Mars Retrograde in Aquarius and Capricorn – Questions and Answers

by Robert Wilkinson

Over the past few weeks, I’ve been contacted by many people asking questions about Mars retrograde, which gave me some insights I didn’t include in the first article. Today we take a wider look at Mars retrograde.

First, remember that Mars never simply stops or moves backwards. It merely seems to do these things from the angle of the Earth relative to their orbits around the Sun. So really, all the planets are just speeding up or slowing down in those orbits.

That’s an important distinction, since we’re always capable of making progress, but sometimes must take “a look back” and reflect on the recent past, and if necessary, rethink or re-do whatever we must in order for things to move forward in the future. Each planet has its specific “department of labor,” so when they go retrograde, it is specific to their function.

Mars is about planning and doing, letting go of this and embracing that with vigor, “attacking” the problems and pleasures of life. When Mars is in direct motion, we try to find a plan, or way to do something, or even have something already in motion. When it’s in fast motion, things get done quickly. When in slow motion, it takes a little longer.

When Mars is slow, we may have to exercise more patience with the process, and find a way to keep things moving, even if it involves other things that are needed to support our efforts down the road. Remember to defer is not to abandon.

Mars begins to slow down about 4 months before it actually goes stationary retrograde. It continues to slow until the Sun opposes Mars, after which it gradually begins to speed up, and at its direct station begins to seem to move in normal forward motion again, if somewhat slow at the beginning of the direct period.

So how does Mars retrograde correlate with what’s happening in the “real world?” When Mars slows down, many normal affairs seem to slow down, giving us a chance to redirect our energies to develop other things. Ideally what is slowed down, stopped, reworked, re-engineered, or undone during the retrograde will be supported by the other things we accomplished or developed once Mars is again direct. Of course, those other things that were developed very well could replace the original method, plan, or way of doing things.

I’ve seen it work like we’re figuring out a way to do a type of work or a specific plan or execute something when Mars is direct, but when it’s retrograde you rework it, you undo it, or you rethink the plan and how to get it done, or get a new plan. Or you have to get something else developed that will help the plan.

Another way to view it is that we are going forward in a certain direction for a certain time, and then realize we just can’t do it, for whatever reason. It may be misdirected, or the timing may be off, or we may have to figure out a new way to get it done, or a new timetable to get it done.

A useful metaphor is that during these periods, it’s like you’re driving cross country, and hit a river. You realize there’s no bridge, and so you’ll need to construct a pontoon bridge you will need to cross the river. So you either have to go get the pontoon bridge, or you have to wait until someone else delivers it to you. IN any case, you can’t cross the river until you have that crucial piece of equipment.

I was asked in light of recent political developments, how do I think Mars RX will play out? My opinion is that much that has been done will be undone, whether from the recent past or more distant past. That’s why there’s an unrest about past ways of doing things now used in dishonest ways, as well as many things being undone or redone.

Certainly there’s a lot of looking back on how things used to be done, with current developments destroying that memory forever. This is leading to a lot of internalized anger coming up in the general population. This deep seated anger in the population is also moved since what’s going on in the news is reminiscent of horrific images in collective consciousness (another RX phenomenon) of concentration camps.

Related to this, Mars RX has manifested as an Executive Order issued on immigrants will not solve the problem (which is established) AND a judge just overruled the plan and demanded the government reunite children and parents a lot faster than was declared even two weeks ago. All plans, all actions, all that's been done will be subject to review. Count on a lot of delayed lawsuits being filed in coming months!

The trade wars were announced during the period when Mars was slowing, so yes, they too have already been undone for some countries and some corporations, and they will no doubt lead to internalized anger due to the instability that accompanies trade wars. Mars RX has shown as numerous bills failing in Congress, as well as the inability to get any meaningful legislation even to the floor for a vote.

These things lead me to believe that we may be coming into an era where everyone re-evaluates what they like and why they like it, what they're doing, how they're doing it, and if they should be doing it. Certainly many things will get bogged down these next few weeks, and whatever is or isn’t done or undone will be the source of future animus down the road when Mars is again in Aquarius.

During this time, be willing to slow down, take a different view of the pace and how to accomplish things. Remember there needs to be a solid plan before anything truly moves forward. Everything is subject to being slowed down, if not derailed, during a Mars retrograde. Remember that as we back up a railroad engine, we need to make sure we aren’t going so fast we run it off the rails!

Things began to slow down radically when Mars entered its shadow zone in mid-May. From now through mid-August is a good time for reworking or replanning by pulling back from old assumptions and projections and planning anew with an eye to the future rather than the past.

So take a new look at active or passive issues within you related to desire, self-awareness, impulsiveness, and those things which push your buttons. Slow down and investigate how you want to accomplish what you want to accomplish. Free yourself from things that do not serve your best interests as they stand here and now.

I've known quite a few people with Mars RX in their chart, and when trained, they have a unique ability for people telling them things they'd never tell anyone else. Like other peoples' inhibitions or passive push-pull somehow gets circumvented by Mars RX. That would imply we can use these periods to get behind our own inhibitions to find things we might not discover during the times when Mars is direct.

If you’re feeling frustrated, see the problem as something you internalized in the past that demands recognition now. See if your mind has set up defenses to justify desires that no longer fulfill you. If you experience disappointment, redirect energy to more profitable ends. Go slow as you find a new way to do your Being.

Find ways to redirect your desires and ambitions to those things that are more personally fulfilling. Be willing to relax into the different pace, take a look at other, different possibilities to explore, and learn to regenerate the inner source of your energy. This should be great for regenerating Chi, the vital force within all of us that keeps us alive and healthy.

Everyone is pulling back from old projections during the next few weeks. Do not play to unhelpful mindsets, or impatience. See your power to move at your own pace, executing your plan to achieve your long term higher interests in a disciplined and patient way. We’re all redirecting to find greater ways to contribute to our world and make a better life. What we’re learning are valuable tools to use in the future in our social-emotional arena of life.

© Copyright 2018 Robert Wilkinson

Comments

[claire daring]

does this mean the Dems will be able to prevent the reds from getting the nominee for the high court in

[Robert]

Hi claire - Probably not, but a couple of Republican Senators might show some sanity and backbone and decide it's not right until after the election.

Hi all - Seems a troll tried to post some ugly insults here, believing that children held in cages, as well as children forcibly separated from their parents and shipped thousands of miles away with no ability to return to their family, is somehow not a "gulag-like" policy. Well, "Victoria" (clearly not your name, and I have no doubt you lied about your past), if you are truly as you say you are, then you of all people should know the suffering of all children when separated from their parents and held in cages they can't get out of. You say they're taken care of. How do you know? There are reports smuggled out of the kiddie concentration camps that all is not rosy in those cages and buildings. In fact, I have read of criminal behavior perpetrated by the authorities against the kids.

Children in cages is not a daycare. What are the groper and Sessions hiding that they will not to allow our Congressional representatives to see what's going on? Why won't they allow reporters to do any stories whatsoever of those children separated from their parents? This is a massive human rights violation of epic proportions. Too bad for you I won't shut up about it.

Yes, children ARE being held in the equivalent of gulags, or concentration camps. One does not have to have medical experiments going on for it to be a concentration camp. One does not have to work incarcerated people to death for it to be a concentration camp. And yes, it's entirely on the flim flam man and his fascist stooges. Donald Trump is an authoritarian who destroys families and traumatizes children with emotional scars they will carry the rest of their lives.

[sue]

Sanity and spine sadly lacking...on both sides
Oh dear democrats don't lose hope
It's in the machines that don't count your vote...