Mars is going retrograde at the 26th of June to the 27th of August, two months for this cycle that happens at a key time this year. This time includes three eclipses (2 in July, 1 in August) and a Mercury retrograde (7/23 – 8/18). The first word of advice from this corner is to have a lot of patience. The energy streams around this ole planet will be going in various directions and it is wise to take one’s time and cope with an ambiguity that makes this easier to say than to do. A pilot has to trust his/her instruments when going through the clouds and the same is true for this personal period of time. Trust deep instincts be cautious, watch for riptides in the metaphysical wind which challenges directions. Check temperaments as the days move on.
A second word of advice is to go to the old standard and very true skills of coping by using the big “re” principle. The “re” stands for the prefix of action, rethink, review, re-plan, reconnect, research,regroup,restore, reassess,rewrite, re-edit, redefine, reconsider goals . . . etc.These actions are time tested. Expect confusing speeding up only to have a slowing down.
For most people the energy goes inward as the desire is to look at internal and personal modes of acting and receiving. This leads to the overview of the self and where you are at this at this time. Boundaries may need repair to protect from being overrun by outside and challenging activities or seductions that should be firmed up so that this work on soul and self can have some internal core that is the working self with the tendency of the ego involvement is something that must be coped with.
The core of Mars is exposed during this time, there is ripple of passive aggressive. Sure, sometimes there will be anger that strikes out, yet most profound is that this slowing down, this realizing that the heat has been turned down. The old fight or flight in Mars at this time is in thinking about both fight and flight as a type of flux of vibrations that can be looked at with more dispassionate eye and heart.
The inner self can look at sex and the physical strength as being slower and easier to understand because the retrograde motion sends the planet back from Aquarius to Capricorn where it will pivot. First imagine Mars in the realm of Uranus: which is shaking up with its entry into Taurus) as bringing electric amperage in a level of spark and synapses which bring cracks in what is looked at from this fixed sign ethos of struggling with the status quo. Sensitive awareness to this energy, a person is like a seismograph. There will be quakes as old ideas crumble to new ideas which promise more success and growth.
I gave a lecture recently and advocated that the best way of dealing with this is to work with a notebook. What is going on? Write it down, think about the implications. Note the eclipses and Mercury rx times and see what spice they add to your dreams, both as an aspect in a goal, dream job, etc. and the dreams you have at night. Dreams should be taken as notes from the subconsciousness to consciousness – actually like a message from the realm of archetypes. Past moments, future projections as well as hints of past lives which lurk in the substrates of the instinctive self and soul in dialogue. Check out the aspects and houses in your chart. Remember this is the time to review, etc.
Look forward to this retrograde for while this retrograde starts in Aquarius, an exulted Mars will go direct in Capricorn and the pragmatic and practical will return with the plan to get things properly grounded with the energy field and growth worked out. Then Mars goes down the road to re-square Uranus and the spark plug will start integrating and expanding on the new/learning it has gone though and changes will come. It will be interesting.