Have you experienced this time as an intense, challenging, demanding, unsettling, frustrating or frightening time when either you, others around you, and the world itself are seemingly out of control? Perhaps you don’t feel that life is safe, reasonable, or trustworthy.

If so, let’s talk about Mars retrograde from October 30th through January 12th, 2023, a period that encompasses September 3rd through March 15h, 2023. On September 3rd when Mars entered the sign of Gemini for the first time in approximately 2 years Mercury was nearing its next retrograde period beginning on September 9th as the Full Moon of Virgo/Pisces peaked on September the 10th. Add into to this growing intensity of energy the Solar Eclipse on October 25th in Scorpio, the Lunar Eclipse on November 8th in Scorpio/Taurus, the New Moon in Sagittarius on November the 23rd, the coming Full Moon in Sagittarius/Gemini on December 7th, the Winter Solstice on December 21st followed by the New Moon in Capricorn on December 23rd. When Mars emerges from its retrograde motion on January 12th, we will be in the midst of the next Mercury retrograde which will begin on December 29th completing this retrograde on January 18th. WHEW!

Mercury retrograde periods occur every 3 months, Mars retrograde periods occur every 2 years, Eclipses usually twice a year and Solstices twice a year. Why is the Fall of 2022 and the Winter of 2022/23 a convergence of intense energetic currents? This is the preparatory period before Pluto begins its entry into Aquarius in March as Saturn enters Pisces that same month. While Saturn moves into a new sign every 2 1/2 years, Pluto last changed signs in 2008. The fabled Aquarian Age is dawning in 2023 revealing the vision for a new world we can and are birthing in 2023/2024. In order to integrate the Aquarian consciousness we must know ourselves as individuated, conscious human beings who know and celebrate our individuality as we expand that knowing to include all other human beings as integral parts of our larger human family. It is this knowledge that we are all one that is the foundation for the solutions needed to create a safe, sustainable and caring world for all. Of course, there is push back against this unity consciousness as some resist change, acceptance, loss of individual power over others as we move into power with others. There is also a courageous call for freedom, acceptance of all and a better world in Iran, China, and Ukraine that is supported by most of the world amidst the violence from those who seek separation and control. 

All retrogrades are periods of reflection, of inner awakening, of letting go. Mercury’s regular retrogrades ask us to stop, rest, catch up, review, rethink and question what we are doing and how we can proceed forward with more clarity, understanding and precision. Mars retrogrades are longer and farther apart as they are a more demanding inner process of learning the Art of Doing by Not Doing. We are all so busy, so habituated, so demanding of ourselves/our world that we can lose track of what we are doing and how we are doing. It is a time to stop, retreat, allow, receive, reflect on what we are doing. 

Mars is the archetype of our desire nature, of what we want, what we do, how we do it, the planet of action. This is a time to examine what am I doing, why am I doing this, is this what I really want, do I believe I can achieve this goal, satisfy this desire/need. Can we assess what is and isn’t working in our lives, develop additional even better methods/behaviors to satisfy identified desires and let go of pushing, pressing, forcing, demanding  and see what happens in relaxing, trusting, letting go? This is right brain “doing” not left brain “doing”. Both are needed, both can be effective but a balance between the linear left brain wisdom and magical right brain wisdom will be more successful, more creative, more enjoyable, more humane. 

By slowing down we can expand our awareness of how we use or abuse our energy, our time, our body and our joy in order to be more effective, more energetically aligned with our own full human and soulful potential. We can emerge in the New Year with clearer intent, confident ease, deeper trust in ourselves, an awakened ability to achieve with ease. It is time to utilize this heightened energetic time to become more conscious and to live more fully.