Welcome to the Mars Retrograde 2024!
One of the hardest things about being an astrologer is helping folks manage the rare moments when there are a lot of planetary retrogrades over the holiday season.
Like the ones happening now.
Honestly, in any given year, the holidays of the late fall and winter can be hard enough. Managing the financial demands of the fourth quarter, the pressures of job and career, the heartfelt desire to be the person you need to be for your family and community, the unassailable logic of taking time off, well, it’s just a lot.
Much like an expected visit from an out-of-town relative, when a planetary retrograde decides to join the holiday festivities, it changes the mix. When several planetary retrogrades occur concurrently during the holiday season, like we are experiencing now, it adds an undeniable air of unpredictability that can make it difficult to hold on to one’s faith, and—more important—to trust in it. So, the first order of business is to commit to finding ways to anchor yourself into yours.
To review, Neptune, Uranus, Jupiter, and Mercury are currently retrograde. Unlike Mercury, which retrogrades 3-4 times a year for about 21 days, Mars retrogrades once about every 18 months for about 6 weeks. And, as luck would have it, Mars will do so at some point this weekend. Exactly when gets a little iffy, even for the most trusted of sources. The We’Moon calendar says Friday the 6th at 3:33 pm PST. The Solar Fire website indicates 3:33 pm PST on Saturday the 7th. For this newsletter, I’ve chosen to use the December 6 model, as it affords you just that much more prep time. The good news is they both agree that it will occur at 6 degrees Leo and will run through February 24th to 17 degrees Cancer.
All I can say at this point is to commit to being safe and smart. Know your risks and risk tolerances; know your tolerances for chaos and drama, and act accordingly. Especially if you have a lot of Leo or Cancer in your natal charts and especially if retrograding Mars ends up conjuncting it or impacting anything else in your chart by aspect.
And while you are at it, take a quick peek at how the rest of the retrograding planets are impacting your chart: Mercury is in Sagittarius, Jupiter is in Gemini, Uranus is in Taurus, and Neptune is in its own sign of Pisces. There is a lot of pressure being brought to bear—all of it providing you with some major opportunities to make the changes you reincarnated to make.
For the older generations—especially the early boomers—this may be the last chance you get to mend fences and build bridges this time around, so make the most of it, yeah? The proverbial clock is ticking.
And there is literally no time like the present. Mars is in its Dignity in Aries, the sign that it rules. But Mars is Exalted—meaning that it has an even more favorable placement—when it is in Leo, as it is now. Retrograde or no, all the power and force, courage and strength that Leo is known for is even more accessible now.
The tricky part—and there is always a tricky part—is knowing and accepting that you are going to have learn how to be less reactive and more facilitative. When you do, it will likely feel like finally crossing a threshold that you have been lingering on for lifetimes. It is particularly poignant now, as the Sun-New Moon Conjunction in Sagittarius anchors the lower corner of the Grand Trine.
In the last year, and especially since the election, I have been really struck by the kind of things people are sharing with me about conversational dynamics. Everywhere. In the workplace, on social media, within their families and their most cherished relationships, and in the different communities to which they belong. Everyone wants to solve problems. And everyone is carrying varying degrees of trauma, about which there are varying degrees of consciousness, agency, and facility.
The good news is that with Mercury, Mars, Jupiter, Uranus, and Neptune retrograde, a little intentionality can seriously shorten your learning curve around having transformational communications. Especially if you lean in to the spiritual side of conversations that either evolve spontaneously or take a sudden turn.
With everyone more reactive now, it is virtually impossible not to wander into dangerous conversations even in the most mundane of circumstances. Throw in some complications, or a downright crisis, and all bets are off.
Right now, it is a lot easier to accept reality in real time. These are humans, and this is Earth. Know and accept that you’re going to have to learn how to be less reactive and fragile, and more skilled and facilitative. Less angry, fearful, and judgmental. More magnanimous, neutral, and objective. Less escalation and more de-escalation. More constructive and less destructive.
Right now, it is easier to learn how to be more sophisticated at managing moments. It is easier to commit to holding that line no matter where others may go with it. It’s a lot, I know, but the payoff—the rewards—defy comprehension. It all hinges on staying in reality and not getting over-extended. So here is my recipe for success in the next six weeks.
Surrender to Win: Surrender to the fact that you simply cannot do it all. If you feel like things are coming at you too fast, it's because things are coming at you too fast. Your life is just bigger than you, and right now there is just no way you can handle it all appropriately and accurately on your own. This is just one of those times when you have to double down on your Buddhist nature—surrender to reality, be patient, and trust the process.
Again, it is a process: This is Earth. You are dealing with humans, and we’re flawed. Lower your expectations. Get used to repeating yourself, but pace yourself. On the days when you are not up to it, give yourself a break.
This is the proverbial long and winding road. So buckle up, read your road map, recommit to where you are trying to go, follow your best practices, and remember some of the basic components of being a decent human. Demonstrate intellectual curiosity by asking questions. Use your blinker when changing lanes. Put your shopping cart back. Say please and thank you. Apologize when you get it wrong. Do not miss an opportunity to be kind or to do the right thing. Exercise healthy boundaries with grace, as needed.
