Mars Retrograde 2020: How will it affect you?
Mars Retrograde 2020: How to Direct the Fire
Mars stations Retrograde September 9th until November 13th. Yes, that covers election day in the US. Yes, it coincides with Mercury Retrograde beginning October 13th until November 3rd. Yes, it's going to be intense. Ok, now that we've gotten all of that out of the way, let's see how we harness this energy for change, action, and growth…
Mars Retrograde occurs roughly every two years and lasts 80 days. It is the second rarest retrograde, with Venus being the first. Mars is currently positioned in Aries, the astrological sign it rules, and stations retrograde at 28° Aries until November 13th when it stations direct at 15° Aries. The most important thing to remember during this transit is: pause before you act.
Mars is the fiery planet of the archetypal warrior. It carries masculine energy, helping us take action when needed. Mars, like Aries, helps us achieve our goals and assert ourselves in the world. We look to Mars when we need strength, fortitude, and willpower. Mars gives us that exhilarating feeling when starting something new, the perfect blend of excitement mixed with fear.
Mars Retrograde turns the energy of Mars inwards. This transit is rarely an easy one, but with some awareness, we can find opportunities for growth. Mars retrograde gives us a lot of internal energy and fire. We can use it for change or destruction- or both. It is easy, during this Retrograde, to feel restless, impulsive, or angered by our current circumstances. There is plenty of energy to complain, argue, or simply be in a bad mood. If, though, we sit with feelings of anger to learn from them, we may find the clue to turning this energy around. When we are not aligned with our soul, when we live a life below our potential, or when we ignore our intuition, we end up feeling frustrated. Our energy stagnates and turns on us. We go to war with ourselves, and that dynamic plays out in everything and affects the vibration of the world around us.
The interesting piece about anger is it's the same energy as motivation. These two emotions are interlinked even in our brain circuitry. When we are angry, it motivates us to act. The key to using any anger stirred up by Mars Retrograde is to know how to turn it into motivation quickly. Avoid staying in the vibration of anger, and instead, dissolve the frustration by focusing your energy on what to do with it. Take action, and do it from a place of intuition. Harness the fiery power of Mars Retrograde to change your life and perhaps the world. Instead of feeling frustrated with yourself, act- but feel your intuition first.
So how does this energy affect you??? You can look deeper into the effects of Mars Retrograde by looking at your natal chart. You can pull your natal chart at astro-charts.com. Your chart is a representation of the sky when you were born. When looking at your chart, you will see twelve pieces of the overall "pie", that is you. Each piece is a house. Houses represent areas of your life and are governed by astrological signs.
Mars will station retrograde at 28° Aries and then direct at 15° Aries. Astrological signs are comprised of 30 degrees. On your chart, locate where 15-28° Aries falls and which house, or houses, touches. This area is the part of your chart Mars Retrograde is transiting. It is the area (house) where you will feel the effect of Mars Retrograde the most intensely. For some of us, this area will span two houses. For instance, in the chart below, 15-28° Aries touches the sixth and seventh house, with about 5° in the 6th and the rest in the 7th. The sixth house pertains to how we serve the world, and the seventh house governs our relationships. For the chart below, the effects of Mars Retrograde will be felt in the areas of service and partnerships.
Below is a guide on what to expect this Mars Retrograde based on the house it is transiting for you. It's beneficial during this retrograde to first become aware of any frustration, then turn it into motivation to act, transforming this energy into an opportunity for growth rather than a time of upheaval.
1st House: The first house rules the self. It governs our identity, how we project ourselves to the world, and how we assert ourselves. It is the house that's all about us. It also informs our soul's journey and points the direction home when we feel lost. If Aries governs your first house, then expect Mars Retrograde to bring up issues around your journey, life plan, and how you put yourself first. It will show you where you have placed what is important to you second to others. It will also reveal issues around your identity and how you allow others to define you. You may find yourself demanding to be seen differently, or frustrated with the labels the world has placed upon you.
Action: Use this opportunity to define yourself. Tell others how you want to be seen- better yet show them. Help people understand who you are and what you stand for through your actions. Rebrand yourself and, in doing so, bring your soul's purpose to the forefront of your identity.
2nd House: The second house rules possessions, finances, abundance, and self-worth. It governs our relationship with money and how we define resources in our life. It helps show us places in our lives where we feel worthy and where we don't feel good enough. It also illuminates how our self-worth calls in our abundance. It illuminates our attachments to possessions and our ability to detach from them. If Aries governs your second house, then expect Mars Retrograde to bring up issues around security and finances for you. It will show you where you don't feel you have enough and where you don't feel like you are enough. You may find yourself frustrated with your perceived lack of what you deserve or the inability to create the abundance you know you are capable of achieving.
Action: See this transit as an opportunity to breakdown any blocks within you, which prevent abundance. Use the fire of Mars to burn down self-doubts and feelings of unworthiness. Instead, feel your power to create abundance in all forms and have patience with yourself in the process.
3rd House: The third house rules our local environment. This includes your neighborhood, local community, your favorite coffee shop, and your siblings. It is associated with places and people we feel close to and safe around. This comfort allows us to communicate or ideas freely and develop different ways of energy exchange. If Aries governs your third house, expect Mars Retrograde to bring up issues around your immediate environment. It may illuminate the dynamics you have with siblings, allowing new bonds to be formed. It may also encourage you to step out of your routine if you feel frustrated with your limited options and seek new horizons, or it may compel you to form a close-knit community you can be yourself around.
Action: Think about your community and ask yourself if it is helping you grow or limiting you? If you are feeling alone or without support, create a network of people who can talk with you, share ideas, and help you expand perspectives. If you feel frustrated by daily routines, try taking a new path for a morning walk or driving across town to explore a new coffee shop. A change of scenery can works wonders for the spirit.
4th House: The fourth house represents our roots. It is our lineage and our ancestry. It also helps shape our childhood and the subjective view we formed during our early evolution. It is the lowest point of our chart and holds the keys to our subconscious and most private landscape. It is here we find the pieces of ourselves that few may understand or we're willing to share. If Aries governs your fourth house, Mars Retrograde will bring up issues around your connection with your lineage. It may show how anger, resentment, or frustration has been passed down to you or learned somehow. It may also reveal your relationship to your inner subjective world and if you are taking care of this part of yourself.
Action: The opportunity of this transit for you is to heal old wounds. Recognize what has been passed down to you and what you no longer want to carry. Do, though, find ways to give space to your innermost world. Dedicate time to self-care this transit. Allow it to show you deeper parts of yourself and meet with them with compassion, understanding, and strength.
5th House: The fifth house rules play, creativity, and fun in the world. It also represents children, including our inner child and the children in our life. The fifth house teaches us how to enjoy life. When activated, it encourages us to take time away from the daily grind to remind us what we love about life. If Aries governs your fifth house, Mars Retrograde will encourage you to add more fun into your life. It will illuminate situations and circumstances that feel like a grind and are devoid of joy. You may find yourself feeling annoyed or impatient in these situations. While everything can be all fun and games, it's important to make sure everything feels good to your soul.
Action: Take the opportunity of this transit to infuse your creativity into everything you do. Find new ways to enjoy your life and all that it holds- including your responsibilities. Align with your inner child to add a splash of lightheartedness when the world feels too heavy.
6th House: The sixth house rules service and how we give ourselves to the world. It reminds us that we each have a gift to give others, and in doing so, we feel fulfilled. This house also represents our health how we digest the world around us. It connects our need to be of service to ourselves first to feel in good enough health to give to others. If Aries governs your sixth house, Mars Retrograde will bring up issues around how you serve others. Do you feel taken advantage of for your gifts? It will also show places where you may be frustrated with your inability to feel good enough for yourself and others. Additionally, this retrograde can reveal issues around your health and how it may be affected by internal conflicts you have with yourself.
Action: Take the opportunity of this retrograde to first take care of yourself. Emphasize restoring your internal fire to feel energized and ready to meet the world. Burn away anything that disempowers you and feel your worthiness. Then motivate yourself to give your gift to the world in a creative way.
7th House: The seventh house rules our partnerships and relationships. It is here we find our most intimate connections. This house also rules our business partners and our known enemies. Think of this house as holding long-term relationships that continually need attention and reevaluation. Aries rules this house for you, expect Mars Retrograde to be felt in your partnerships. It may bring up issues with your partners, which can eventually lead to a higher resolution. Be aware if you are blaming your partners for things which are not their fault, or reacting in conversations with them before thinking. Transiting Mars Rx in the seventh house can cause some heated battles. Just remember to breathe deep, return to empathy, and have compassion for yourself and others during this time.
Action: Direct to fire of Mars into balancing all of your partnerships. Do the work needed to have tough conversations while keeping yourself calm and balanced. Know that the more effort you put into a relationship, the better it will be.
8th House: The eighth house represents personal growth. It governs the cycles of our life and helps us integrate endings, beginnings, and rebirths. Here we find our relationship with transformation and how easily we accept the process of our lifetime. If Aries governs your eighth house, expect Mars Retrograde to bring up issues around transformation and your growth. It may illuminate places where you feel stagnant or unable to evolve. If you find yourself becoming frustrated with your growth process, find somewhere in your life you can surrender. Often when we attempt to control our growth, it backfires on us. Throughout this retrograde, keep returning to trust and follow the natural rhythm of what is unfolding in front of you.
Action: Trust more; do less. If you feel you need to direct your energy somewhere, be creative. Find your flow as you release force and ride the waves of this fiery transit. Know that you can't always make things happen on the timeline you desire. Be patient with yourself as you evolve to the next level.
9th House: The ninth house represents knowledge and travel. It is here we find our desire to expand our horizons and learn new truths. The ninth house governs long journeys and teaches us to ask the more challenging questions of our own existence. If Aries governs this house for you, expect Mars Retrograde to bring up the desire to travel and frustration when that isn't possible. You may find yourself wanting to take a spontaneous trip only to run into roadblocks preventing you from stepping onto the plane. Know that there are many ways to gain new knowledge and experience in the world. If you are feeling trapped during this transit, think outside the box to expand your mind.
Action: Plan a trip, even if you don't take it. Work out the logistics and direct the energy of Aries into helping you refine the details. Also, bring new experiences into your life through new foods, people, and books. Feel motivated to expand your energy in any way possible.
10th House: The tenth house represents our career and reputation. It governs what we put out into the world and how others know us. It often guides our actual job but can also represent our life's work, including hobbies and other activities. The tenth house governs how we show the world what is in our fourth house. It's how we make the subjective objective. If Aries rules this house for you, expect Mars Retrograde to bring up issues around your work. You may feel frustrated with the direction of your career or may desire a change. You may also find yourself feeling misaligned with your soul's true calling and unable to find your center again. Awareness is the first step to bringing yourself back to alignment. If you find yourself feeling frustrated, resentful, or impatient with your work life, take the opportunity to refocus your priorities.
Action: Use the motivation and energy from this transit to burn away what no longer aligns with you. Start sometime new or readjust the old. Feel into what you want to focus on and commit to for your life's work and make it a priority every day. Even if you do something small to make simple steps towards your dreams, take them every day.
11th House: The eleventh house represents our community and our acquaintances. It is here we find our network of support. These may not be intimate friends, but people who share common interests. It is also where we find our responsibilities to humanity. If Aries governs this house for you, expect Mars Retrograde to bring up issues around the current state of affairs. While we all are experiencing overwhelming feelings regarding humanity and key issues of 2020, you will feel them more intensely this transit. If you find yourself feeling angry for no apparent reason or snapping at friends and family, consider you may just be impatient at the progress of society. Once your energy is placed in the right direction, you will be able to enact change more effectively.
Action: Motivate yourself to create change. Go out into the world and see where you can be of use. Maybe it's a local protest, or perhaps you can lead a speech to help others motivate themselves. This is your time to shine. Feel into the dawning of the Age of Aquarius and learn your role in taking society to the next level.
12th House: The twelfth house represents our spirituality. It is here we find our spiritual growth. It is closely connected to the 8th house, which governs our personal growth. The twelfth house though, takes us out of our ego realm and into our higher consciousness. It represents our highest self and greatest metaphysical aspirations. If Aries rules this house for you, expect Mars Retrograde to motivate you to change. It may make you aware of your desire for more spirituality in your life and show where you could step into higher consciousness. It may also bring up impatience around your spiritual growth. Know that everything unfolds in its own divine timing, including you.
Action: Take this opportunity to align with your higher self. Do yoga, meditate, seek new spiritual experiences. Turn the fire from Mars into fuel to propel you on your spiritual path. Dive deep into teachings from spiritual leaders and open yourself up to learning the lessons of the Universe.
Find energetic support for this Retrograde from crystals. The crystal for Mars Retrograde is Red Jasper. Find it in our Retrograde Kit.
