Mars and Mercury Retrograde – OY!

OK, the title of the article is exaggerated. I admit it. And, it is a bit different from my usual attempts to be objective and rational. But, this Mars retrograde is conjunct my natal Sun and the Mercury retrograde is squaring my Moon, so for the moment, I am feeling a great desire to write a personal Blog article. The notion of straying far from my ordinary way of expressing feels very freeing.

When both of these planets are retrograde and also tied together (since they are in mutual reception), it creates a very unusual set of effects for each of us.

Well, my car’s power steering finally got so bad that it had to be fixed. Lots of students tell me that they have had flat tires, brakes needing to be replaced, and transmission problems, etc. This is typical of these types of transits and is actually due to the fact that we had been ignoring the need for preventive maintenance. For me, my power steering problem was due to the fact that I hadn’t replaced the fluid and there were bubbles in the system as well. I would have saved hundreds of dollars if I had made sure the maintenance was done when it should have been. So, cars, ruled by Mars, are indeed part of the retrograde period.

Let’s take a deeper look – a Mars retrograde only occurs once every two years, making its retrograde cycle the least frequent of all of the planets. That alone makes it significant. But, if it is also in the sign of your Sun, Moon, or Ascendant, it is much more important. Let me explain. Usually, people think that the only important time of a transit like this is when the planet is retrograde. In this case, Mars went retrograde on Jan. 24, 2012 and will turn direct on April 14, 2012. So, this 11 week period is all we need to know about it, right? Well, no, it isn’t. Others say that since Mars will go back and forth in the territory between 3° and 23° of Virgo that the period between Nov. 1, 2011 and June 25, 2012 are what matters. Well, no, that also is not the entire explanation.

What the retrograde period does is bring things to a head and then change the direction of things based on what has been revealed. And, they can be life-changing ones. So, the effects of these transits can last for many years or even a lifetime. For example, a famous professional basketball player had to end his career due to injuries as Mars entered its retrograde period. He is now in the process of redefining his purpose in life. That’s pretty big. Well, guess when the injuries occurred. It was exactly two years ago, when that Mars retrograde, which was in Leo, conjuncted his Sun. But it wasn’t until the next retrograde period that the effects of the initial injuries became apparent. Now we’re getting somewhere.

If we focus only on events, we miss the meaning and significance of what is happening and what is being set into motion. It is better to regard what is happening as harbingers of future issues and cycles of action. The truth is that each Mars retrograde creates new cycles to some degree. They will emerge in strength in future months or years. So you can see that with this orientation, one will see that this Mars transit is much more significant than just the fixing of tires or a power steering system.

For me, major family patterns (the Moon) are being examined and new cycles may be emerging now. I say “may”, because it is still too soon to be sure if the new phase will be born or not. But, some changes have already begun. Also, my Sun in the 9th house aligned closely with this Mars retrograde is bringing in many new ideas and possibilities that could allow for a big expansion of the School and other aspects of my spiritual work. Nothing specific has happened yet, but my attention and intentions are clearly changing. So, if what is happening to you isn’t about making actual plans, don’t worry. It might be about becoming more aware of a new, emerging strategy that, if acted upon, will begin many years of new activity.

This is why I feel so strongly that this retrograde transit is much bigger that just when the planet(s) itself is retrograde.

The process of dealing with the events and activities that are occurring right now can be quite difficult and confusing. For me, it feels like there is no ground under my feet. I just don’t know where things are going exactly or if they are going to go at all. But, can I recognize that groundlessness itself is a necessary condition if change is going to occur? I’m asking if I can open myself to change, even if it seems like things are going the wrong way or into a huge unknown territory.

That’s the challenge I am facing just as many of you are as well. For me, all the changing spectrums of my life evoke feelings of instability and agitation. But with that is also a powerful sense of excitement and happiness with the possible changes that I do really desire to see happen. So, some of you may feel restless and even a bit overwhelmed as future moves may be considered seriously now. It might be harder to focus now as well, but the good news is that you may not have to actually make a concrete decision yet. So, ask yourself if you are concerned about something prematurely. I am reminding myself that if no specific decision is being asked of me that there isn’t really anything to think about. Hmm! Can I stay quiet inside with all of the uncertainty? I’m making the effort to do just that.

That’s a brief look at my experience so far of this rather intense Mercury and Mars retrograde period. It isn’t over yet. That will happen in mid-April. So much more activity and thinking is still to come and I know it. It seems that knowing the nature of the process I am in really does help.

I hope this article helps some of you as well.