Astrology in July 2018 – Does Mercury and Mars Retrograde Mean Nothing of Significance Will Be Accomplished?

by Robert Wilkinson

This issue seems to recur every time both Mercury and Mars are retrograde at the same time. It came to my attention in 2016 when it happened, and now that it’s about to happen again, I’ve heard some rumblings that people are supposed to bail on life for a few weeks, which obviously is ridiculous advice. So what’s up and what is this time good for?

Two years ago, this issue was raised by an excellent amateur astrologer who was unhappy when a prominent forecaster proclaimed that due to the timing of various Rx periods, the middle 6 months of 2016 would be rather ho hum and all the forward-moving action of the year would be confined to February and March, and October through December when planets weren’t retrograde. That’s also a ridiculous assertion since life goes on, retrograde or direct, “within you and without you.”

The Retrograde Landscape of the Near Future

We’ll again be in a similar situation in a few weeks, since Mars is again retrograde and will be the entire time Mercury is retrograde in Leo between July 25 and August 19. Not only that, but for a brief period, we’ll have SIX planets retrograde at the same time! Clearly a retrograde influence will dominate the playing field for part of that time.

Despite the obvious change of pace during the time both Mercury and Mars are retrograde, it’s clear that some very important things will happen! Among other things, regardless of the slowed pace giving us the opportunity to look back, research, revise, and renew our plans, we have Saturn in Capricorn trine Uranus in Taurus, stabilizing the synthesis of the old and the new, the established and the innovative, the plan and the vision. These retrogrades work within that larger stabilized field.

We also have Mars retrograde square Uranus, never an “easy” aspect, with this one being the second of three of these this year. So this is a midpoint of sorts in the process that began in mid-May and will continue through mid-September. This aspect is definitely showing motion and turning points for those born around the last 10 days of April, July, October, and January!

This square is bringing a lot to culmination during this time of looking back and reworking plans and what we want to accomplish during the last 4 months of 2018. At the same time, the square from Mars allows us to use the stable strength given to Uranus by Saturn to create innovations in our lives. As per the retrogrades, these will be things from the past that have been neglected and need to be reviewed and either renewed or dismantled. Concentration will be essential.

Shadow Zones are Part of the Retrograde

Another thing to keep in mind is that the retrograde “vibe” begins well before the stationary points, and lasts long after. This is because of the “shadow zone” expanding the direct retrograde field into a larger “umbra” effect. It doesn’t mean nothing will get done, but it does mean the entire span of degrees is activated directly and indirectly.

So Mars entered its shadow zone on May 11, and went stationary retrograde at 10 Aquarius on June 26. It will retrograde back to 29 Capricorn, where it will go stationary direct on August 27, and then will transit the shadow zone until October 10. So the total Mars RX time span encompasses 5 months, and surely a lot will take place during those months in all our lives wherever we have late Capricorn and the first decan of Aquarius in our charts.

Mercury entered its shadow zone on July 5, and will go stationary retrograde at 24 Leo on July 25. It will retrograde back to 12 Leo, where it will go stationary direct on August 18, and then will transit the shadow zone until September 2. So this Mercury RX influenced time is about 2 months, and will mainly involve the house(s) where we have the second and first half of the third decan of Leo.

Things happen and do move forward, both during the shadow zones and the retrograde zones. The idea that circumstances will be stagnant until planets clear their RX shadows is absurd, since it’s impossible that there could be huge swaths of the year where things cannot move forward. As retrogrades offer us times to review and reflect on past choices, that could be seen as moving forward by making sure of the trajectory.

Even when things are not moving as quickly as I would like, nonetheless they are moving forward at their own pace. And because some things really do unfold very quickly during these retrogrades, it led me to understand that Mars RX, even with Mercury also RX, doesn’t slow things down universally, but only those things related to Mars. I have found that after the Sun opposes Mars, things begin gradually to speed up, just as they do after the Sun’s inferior conjunction with Mercury.

So What’s To Do?

I believe this particular Mercury retrograde is going to be very important, due to the aspects it makes within the larger irrational field indicated by Uranus biseptile Pluto and Jupiter septile Saturn. Volatility is shown by Mars square Uranus, needed adjustments shown by Mercury quincunx Pluto and then Neptune, with the ongoing Mercury squares to Jupiter showing the need for detachment and simplicity. Begin your review process planning now, so that you find yourself trying to do too much during a time when not much will get done.

As long time readers know, I believe Mars RX are perfectly good times to slow down, rework what needs reworking, picking things up in other areas while some things cook awhile. While Mars RX may manifest as things going into slo-mo, that slowed pace can be used ten thousand ways, such as reworking a plan, or figuring out new ways to approach or accomplish something.

When would be a better time for reworking something? When it's full speed ahead, or when things slow down? I’ve also seen them as good times for addressing a preliminary plan for something to be done in the future.

Remember, transits may show a condition, but it's not necessarily "bad" for individuals, because how positive or negative they operate is entirely based in how we are manifesting our planetary personality traits. A square may be exactly what we need to turn a corner, or put the brakes on an old pattern.

I believe this Mars RX is very good for those with planets in the early Fire and Air signs, since it has provided and will provide sextiles and trines for many weeks. Even an opposition can lead to awareness! Then it will sextile or trine planets in late Water and Earth signs in late August and early September. How could sextiles and trines to our Light be a bad thing or a time when nothing will get done? Everyone with planets in early Fire and Air signs, as well as late Earth and Water signs, should be able to accomplish a great deal during the period between May and October this year.

Besides the Big Picture, There’s the Personal Picture

Then there are other factors besides those I’ve discussed. Using my own chart as an example, when Mars occupied its shadow zone in Capricorn in May, it made a quintile to my Sun, sextile to my Saturn and a square to my Mercury. It will do so again when RX in August, and then again when direct in early September. Obviously this indicates activity in all life “departments of labor” indicated by my natal planets within circumstances represented by transiting planets.

When it was in the first decan of Aquarius in May and June, it made a biseptile to my Neptune, a triseptile to my Uranus, a binovile to my Mars, a biseptile to my Venus, and a quincunx to my Uranus. Hardly a time when nothing moved forward!

It’s now making a second pass of those aspects between now and mid-August, and will make a third set of these aspects in late September and early October. Since septile-series aspects usually accompany life-changing “forks in the road of destiny,” clearly the times when Mars is in its shadow zone and/or retrograde doesn’t have to be a “bad” time, when little or nothing gets done.

Shadow zones and retrogrades have no intrinsic power or meaning outside of our span of experience. Each has their own experience, and while RX periods are confusing to some, that doesn't mean we're confused about them. The other thing is that all the planets begin to slow long before they go RX, and begin to speed up after the inferior conjunction/opposition. So the front shadow zone does matter, since it shows a different pace. But the back shadow zone is a breeze, since we're already so familiar with the material that we're just moving forward as we should.

Down the Road

Because this Mars retrograde is in very late Capricorn and the first decan of Aquarius, it has implications for what’s coming when Saturn transits this zone in 2020, followed by Jupiter in Dec 2020 and Jan 2021. In fact, Jupiter conjuncts Saturn at 1 Aquarius, implying that developments occurring during this period when Mars is at 1 Aquarius could be the impetus for what will happen down the road. All of these together will shape how Pluto expresses its transformational energies when it moves through this Mars RX zone between 2022-2030.

Summing Up

Retrogrades are perfect times for taking a look back, as well as times when things lost postponed are reclaimed and/or resumed. They are times for that which has been taken for granted to be reconsidered, and attitudes and plans can be examined to see how they’re doing so far. Even when some things are slow, other things are moving forward at “normal” speed, while other things are rapidly developing.

As I offered in A New Look at Mercury Retrograde, Mercury retrograde periods are perfectly good times for finding a new view of things, a new approach to things, and a new understanding of how things have come to be in the here and now. It’s great for finding pieces of puzzles you never could before, and finding unusual ways of examining things to come to a more comprehensive understanding.

There is never a time when things cease to happen. Everything is moving forward all the time; just not for everyone all the time. Also, for those who are afraid to plan anything during a retrograde, I used to remind my students studying Electional astrology that there is NEVER a "perfect time," where there are no "afflictions" and things are perfectly harmonized. If we waited for everything to be perfect, nothing would get done and we'd be stuck in perpetual ruts of "can't do this because of that." That is a useless and counterproductive approach to living life.

As it has been said, "in the hands of a great Master no material is unproductive; S/He can find use for everything." That’s one shortcoming to assuming planetary shadow zones and retrogrades indicate times when there are stumbling blocks when "nothing good can get done." Many excellent things can be accomplished during retrogrades, if you just find the right point of view.

So even though we’re about to have 6 planets retrograde, take a new look at what needs to be undone or redone, or reconsidered. We are now preparing the ground for the many seeds that will sprout in coming months, after we’ve reworked, rethought, and re-examined our values and relationships to come to a new understanding of the roles we are to play in the world, and why we have had to leave old fashions plans, and ideals behind.

Withdraw from old projections, both those you put on others and those you accepted from others; concentrate on the inner, even at the expense of the outer. Adapt to the slowed pace, and let that which has been electrically activated to grow in natural ways. Do not allow frustration, resentment, or passive-aggressive people to influence your responses. Be independent, creative, and a good team player. Discoveries and renewals are on the way in August!

© Copyright 2018 Robert Wilkinson

Comments

[sue]

Thanks Robert,
When we move to Mars or are forced to evacuate ...
will it be Earth then going retrograde?

[Sean Fromer Holslag]

Thanks, Robert, for the excellent perspective.

To be honest, this Mars Rx has been just what I needed (so far).