Mars is the planet of will, desire and action. It is the internal part of each of us that wants what it wants, and wants it now! To be in its own sign of Aries, where it’s been since late June, gives it an especially strong need to feel alive, free and independent. If thwarted, Mars in Aries is angry, impulsive, frustrated and even violent sometimes.
Today, September 9th, Mars turns retrograde @ 3:22 pm Pacific time. We begin the review of the terrain of the past few months. As Obama recently said in a fundraising letter, “whatever you’ve done so far, it is not enough.” We are challenged by Mars to do more. In a Mars review, we look at our past desires and corresponding actions, and we do more—maybe now, and definitely as the many retrograde planets turn direct over the next few months. On November 19, Mars will turn direct once again, and by January will be moving on to grounded Taurus.
This is why I have some concern for the fall of 2020. Mars in Aries is likely to indicate strong tempers about the state of the world. No matter our political beliefs, we are challenging the status quo, the corruption of government and business, and the handling of the pandemic. We need direct action, yet we're all fatigued by the energy of the year.
Today as I write this, I am smothered by smoke from fires burning all around me. The sky is dark red, eery and strange. Mars wants to act—to feel alive, to literally be alive. Yet how? Our need to act on behalf of this planet’s wellbeing has reached an emergency point, where the intersection of climate, pandemic and social justice is critical.
That's why we must counter balance this intense Mars fire with the love, compassion and courage of the heart. When we live in heart space we remember the truth of who we are. We reach out to care for others, softening the Mars mandate to fight alone. We cultivate the higher qualities of Mars: courage and bravery. Together in a spirit of compassion and connection we can manage the extremes, finding a creative solution to our world's challenges.
Here are some healing suggestions, to remind you of what matters as we dive deep into the challenges of autumn 2021:
Cultivate gratitude for whatever small joys you can find in your world • Slow down and feel the earth • Practice radical self-care • Breathe into the heart and remember who you really are • If you're in the U.S., take action! Vote! • Simplify life—live in the moment • Take actions to create safety for you and your beloveds • Help other people, the animals and the planet itself in whatever ways you can. Service gives life meaning.
I believe we're headed toward a new world and much of the foundation has been laid. Right now, Mars is driving action that must be creatively integrated with the Capricorn restructure energy of 2020. Eris, the dwarf planet representing those not invited to the table, is also in Aries, and highly activated right now. Aquarian humanitarian energy is rising.
Don't give up my friends. We will get there, with hearts wide open, courageous and strong.