As we venture into the autumn season, Mars takes a turn on center stage in the sky!

　　Mars recently went retrograde on September 9, and will be in Aries until January 6, 2021. Mars will also square Saturn three times during this journey. What do these transits mean, and how can you harness this new energy coming through? We’re breaking all of this down for you today.

　　Mars relates with action, impulses, the physical body, anger, assertiveness, and sexual energy. He is a temperamental, competitive, defensive, dynamic, sexual and self-centered fellow.

　　When he is direct, he operates before there is consciousness, meaning he is impulsive and purely instinctual. This is a raw energy which allows us to learn that every action creates a reaction.

　　Let’s dive into Mars retrograde, Aries, and how this energy will affect us moving forward.

　　

The Planet Mars & Retrograde

September 9 – November 13, 2020

When Mars is retrograde, there is a consciousness monitoring the nature and intention behind any desire and action, and this can create some issues. When someone has Mars retrograde in their natal chart, he or she acknowledges consciously his or her desires, so what happens when there is consciousness in a process that is usually instinctual?

　　It can create frustration as it interrupts the natural instinctual flow. For example, Mars retrograde in Gemini in a chart would naturally interact with all kinds of arguments related to conflicts between wills.

　　A person with Mars retrograde in the natal chart has the intention to only manifest experiences which are fundamental to their evolutionary purpose. When Mars is retrograde, there’s a necessity to determine the reasons of any given desire, including sexual ones.

　　As such, this introspection will lead to the elimination of anything that does not contribute to personal growth and evolution. This process of elimination is where the person reflects on what they exactly want and need to move forward, thus creating new desires, and Mars demands the freedom to act upon such desires.

　　This all happens within us during a Mars retrograde period. It is usually a period of renewal.

　　Where is Mars in your birth chart? Find out with our free birth chart generator and read Mars in Your Birth Chart – What Drives You?

　　

Mars in Aries

Until January 6, 2021

Mars will be in Aries during the full retrograde and until next year. This long journey brings its own lesson.

　　Mars in Aries is the instinctive resistance to anything which limits or tries to limit him in any way; he needs freedom to explore any experiences he desires and to walk his own path independently. During the retrograde, impatience and aggression run high if the natural defensive impulse is acted upon.

　　It’s a period of transmutation, to reflect on what is truly important for us, and to then stand up for it.

　　

Mars in Aries Square to Saturn in Capricorn

There is a square to Saturn happening three times during this Martial journey. The first one was at the end of August, the second one is at the end of September and the third one happens in January.

　　When Mars in Aries squares Saturn in Capricorn there is a lot to learn.

　　We are being asked to use our energy in more constructive and conscious ways. Mars in Aries wants to go, he will push forward only to hit his head against Saturn’s steady wall. Saturn wants to show it’s not time yet to have what we want, that there is work to do before having it.

　　The actual Saturnian work here is self discovery, to recognize what you really need to pay attention to, to have a clear idea of what we are creating, and to claim responsibility for our own choices and life.

　　Read this next: Understanding Saturn, Lord or Karma

　　The square is a challenging dynamic which creates inner frustration, anger, and even sadness as Mars continues to try moving forward, only to be stopped by Saturn challenges. This originates feelings of uneasiness and unworthiness. There is a need to plan, to set a foundation, to learn to stand on our own two feet, and to work constructively with what we have before getting ahead.

　　A conflict between society’s conditioned beliefs about what’s right and wrong and our own is also being shown. Within the square, the Martian need for freedom brings a sense that we are stuck, that we cannot do anything and are not allowed to do anything, but is this really true?

　　Saturn in Capricorn can project those dynamics to other people, so any shame, guilt, or anger arising can be projected toward others. Negative consequences could emerge during the retrograde, especially when this square is felt strongly.

　　

What Can You Do With this Energy?

During these next months, introspection is essential. Grab the good old pen and paper and write down:

　　What you really want to accomplish.What is really important to you.What you really want to create for your life.What world you wish to live in.What is arising within.What’s the source of these impulses.What’s the source of anger.How can you express that energy in constructive ways without causing further pain to you or others.It’s time to start planning, strategizing, visualizing, letting your guard down, and getting ready to stand up for what you believe in with this energy.

　　This Mars retrograde asks us to deal with what is arising in the moment, to be mindful of your desires, choices, actions, to reflect if you are acting truly in alignment with what you wish to create, to claim full responsibility for your life, to stop being defensive, and to be constructive instead of destructive. Remember Gandhi’s old saying: “An eye for an eye only makes the world blind.”

　　Move with purpose and mindfulness. There is something beginning, a completely new phase awaits after the retrograde on the 13th of November 2020, and after Mars leaves Aries in the 6th of January 2021.

　　Don’t forget to read: What Mars in Aries Means for Your Zodiac Sign’s Love Life