Dear friends,
On Monday morning (August 27, 2018 at 10:05 AM), the God of Action stopped at 28 degrees Capricorn, and started to move direct after a long, sweaty summer of running backwards at full speed.
Mars initially stationed to go retrograde on June 26th at 9 degrees Aquarius. Now, till October 9th, he will be re-covering his shadow — i.e. traveling through that same patch of sky between 28 Capricorn and 9 Aquarius — for a third and final time, then emerging into new territory by mid-October.
These Mars retrogrades occur every year-and-a-half to two years, offering us humans an opportunity to revisit and revise the Mars-ruled areas of our life: work, conflict, sex, self-assertion, and how we take action in the world. Mars is exalted in Capricorn, the sign of Karma, which encourages him to channel his energies in productive and meaningful ways. And because Mars has been traveling with the South Node of Fate for the past two months, he has been persistently asking us — what is your life’s mission? And are you doing it yet?
If not, what is holding you back? Did you identify some roadblocks this summer? Good! Now it’s time to push forward. Mars wants to scrape it all out.
Lately, my assistants and I have been talking about how to balance the various components of my practice — what’s required, what’s important, what’s nice, and what’s not needed. I realized that it’s often hard for me to complete long-term projects because so many *different* things seem to compete for my attention.
The Mars Station chart, pictured below — with its luscious Grand Trine in Water between Jupiter in Scorpio, Neptune and the Moon in Pisces, and the Cancer Midheaven (when cast for the East Coast of the USA) — asks us to FOCUS our dreams for our life. Sharpen your image, like a photographer adjusting the lens. Prioritize. Ask out-of-bounds Mars to help you take quick, decisive action. (And if you’d like help getting acquainted with your Mars, hey, there’s a webinar for that!)
So I decided to start taking an additional day off from consultations each week, so that I can focus more on my long-term goals (the book! the apartment! the health!). This is kinda scary, because my appointment calendar is already fully booked till the middle of OCTOBER, and I really, really don’t like disappointing my clients!
BUT.
If it’s of value to me, I must spend time on it. If it’s of value to YOU, you must spend time on it. None of us has long on this planet. Consider how you want to be remembered when you die. What is your legacy? Who will be banned from your funeral? Whom will you have delighted and inspired?
The Mars Station chart governs Mars’s trajectory — shows us the God of Action’s “operating system” — from now till he next goes retrograde in September 2020. In addition to the Grand Trine in Water, the chart features two lovely Grand Trines in Earth, making this upcoming 24-month cycle especially fruitful, especially for projects you initiate before October 10th.
Mars is trine to the dwarf planet Ceres in Virgo and the major asteroid Juno in Taurus, all in the late degrees of Earth signs. Nobody’s an island! Call on your gods and goddesses, human and divine, and other collaborative partners! Make sure that what you create is of service to the world. Watch for proposals from folks who would like to join forces.
Meanwhile, the Sun in Virgo, Saturn in Capricorn, and Uranus in Taurus work together to form a strong, stable Grand Trine in the early degrees of Earth, which aspects the Eclipse points from July 27th. Uranus is parallel to the fixed star Regulus, Heart of the Lion, saying you really KNOW what’s most important right now, don’t you? You do.
Mercury and Jupiter square each other in fixed signs on the World Axis, asking us, again, to prioritize. Dithering? Stop it! It’s finally time to move forward. Because Mercury is in LEO, you gotta name it and claim it. What’s the most important thing for YOU?
Venus on the Ascendant (in the chart cast for Washington, DC), squaring the Midheaven and the IC, reminds us to follow the Love.
Many of us have spent the summer feeling like cartoon characters, desperately running in place while the Universe keeps us put with a firm hand planted on our forehead. “Push all you want but it’s not gonna budge!” That all shifts, as of this week. The hand gets released, and we spring forward. Full steam ahead!
One of the most important, and also the simplest, parts of my job as an astrologer is to help people stay on track. If it’s in your heart, it’s in your chart, baby. Consider this your official permission to push.
Big hugs,
Anne
P.S. There’s a New Moon Manifestation Circle Webinar next TUESDAY. I hope you can join us! Details below.
Mars Stations Direct at 28 Capricorn
August 27, 2018 at 10:05 AM
Chart Cast for Washington, DC
