Wednesday, April 25, 2018

Mars Enters the Retrograde Shadow of a Highly Uranian Retrograde Period

Action planet Mars, exalted in Capricorn, is currently activating the Uranus in Aries - Pluto in Capricorn square (yes, it's STILL within orb) ahead of a very Uranian (unpredictable, erratic, surprising, forward-thinking) Mars retrograde period from June 26 to August 27, 2018.

We're moving into a period of "goals assessment" - determining which goals we have successfully met, which goals must now be released or re-jigged, and which new goals must be committed to at this time.

With most of the Mars retrograde occurring in Aquarius, we are focused on forward-thinking and far-reaching goals that propel us into a preferable future. We're looking to advance the play on multiple fronts (personally and collectively), turning our ideas and concepts (Aquarius) into action (Mars).

Mars goes retrograde once every two years, and in basic terms, Mars retrogrades involve reviewing the personal trajectory we have taken in the prior two-year period, determining how effective our actions and ways have been.

During these retrogrades, we re-visit our use of will, desire, motion, physical energy, aggression, and sexuality, and we also make adjustments as we set off on a new two-year action and goal cycle.

We re-visit what we wanted and whether we achieved it, but we also review the continuing value of certain goals altogether. What we once wanted may not be what we want now. Mars retrograde periods give us a chance to update our goals, our trajectories, and our methods for achieving our goals.

Mars forms a conjunction to Pluto at 21 degrees Capricorn on April 26, and we are asked to get smarter, more streamlined, and more cunning in the ways that we fight (Mars) corruption and general bullshit (Pluto) on this planet, particularly in the patriarchal hierarchies and institutions (Capricorn) of the day.

Mars in Capricorn now slowly forms a dynamic square aspect to revolutionary Uranus as Uranus enters the new sign of Taurus on May 15, and to be quite frank, all bets are off.

We are heading into a very Uranian Mars retrograde period this summer which will be followed by a very Uranian Venus retrograde period this fall.

 

Willow's Web Astrology patrons have already received a juicy article on the Uranian Mars and Venus retrogrades of 2018. New patrons can purchase this article at a discount (please contact me for details), or non-patrons can purchase the article here:
 

Uranian Agitation and Conscience-Driven Breaks in Protocol: the Venus and Mars Retrogrades of 2018 - $11.25


The strong influence of Uranus on the astrological proceedings of 2018 indicates many changes - even shocking changes - ahead. People may be doing things that are "out of the ordinary" or "out of character" this year.

It's time to make some quantum leaps in the way we do things, particularly in relationships and general human social relations. It's time to break some strongly-ingrained patterns and protocols that are holding us back, keeping us in unsatisfactory circumstances or relationship dynamics. It's time for some new ideas and some new energy to permeate the scene, and this is what Mars brings to the party.

Mars will go retrograde from 9 degrees Aquarius to 28 degrees Capricorn from June 26 to August 27, 2018, and we are setting our Aquarian-era sights on a preferable future. (This is certainly not the vision of the future that the Global Fascists are unrolling for us as I type...)

This isn't all air-sign conceptual, however. Mars wants to put things into action and as quickly as possible. With the influence of late Capricorn in the retrograde process, we are laying down some concrete blueprints to get us to that preferable future, tout suite. There are concrete steps to take, points to dig in on, and areas to work harder for.

We have to work for this preferable alternative, for the preferable future vision in our mind's eye, and we have to work hard for it.

These hard working themes are very prevalent while Mars is in nose-to-the-grindstone Capricorn until entering Aquarius on May 15. 

Our concrete work load becomes concentrated yet again when Mars retrogrades back into Capricorn on August 12, stationing direct at 28 degrees Capricorn on August 27, and then grinding out the final degrees of the sign of business, re-entering Aquarius on September 10. 

The period from mid-August to mid-September 2018 appears to involve lots of work and lots of tests as far as our willingness and our ability to shoulder responsibilities and leadership moving forward. There's a "proving ourselves" theme when Mars is transiting Capricorn, and this theme becomes particularly concentrated and potent around the time of the Mars direct station at 28 degrees Capricorn on August 27.

During the Mars retrograde in Aquarius/Capricorn, we're adapting our personal modus operandis to a new era and to new rules for relating within that era. 

Actively calling out the misuse of energy (Mars) is a strong requirement now, particularly the misuse of sexual, violent, and/or masculine energy, but this includes all illegitimate or corrupted uses. 

Mars square Uranus indicates battles that seem to spring up from nowhere, unexpected attacks, and random shows of aggression or temper. 

(The powers-that-be most likely have our "surprise war attacks" all planned out accordingly...)

We may feel quite "wired" physically during the Mars retrograde process as Uranus uses our spines as lightning rod conduits for its electric insights. It may be difficult for us to relax, especially when the Mars-Uranus squares are near-exact, and there is a caution about being too active, doing too much, being too overloaded as we run off any excess Uranian energy through our physical systems. Ants in our pants. A little on edge. 

We're mining our body intuition for clues and impulses about the road ahead, but the guiding Uranian flashes of light can be a little too bright at times, causing some neurological disturbance or distress.   

It's going to take a lot of focus to stay on top of these electric and sometimes over-the-top energies and themes.

Mars will form three squares to Uranus in 2018 (May 16; August 1; and September 18), making this erratic, electric, revolutionary energy a strong influence over our personal paths this year and for the following two-year Mars cycle. We're thinking bigger and broader than we have before. We're seeing our personal paths within their global context, and unexpected new pathways are opening to us.  

The initial Mars-Uranus square occurs on May 16 with Uranus on the zero degree of Taurus and Mars on the zero degree of Aquarius. Fresh! Mars will be just inside the retrograde shadow at that time, which it enters on May 12 at 28 degrees Capricorn. The initial Mars-Uranus square on May 16 sets a tone (and the general work ahead) for the entire Mars retrograde period. 

The period of time from Mars entering the retrograde shadow on May 12 to the retrograde station on June 26 is very ripe, very juicy, and very dense. We may be called upon to act immediately, or spontaneous events may occur with which we must "bide our time." Opportunities will be uncovered and new pathways will open to us as we work through the Mars retrograde process, which indicates a slower timing for progress and advancement. Frustrations must be managed.

Changes in tactics, changes in course, changes in desires, and changes in our overall goals - all this and more is to be expected this year. 

We may be surprised by how our goals and desires are changing this year, and we may be a little thrown as the goals and desires of others around us change with little-to-no warning. 

Mars will move retrograde into a second square to Uranus on August 1 at 2 degrees Aquarius/Taurus. Uranus is stationing retrograde at this time (August 7) and will be an even more potent influence over the proceedings. Unexpected impulses (and motivational flashes of anger) drive us onward... 

Mars goes direct at 28 degrees Capricorn on August 27 and will move into the third and final square to Uranus on September 18 at 1 degree Aquarius/Taurus.   

Mars in Aquarius will also cross the South Node of the Moon three times during the retrograde process, indicating that we may be re-activating ideas, concepts, friendships, or community connections that were initiated previously. 

Mars forms conjunctions to the Aquarius South Node on June 8 (7 degrees Aquarius), July 20 (5 degrees Aquarius), and September 25 (4 degrees Aquarius).

Things may have a bit of a fated quality to them around the times of these conjunctions. Valuable ideas, particularly involving technology to solve humanity's basic problems, could be "sprung" by these Mars-South Node connections, but they need our assistance. We have to fight (Mars) for these life-changing and society-changing ideas and technologies (Aquarius).

We are drawing on "a little help from our friends" with these Aquarius South Node contacts. We may find new allies and comrades to work with, even conceptually or at a distance. The use of technology to connect us through shared ideas/vision/goals may be particularly important during the Mars-South Node in Aquarius contacts.

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