On October 30th, Mars stations retrograde for the first time since 2020. Mars will be between the horns of the Bull constellation, at 25 degrees, 36′ in the sign of Gemini. The sign of Gemini is overlayed by the constellation of the Bull, a group of stars that have been seen as a bull or bull-like figure in the sky for tens of thousands of years.
When Mars goes retrograde, it means the Earth has caught up with Mars in its orbit. In addition, Mars appears to stay in the same region of the sky for many months and typically in one or two signs for 7-8 months.
Mars will stay retrograde until January 12, 2023 when is stations direct at 8 degrees, 07′ of Gemini.
The station direct point is only two degrees from the Eye of the Bull, the star Aldebaran. When we go out to see Mars over the coming weeks and months, Mars and Aldebaran will be near each other most of the time. They have similar colors, but Mars will be significantly brighter in November, December and January.
This area of the sky is also part of the Lakota Sacred Hoop of Stars, a region that includes Pleiades, the stars of the Twins, Sirius, Procyon and Rigel. It is one of the more well-recognized areas of the sky, whose center (the Galactic Edge) is where the symbolic Silver Gate lies and where the souls come into the galaxy and Earth.
In the middle of the retrograde period of Mars is December 7th, the date of the planet’s opposition with the Sun at 16°05’ Gemini (Sun in Sagittarius). This is called an acronychal rise of Mars as the planet rises in the east while the Sun sets in the west. This is the same thing as a Full Moon, except with Mars this only happens about every 25-26 months. In addition, it marks the official beginning of a new synodic cycle of Mars with the Gemini overstory.
I am launching a NEW online course about the Mars journey right here.
Mars retrograde is not bad or good. In shamanic astrology, Mars’ transit through an area of the sky back and forth, as it will be in the fall and winter is simply emphasizing the sign and star area symbology and astrological meaning. Think of it as a highlighter on the pages of a book, paying close attention to specific portion of the story.
One of the main highlights of this retrograde transit is Mars’ square of Neptune on November 19th. This marks the second of three times in about 5 months where Mars in Gemini squares Neptune in Pisces.
The 3 times of the Mars-Neptune square are:
October 11, 2022 – 23°21’ Gemini / Pisces
November 19, 2022 – 22°42’ Rx Gemini / Pisces
March 14, 2023 – 25°04’ Gemini / Pisces
This retrograde of Mars is different from the last time Mars was retrograde in 2020 in the sign of Aries. Not only is the sign different, but it is less intense in its relationship with us and the other planets. In the late summer and early fall of 2020, Mars spent time in conjunction with Eris and squaring Saturn, Pluto and Jupiter when those planets were all lined up in the sign of Capricorn. Neptune is much “lighter” (relative to the 2020 alignments) in our experiences, but it can still facilitate an abundance of illusion and confusion in the world.
There is no need to pause life during a Mars retrograde transit. We can take a moment to explore where creative action is needed in our lives. Other inquiries we can make are: have we been missing spontaneity in our life? Have we created space to experience our own imagination and open to spiritual insights beyond the responsibilities and duties of being an adult?
I encourage all to go out into the evening sky to observe and welcome Mars as it transits back and forth between the horns of the Bull constellation. You can get to know those stars and more by following the red planet in the night sky and tracking your experience with it.