If you’re wondering why particular aspects(not to use a pun) of your life have slowed down recently, it very well could be related to the warrior planet Mars’, biennial shift in motion. On January 23rd Mars turned ‘retrograde’ and will not station ‘direct’ again until April 13th. As I have written in previous postings, any time a planet shifts into what astrologers refer to as ‘retrograde motion’ (when a planet ‘appears’ to be moving backwards in the sky), the message of that planet’s energy is for us to quiet down and go within. What we are to consider during these times is where and how the energetic representation relates to our actions and in our lives.
Mars with its fiery warrior energy is currently in the sign of the Virgin, Virgo…the organizer, analyzer, perfecter…the seer of how things could be, the idealist…the server. But in her idealism and self-inflicted drive to grow, Virgo can be hypercritical and merciless in her self-evaluation, deficient in her self-esteem, particularly when combined with the warrior energy of Mars…well, you get the picture.
For the next few months whether we like it or not, we have the opportunity to take a breath in order to contemplate what and were we need to re-evaluate our behavior and goals. Perhaps we need to consider making a course correction. Are there areas where we need to make serious changes? What isn’t working in our lives and needs to go? Where do we need to concentrate on building our self-esteem? To contemplate and then carry out the action is not an easy task by any means and begs the question, where do we start?
By looking at current transit placement in our natal chart, we can find clues to these answers. Whatever house(circumstance of life) in which Mars has landed gives us the answer. Is it the 10th… our work in world? Or perhaps it’s the 7th where lasting partnerships and collaborations, reside. Maybe it’s the double whammy of the 2nd which represents among other things, our self-esteem and self-value!
Regardless of where Mars is sitting for his months of retrograde motion, frustration is characteristic of the energy we can feel which can be draining emotionally and physically. However help is on the way in Dr. Edward Bach’s ‘Oak’ flower remedy. When I teach about Oak in Bach’s repertoire of his 38 the flower remedies, I always envision it as the ‘energizer bunny’. Its life force gives us strength to ‘carry on’ by providing us the stamina and sustainability we need. The assistance found through Oak is not only for times of planetary retrogrades…we can call upon Oak during a particularly challenging illness or struggle when life seems to have been derailed through circumstances or ill judgement…any time when we feel we have don’t have ‘it’ in us to keep going. As I said, the energizer bunny!
The ancient Norse Rune, Nauthiz puts the energetic interpretation of a Mars retrograde quite well: “This is a time to…restore, if not harmony, at least balance. So mend, restore, redress—when fishermen can’t go to sea they repair nets. Let the Constraints of time serve you in righting your relationship to your Self. Be mindful that rectification comes before progress…consider the uses of adversity.”(The Book of Runes-Ralph Blum)
OAK
©Dr. Edward Bach Foundation
RUNE STONE©Dreamstime