The planet Mars, reflecting our drives and our ways of moving forward, now begins its retrograde cycle through the sign Aries (9/9-11/13). Chances are, this Mars retrograde will slow down and interiorize the primary modes of transportation (literal and metaphorical) we have relied upon to move forward, but will in equal measure invite us to speed up alternative modes of moving forward that counterbalance any muscles that we’ve been overextending.
Some questions to reflect upon during Mars Retrograde:
-In moving forward, to what degree to I feel focused? To what degree do I feel tunnel-visioned? To what extent to I give myself permission to get lost?
-Is my style of moving forward more like walking, running, crawling? Driving, bicycling, skating, flying? Am I allowing myself to slow down, speed up, or take a different mode of transportation (literally and figuratively) when needed?
-Am I allowing myself to be *still* so that what moves forward is the process of arriving at clarity itself?
-What’s my relationship to anger? How can I form a safe container for its release?
-What’s the relationship between anger and rhythm, and my natural cycles of body and mind? In allowing an outlet for my anger’s expression, how can I also entertain the invitation toward engaging a new rhythm in a relevant area of my life so that I’m not straining my inner resources in a way that allows anger to be bottled up?
-What is my relationship to sex and libido; life force; the desire and enthusiasm to go forward? How can I open channels through which this life force can flow by easing off of muscles that I’ve strained? How can I continue to open channels through which vitality can flow by intensifying & encouraging that which is already gaining momentum in my life?
In a Mars retrograde, some may fear that since the planet involves moving forward, then our forward-thinking intentions will be reversed. This isn’t necessarily the case, and even if it is that’s not always a bad thing–resetting doesn’t mean regressing! Look to the sign and house position of your natal Mars, and ask yourself, “what aspects of my Mars have I been overextending, and how can I ease off and embrace the new approaches that my current circumstances are naturally attracting or what my body tells me is right?” Also look to where the current Mars retrograde transits in your natal chart by house position, and ask yourself whether this is a way of moving forward that has been overstrained, or whether what’s represented by the house Mars is transiting is an invitation to proactively lean into those areas of life. And if you’re not sure what I mean by this, consider booking me for a consultation & we’ll create a Mars Map for moving forward for you.
It’s not always about changing course altogether, or about putting the brakes on; sometimes it’s about changing the rhythm and adjusting the vehicle through which the forward motion happens.
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