrograde at 25 degrees Gemini
January 12, 2023 – Mars stations direct at 8 degrees Gemini
March 15, 2023 – Mars leaves the retrograde zone
It has been an interesting observation of experiences in my daily life at this Mars station. Yesterday, I sat for several minutes waiting for a huge long train to pass so I could pick up Syndey (my daughter) from school. I rarely get stopped by a train in that location. And I recall another time during this retrograde with my husband that we sat waiting for a long train on our way to our dinner planned the night of New Year’s Eve, so two real moments of waiting for trains in places that I rarely experience in any other times. On New Year’s Eve, I think with Mercury also retrograde in Capricorn this was stimulated by that transit in addition to Mars retrograde. Mercury next week stations direct on January 18th. I consider the long pause of waiting for a train rather like a metaphor for Mars retrograde in Gemini. Pausing is not a big deal unless you have some urgency to get somewhere. Aligning with the flow is better than being forced to try and make movement happen when the energy flow is other than the usual flow. Pausing on purpose, (or being in a situation where it is visible by the situation that you must pause) is one of the best ways to take a moment and reflect on what surfaces to be visible to be the messenger of the moment.
I have had so many real-world “time to pause experiences” over the past few weeks, I am still capturing them in my journal writing. It makes me laugh a little at how visible they are. Personally, I’ve been witness to numerous examples of Mars as stagnant, not flowing, or going anywhere feelings in reflection and ‘life in review or reverse temporarily’ in client consultations, as well as my own vivid ones with my family and my own. For example, yesterday I finally got my root canal tooth prepared for a crown, but it was delayed for a very long time. And then I go back on January 26th for the actual crown, I have the temporary one now. I think that fits well with my own Mercury in Capricorn (teeth) and the repair of one of them. Good thing the final crown comes after Mercury is direct and back up to speed.
Another example has vividly played out with my daughter who has several planets in her natal chart in Scorpio (Mars rules), and she has been having a lot of dreams that have been guiding her about herself, which has been an interesting experience to witness and support her. Today she actually said over breakfast that she felt she was standing still in the water, “like treading water” in relating herself in comparison to her friends and how much she sees them growing or maturing. She was commenting that it seems they are growing or maturing faster than her and that she felt down about it. As her mother, I simply helped her understand that her friends may be thinking the very same thing observing her and her accomplishments, but it was okay to have moments where we feel stagnant and that those moments are excellent for the observation of how we feel and taking note, see what surfaces in exploring them.
We spent over two hours last night discussing what she was feeling and more this morning. I helped her reflect, and that it was perfectly fine to be observing and considering all the feelings and to trust that energy would pick up again and she would feel better. My daughter is a reflective and highly penetrating observer, so when the flow slows (as in Mars stationing) it feels for her like it pools around her and is denser to work with. She has been sick twice in the past 6 weeks as well, one with a brief stint with flu and another with strep throat, and both from working with the public where she is a lifeguard! This is an example to help show how we help others, me being the active listener for her, but also how her very experience of Mars and her health (with so many planets for her in one of Mars’ signs, Scorpio).
Mars is stationing 2 degrees opposite her natal moon in Sagittarius. And the way her natal Mars is in her chart I help her by reflecting back on all the things (she needed the feedback loop and the conversation to help move the flow again) she could not sense see immediately with energies ‘stagnant” but are true and authentic as an observer of her growth and experience. I added in questions for her friends, for her to speak about each strength they have and what they each bring to her team, and she easily could see their strengths and name them. It may be that your experience with someone in your life needs your perspective via a conversation (Gemini) to help move something forward when or if things became stagnate for them, or one of your friends or family members do this for you. Did you experience this, if so how and do you reflect this in a journal or a sketchbook?
I am Aries rising, so I definitely have been awaiting Mars to go direct as well. Mars in my chart is in Pisces (12th house) and it is in a trine aspect (approximately 120 degrees) with my natal Jupiter in Scorpio (7th house of others), so understandable that I would be actively involved in deep dives with others and reflective with them. In Mars retrograde it is such a unique perspective, I do enjoy the greater reflective time, but I also have to purposefully slow down my DOING. I have been deeply reflective the past few months, especially in the last few weeks with Mercury also retrograde in Capricorn. The wisdom of knowing the energy flow of the planetary transits keeps us focused on what is important. I find it easier to say no or that I do not feel the urgency to complete something until things are more forward, or at least beginning to move forward. Also weeks prior to a retrograde or perhaps two weeks prior to a long enduring retrograde that is about to go direct, I pre-set some expectations that help slow down others bringing me something urgent as well. That action actually helps me redirect and open for what will flow and does require greater attention. I know that things can change on a dime if I push something and then it may not come together, so I move much more slowly, mindfully slow, and in high introspect mode during this time. I think I have learned this even greater in the past decade as an astrologer and working with that knowledge in my day job as a recruiter making hires for my company. It really helps knowing when I will have the energy flow to support my “making it happen”. Perhaps you realize this too and do not press hard on anything in a project until after things are direct.
I love reading books and articles when the flow is more reflective and I take notes. Sharing some personal insights I hope that it prompts you to reflect on your Mars and the sign, the house placement, and the aspects it has within your chart. Ask yourself these questions about your own natal Mars. What sign is my natal Mars? How did this Mars in Gemini retrograde aspect my natal Mars? Other natal planets or angles? What have been my experiences these past 5-6 months? What was the most challenging thing I experienced at this time? How was my passion or personal will during this time? What emotions did I have to navigate during this time? What or who was in that reflection and why do you think that is? Where are the signs of Aries and Scorpio in your chart? The signs of Gemini-Sagittarius? What houses? What are these houses symbolically in life? These are the threads of deeper understanding of yourself and where new light has entered places that were ready for deeper insights and reflection, and where you can offer some care and love to yourself because it was overdue.
Mars will be retracing the degrees of Gemini over the next several weeks and will finally be out of that zone on March 15th. We can integrate more insights from our deep reflections now, which enables our growth, and our evolutionary intentions. Do you know how to integrate your new insights? It is like capturing what you learn (taking notes from a book and using it in your life in some way) we learn something new the most by DOING and then when we have to practice the DOING of it, then we move into a place where it goes from conscious to learned habit (or unconscious) but where it is muscle memory. Like driving a car, playing an instrument, or doing something with technology first that emerges a pattern of habit.
I am learning so much about Mars in this retrograde and how I am working with masculine energy (in my conscious actions to my patterns of habit) in the flow and how I direct my passions, what and how I use my free will, or when I am out of balance and highly reactive. But also the gift of a deeper awareness of my instinctual nature and how in my early life that was distorted a bit by trauma and how in healing that energy over decades of working on it or becoming aware (of the unconscious mind) I continue to learn and grow in trusting myself in the wild spaces of life. One place this view of my unconscious mind and how my feeling nature is more far-reaching than I understood in my twenties, thirties, and even my early forties, and is definitely becoming more visible for me is dreams, my growth with dream interpretation and reading-interpreting symbols (astrology) and the bridge of my intuition too (water element). (My Mars in Pisces, 12th house). My daughter has been dreaming extensively (so much water in her chart!) and she brings her dreams to me every week, usually 4 or 5 dreams. I have her write them down some are half a page in her notebook, and some are one full or two full pages. Then as we discuss back and forth the symbols and images, it is easier for her to see what her unconscious mind is revealing to her and at the same time, she is slowly understanding she gets a lot of information and perspectives in her quality sleep that she can work within her consciousness. My Mars in Pisces being very active in reflection with my daughter and being a guide is how this has been unfolding. So, it is been an exercise in growth for us both, her in realizing how much her consciousness is capturing and related to her through symbolism, images and dreams and how that stirs her feelings. Then when we discuss, realizing how the flow of feedback helps interpret, I get to actualize my Mars energy too and build the muscle of my instinctual nature and build the faith of self in that context. How much has Mars revealed for you in your life recently about themes of masculine energy, (external expression, what you act on) learning, movement, or habits?
I look forward to hearing if you feel open to sharing in a reply either to this newsletter or on social media. I enjoy learning about how your life is reflected in your astrology and how it helps you better understand who you are and your own becoming. Next week more moves forward with Mercury’s direct station on January 18th. Namaste. Bless this Moment.
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