Mars in Aries
Mars moved into Aries in late June. Normally Mars spends about 2 months in a sign. But because it will be retrograding, it will be here for a whopping 6 months.
Mars in Aries is fire. It’s the ignition, the spark. Without direction, without intention, fire is dangerous. But if used wisely, fire is energy that can create and fuel our heart’s desires.
It’s that impulse that drives us to action. It might inspire us to train for a marathon, or seek adventure. It might protect and defend or rally around a cause. It might be that fire that finally pushes us toward something we’ve been only dreaming of for a long time.
It offers us raw energy that we may direct--and if we don’t, it will be wasted or wreak havoc. Intention is everything. If we don’t have an outlet for it, that’s when we are liable to waste our energy arguing with people who will never hear us, or with ourselves in our heads, getting defensive or passive aggressive, or taking undue risks.
But with intention, we can climb mountains, form movements, build homes, create deep social change, take strides toward our evolution, move forward in our lives. We can act, in love and courage and solidarity. We can stand up for ourselves and others. Mars is our drive and our courage, and if we fear Mars because of its potential for warring, we will be sapped of our ability to act.
Mars Square Jupiter, Pluto, Saturn
When Mars entered Capricorn in mid-February, and then came to conjunct Jupiter (March 20), Pluto (March 22), and Saturn (March 31), that’s when COVID-19 became widespread, and lockdowns began across the world. Mars activates. And as Jupiter, Pluto, and Saturn in Capricorn are about the massive restructuring of social systems and a deep transformation on every level, well, COVID was the impetus for massive change.
So we can almost definitely expect further developments in the story of transformation (and COVID) with the coming squares to Jupiter, Pluto, and Saturn. The conjunctions in March were the beginning of the Mars part of the story. And these coming squares are the next development.
The first square after a conjunction represents a crisis of action: something began with the conjunction, and now we are at a crossroads. Where do we go from here? Do we continue on with the same strategy, or do we make adjustments? There is always some level of tension and discomfort with square aspects, but they motivate us. They demand change. They inspire creativity.
Because Mars will be going retrograde, we don’t just get one pass of these squares, we get three. And because Mars will be turning retrograde while square to Saturn, that Mars-Saturn square will be in effect from late August all the way through mid-October.
Mars in Aries Transit Dates
Mars enters Aries June 27th
Mars enters the retrograde shadow July 25 15 degrees Aries
Mars square Jupiter August 4
Mars square Pluto August 13
Mars square Saturn August 24
Mars retrograde September 9 28 degrees Aries
Mars square Saturn September 29
Mar square Pluto October 9
Mars square Jupiter October 18
Mars direct November 13th 15 degrees Aries
Mars square Pluto Dec 23rd
Mars leaves the retrograde shadow January 2 28 degrees Aries
Mars into Taurus January 6
Mars square Saturn in Aquarius January 13
(Mars conjunct Uranus January 20)
Mars square Jupiter in Aquarius January 22
Where Do We Go From Here?
On a personal level, this Mars transit is about the transformation that each and every one of us is being invited into. How do we respond to the big changes that are underway in the world? How do we each move forward from here? What is our personal 2020 transformation about? We are called on now to make changes and set out on a new course. Our lives will be utterly different a few years from now. Where do you want to land when the dust settles?
Now, I’m not saying--necessarily--to quit your job or move to a new country and jump full throttle into your fantasy life. I mean, for some people, yes, quitting or moving may well be in alignment. But, let’s consider how to change in a way that is sustainable and gentle and considered. We have time. There is no rush. There is no need to make a break for it. There is a need to make a plan and lay a foundation.
Maybe it is time to leave your job. Maybe it’s time to finally write that book. Maybe it’s time to stop trying to write that book and use your energy elsewhere. Maybe you’re ready to share your work or your ideas publicly. Maybe you need to set some boundaries. Maybe it’s time to quit being so mean to yourself in your head. Maybe you are writing a business plan. Maybe you are building your house. You already know. I promise you. You know.
For some of us the transformation is obvious. It’s been thrust on us and we are in the midst of it and there is no question. But for others, we may wonder, what am I “supposed” to do, how do I get this right. But it’s the fear itself that will muddy our actions. There is no “getting it right”, or “supposed to”. We get to choose how we respond to these times. And we very likely already know what our work is.
In my readings I often find that people are already very much in line with their astrology, and know exactly what they want and “should” be doing. But people tend to doubt themselves and get in their own way and wonder if they are going in the right direction. But if it feels right, it is right. If the direction you are considering feels good, that’s it. If it feels like playing it safe or is motivated by fear, that isn’t it.
Many of us have been taught to take action from a place of fear and survival. And for understandable reasons. But we can also see how much of what isn’t working in the world is a result of that dynamic. In order to create a loving world, we must create from a place of love.
For those of us so familiar with survival, it may feel strange, or wrong, at first, to create from love. We are used to difficulty, effort, convention, and, ironically, that usually also means playing it safe. We are accustomed to stress and pushing through. We are familiar with obligation and shoulds and acting from guilt and ego and what we think we are supposed to do.
When we disrupt that, and begin to follow our joy and listen to our heart, it can feel like we’re cheating, or not trying hard enough. It can feel like we’re lazy or not doing enough. But we have to ask, what world are we creating? For how we create our own lives is how we create the world. And we all know we need some big changes around here.
I am not suggesting we drop our responsibilities. Responsibility and commitment are different from guilt and obligation. Discipline and focus are different from stress and overwork. In fact, many of us will be signing on to new commitments, taking on more responsibility. Many of us will feel very focused and find we can work hard, but with ease.
So what is your heart calling you toward? Follow that.
Perhaps it’s helpful to know that we have time. A few months in the big picture is nothing, but while we’re living it, it feels slow. So let’s slow down, take breaks, find time for rest and play and pleasure, and move at a sustainable pace.
In the Collective
There will of course be dramatic developments in the collective. We will be figuring out how to restructure our economies, how to navigate education, how to offer support and services for those who need--hopefully. And I don’t even want to think about how this all may play out given the US election (though clearly a scandal around mail-in ballots is already brewing). There will be drama on the world stage.
One theme we are likely to see even further inflamed is the tension between those fighting for change (Mars) and the entrenched establishment (Saturn, Pluto, Jupiter) (and this tension is likely to continue for a couple years, honestly, as once Saturn shifts into Aquarius, we will see multiple squares between Saturn and Uranus, which can have a somewhat similar vibe).
I do expect the tensions to be high. I do expect there to be conflict and further upsetting developments. But part of Mars retrograde is about considering how we use our energy. And I think we might consider how we engage with politics, with social media, with the energy in the collective. What is effective, and what merely saps our precious drive? What is motivated by love and courage and restoration, and what is motivated by guilt and anger and fear? What is regenerative, and what merely perpetuates cycles of pain?
I’m not suggesting we tune out, but I am suggesting we consider what we attend to and why, and how we use our precious attention and energy. In terms of anti-racism and decolonization, for instance, it’s perhaps--in many cases anyway--more effective to work internally to transform ourselves than to get angry on the internet.
Our greatest impact is in how we engage in our immediate lives--in our relationships, in our work life, in our plans, and in the energy we carry. We all play multiple roles, but none of us play every role. Some of us are parents, some of us are activists. Some of us are artists, some of us are bureaucrats. People are waking up across the board, in every realm of life. Transformation even in the public sphere happens as we transform inwardly and carry that into whatever it is that we do in the world. And that isn’t to suggest we stop fighting for justice, but that even the fight for justice might be transformed by our inner transformations.
Laying the Foundation in Three Parts
Late summer and all through fall will be us figuring how to get this right; how to move forward from here. The first squares (we are in it) represent take one, or the first chapter; the research, the idea, the initial push. This is the plan to lay the foundation, perhaps, for the years to come. What structures can we create now that will support our futures?
The second squares in mid fall, during the retrograde, represent a revisiting of this first step or impulse. The second chapter, or take two, or reconsidering what was initiated, or encountering some problems to be worked through. This is perhaps gaining more information, and revising the plan.
The third squares in late fall represent finally moving forward with the project, or initiative, or continuing but with some changes. Actually pouring the concrete and laying that foundation in place that will give us stability and structure for the years to come.
We are very likely to face lockdowns during this, and that may well be a significant cause for the feelings of frustration, or being blocked from moving forward that can come with Mars retrograde and Mars square Saturn. So we might consider how we can continue to act even if we are required to sit tight, or how slowing down and going within might lend more depth and integrity to our projects. Perhaps there is opportunity in being asked to take it slowly. Perhaps this is a chance to make these changes with more intention and reflection than we otherwise would.
Reboot
(I know I’ve mixed a lot of metaphors here. I mean, are we building scaffolding, laying a foundation, or rebooting? Probably all three. The astrology is messy too. Please forgive me. )
I find it helpful to zoom out from this year in history, to see this as a massive reset. It’s one thing to restart your computer when it’s glitchy, but we don’t often have a chance to restart society and our lives. That’s what this year is about. There are many difficulties and injustices and frustrations that come along with it. And of course we ought to attend to them. But I find it helpful once in a while to zoom out and remember that in the grand scheme of things, we need this.
We won’t have another opportunity like this to completely reorganize. Ever. Let’s take the long view; let’s consider a decade from now, a few decades, a few generations: what changes can we make in our lives and our society that honour our futures and those who are yet to come?
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