Mars Retrograde in Gemini 2022: Be Ready For Anything

On October 30th, Mars stations retrograde in Gemini until January 12th. Mars Retrograde occurs roughly every two years and lasts 80 days. It is the second rarest retrograde, with Venus being the first. This planetary transit brings us some intense energy as we finish 2022. It adds fuel to our internal fire and gives us an opportunity to revisit old anger, suppressed aggression, and feelings of frustration. This transit can stir up restlessness and impatience if we are not aware of it, but when used correctly, this energy can motivate us to reach new heights. Of all the planets that spin backwards in our sky, Mars is the one to be the most aware of because it can cause the greatest disturbances in our peace. When channeled properly, though, it can change our lives.

Mars is known as the planet of war, but really it is the planet of willpower and action. This energy brings us passion and fury, fueling our love for life. Mars puts the sparkle in our eye and the grin on our face when we’re excited about something. This energy represents the feeling we get when starting a new adventure where the potential for anything to happen is limitless. Mars’ energy is exhilarating- excitement mixed with fear, and always reminds us of the spontaneity of life.

We each have Mars somewhere in our birth chart, located in a certain house and zodiac sign. This area of life is where we find our mission. Should we accept it, Mars will lead us to our soul’s destiny - the journey we are here to complete. Mars gives us the power to do what we need to do, when we need to do it. This planet asks us to be free until we are one hundred percent ready to commit. It encourages us to put all we have into our next project. And it reminds us that we only have one life and our time is fleeting. Mars wants us to love our life and feel motivated each day to reach a new level of existence.

So why is Mars known for war and aggression? Because if we choose to ignore our destiny and our mission, we are left with frustration. Not living the life our soul needs causes pent up feelings of anger, disappointment, and resentment. When we ignore Mars’ directions, this energy rebels against. This rebellion can cause outbursts, inner explosions, and even self-sabotage. We become reactive, jealous of others, and are quick to fly off the proverbial handle when we ignore our soul’s mission. This becomes especially true when our intuition can be giving us not-so-subtle hints about our next steps and we choose to ignore them. 

When Mars stations retrograde, it illuminates how we are working with our internal Mars energy. Are we utilizing it to listen and act on our soul’s wishes? Or are we ignoring it? If we are out of alignment with our life’s mission, this retrograde will increase our reactivity and our frustration. It will feel like we are having an inner tantrum with ourselves. Our patience will dissolve and we may even find ourselves more aggressive with others.  It will exaggerate all the negative vibrations governed by Mars like anger and war. We will go to war with ourselves. When this energy takes over, we either become absorbed by it, or we break down. 

There is another alternative to either feeling crazy for two months or breaking down- to feel our passion and align our life with it. If we truly listen to our instinct on how to design our world, Mars Retrograde will be a powerful time to gain even more clarity. The key is to not get frustrated or react when life feels challenging. Instead use adversity to bring a new perspective on what motivates you. Channel your anger into moving you forward. Motivate yourself with positive affirmations and bathroom mirror pep talks. Mars’ energy is potent, it can be harnessed to give you courage where needed, direction when you feel lost, and stamina to complete what you’ve started. Feel these things internally during this retrograde period and allow the energy to accelerate your path, instead of leading you in circles looking for it. Mars reminds us that our intuition is the only guiding light we need. Heed that little voice within and trust yourself this retrograde period. You’ll find the way. Read about more of Scorpio Season's magical events here.

 Helpful tips during Mars Retrograde in Gemini:

1. Step away from heated battles and give yourself time to cool off before continuing conversations. 
2. End the war with yourself. Stop beating yourself up for past choices and instead know each lesson brings you important information for your next step. 
3. Channel frustration into productivity and motivation. If you’re feeling restless- do something. 
4. Set limits on complaining. In Gemini, Mars can cause us to complain more than usual. Notice if you’re doing this and change your perspective to find something positive. 
5. Practice cooling yoga, like Yin or Hatha and cooling breathwork, like Sitali pranayama.
6. Pause, and think before acting.
7. Exercise, but not overly excessive. Move your energy especially if you feel frustrated.
8. Flow, don’t force. Trust the timing of your life.
9. Be ready for anything.

And a few tools to help you through...

Desert Jasper Palm Stone: Hold it in meditation when you're planning to start something new