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Writer's pictureLori Barnes

Mars Retrograde September 9

September 9, 2020 3:22pm, West Coast 6:22pm, East Coast 12:22am, Rome, Italy

Ends November 13, 2020 4:36pm, West Coast 7:36pm, East Coast 1:36am, Rome, Italy, November 14, 2020

Every 2 years Mars goes Retrograde. In Astrology things that don’t happen frequently tend to make a bigger impression when they do. Mars going retrograde is a big deal this year for a few reasons.

Top 3 Things to Know about this Mars Retrograde

First, it spends its entire time retrograde in Aries, one of the signs it rules. This makes Mars extra powerful. It also indicates that Mars will act more dignified and less cruel. Mars symbolically is the warrior. So a dignified warrior may be likened to Minerva, Athena, King Arthur or Sir Gawain. And a cruel warrior may be more like Darth Vadar.

Second, it squares the cardinal signs Cancer and Capricorn, is conjunct Aries, and opposes Libra. These signs have been experiencing the oh so difficult Pluto and Saturn in Capricorn all year. Those born with Cardinal sign degrees between 20 and 25 are feeling it the most. Read more about that in the article I wrote called ‘What Happened to 2020.’

Third, because of the retrograde, Mars will spend around 6 months in Aries. The average time he spends in a sign is 1 ½ months, ranging from a little less than a month to around two months, depending on the speed. 6 months is a long time for Mars to spend in a sign.

Mars Energy

Mars is action and drive. He will bring energy for an extended amount of time to the part of your chart where Aries is located. You may experience less energy on the dates when Mars goes retrograde and direct in the areas of your chart Mars rules – Aries and Scorpio. 

Mars retrograde can also cause irritation and problems if he is making any difficult aspects with planets in your chart. With Mars’ usual speed, transits moves on quickly. A little agitation here, an energy boost there. The retrograde slows the speed down, so we feel the Mars energy longer and more intensely.

You may be in store for some tense moments. That’s why it’s important to have a copy of your chart, so we can focus in on where this energy will erupt externally, or implode internally, in your life. 

Mars Retrograde will not be felt the same by All

We all have unique charts. We will all experience the Mars retrograde differently according to what is triggered in our chart, and the area of life Mars is transiting. To help figure that out, grab your chart and find the Aries house. Then read below about Mars transiting that house.

This guide will hopefully help you navigate the tricky waters Mars can create when moving extra slow through an area of your life.

Mars Square Saturn and Pluto

Before we start, I want to stress that Mars is squaring Saturn and Pluto as he retrogrades from 28 degrees Aries back to 15 degrees Aries. If you have planets in Aries, Libra, Cancer or Capricorn in the degrees between 15 and 28, you will get a double dose of difficulty.

How to endure difficult aspects like this includes taking a big breath before reacting. Your patience will be tried over and over again. You may feel like you are running a 100 miles a minute only to realize you moved forward an inch. The struggle is real.

Use every skill you have ever learned to overcome obstacles. When you look back on this time, you will be amazed at how far you have come. The key is to put your best foot forward no matter what. Keep trying. Put one foot in front of the other.

When will the Mars Retrograde Energy End

It will all pass by the end of the year. I know that sounds like a long time, but I don’t sugar coat things that aren’t sugary. The fact that you are reading this indicates you are one who seeks to make the most out of any situation. Astrology is amazing to help with understanding and strategic planning.

Mars in Aries and Retrograde through the Houses

The guide below focuses on Mars transiting the houses. If you want to synthesize Mars along with the Saturn and Pluto transits, I recommend consulting a professional astrologer.

1st House Aries: You are an Aries rising, fiery and action oriented by nature. You may have felt an energy boost starting June 29 when Mars first entered Aries. He was moving right along giving you the energy of a SuperHero. Take advantage of 6 months of super energy in your 1st house of you and your physical body!

When he goes retrograde early September, you may feel a slowing down of physical energy. You may feel downright exhausted. The key is balance, get enough rest, and drink plenty of water. Fire is dry and hot. It’s easy to dehydrate if you are in an area where it’s really hot.

Mars likes to work with the hands. If you are artsy, make something. If you are sporty, do sports. Fix stuff. Just don’t overdo it.

Shadow side: Don’t be cruel. Aggression can cause irreparable damage so blow off steam in the gym, not on a person. Slow down, rushing can cause accidents. Be careful with anything sharp. Mars rules surgery, sharp instruments and knives.

2nd House Aries: Are you an impulsive spender? Mars is all about action, not thinking. The 2nd house is your resources, possessions and self-worth. With all this extra time hosting Mars in this area, it may seem like a never ending shopping spree. Or never ending money flying out the door.

This is an extended time to put energy toward your self-perception. Practice positive self-talk and actively do nice things for yourself. If you are going to spend, make sure it’s on something that contributes to your self-worth. Whether it’s a piece of art adding to your balance sheet. Or a whole new self-care regime of high quality products. Make sure it adds positively to your bottom line. And remember that includes how you value yourself. 

Shadow side: Careless spending, racking up debt that will be difficult to repay. Putting too much energy towards how other people value you. If you plan to cut off resources, question how this affects your self-worth.

3rd House Aries: Mars moving through your 3rd house could increase your chattiness. You may find extra energy to help a sibling. Mars going retrograde could cause focus on a situation with a sibling that needs to be resolved.

If you travel often, especially short distances, take extra precautions for safety driving. Neighbors and your neighborhood may experience some increased Mars action as well, try to disengage from any drama. 

Shadow side: Careful not to interrupt or cut people off during conversation. Don’t be overly aggressive with a sibling. If a sibling becomes overly aggressive with you, try to diffuse rather than throw gas on the fire. Use a safe driving mantra to avoid going to the dark side in a traffic jam. 

4th House Aries: This is the area of your home and family. You may be driven to do home improvements at this time. Just take care with all those tools. Safety first! You may want to get the whole family involved, or those who live with you. Use your motivational language to get help. Even if you work alone, you will have plenty of energy to see amazing results. 

Shadow side: Be careful with dictating orders for what needs to be done at home. Be super careful with anything sharp, especially cutting things with a saw or knife. Aggression in the home can increase stress. 

Designate a space where you can get away and let your nerves calm down when you get agitated. Make arrangements ahead of time with your family to give you space when you are upset or overheated, you can avoid escalating an annoyance.

5th House Aries: You will have extra energy for your kids, sports activities, and fun. Independence is a trait of a 5th house Aries and you may tend to go off on your own during this time. Do more activities that are fun, just don’t overdo it. Make sure to keep hydrated, especially if you engage in intense sport.

You may have some heated arguments with your kids, it could be a recurring problem that finally gets resolved. The energy could be more productive doing something active with your kids.

This is the area of romance too. You may meet someone during this time. Just don’t jump in too fast, take your time. Wait until the end of the year to make serious decisions, when Mars is moving forward.

Shadow side: You may be easily frustrated with your kids and need to practice patience. Careful with risk taking in sports. Don’t jump into a serious relationship too quickly. Let the romance simmer rather than burn out.

6th House Aries: This area represents service. If you work in the service field, you may be called to action more often. Especially if you are a firefighter during fire season. Be extra careful not to overheat and watch your uniform doesn’t get torn.

Mars and Aries in association with the 6th house is also an indication for surgeons and surgery. If you have a choice on surgery dates, consult an astrologer to elect the best date for you.

If you feel driven to volunteer and be of service to those in need, this is a good time to get started. Shadow side: Have any health concerns checked out right away. Careful not to come off too pushy or abrasive when providing a service to others.

7th House Aries: You may be all fired up with your partner. Hopefully it will be directed toward doing things together. If you are cranky with your partner, take some of that energy and make plans to do something out and about.

If you are involved with developing any kind of partnership, you will have extra energy and motivation to get things going. Be careful signing contracts at this time, have a lawyer triple check everything.

Shadow side: You may be extra argumentative, check yourself. Contracts entered into at this time may not work out the way you want. If you are planning to marry, consult an astrologer on your date and time.

8th House Aries: Be extra careful with other people’s resources, especially if you work in banking, inheritance law, or insurance. If you are tempted to go deep into debt, try to wait it out until the end of the year if possible. 

Mars here can exacerbate any kind of grief or depression. It could be helpful to seek out psycho-therapy at this time.

Shadow side: Projection of your self-worth onto others can leave you feeling sad or raw. You are an amazing person entitled to satisfaction in life. Don’t judge yourself based on perceptions of others. Find a healthy expression for any anger so you don’t aim it inside.

9th House Aries: You may have the travel itch. If you can’t pack up and go, do a staycation. Seek out the coolest things near you and go on an adventure.

You may put a lot of energy in your church or place of spirituality. If you speak a foreign language, you may become a chatterbox and want to practice with others, do it! You will have extra energy for anything related to higher education, travel, foreign affairs, and spirituality. 

Shadow side: Careful not to over exert your energy pushing your ideals on others. Be careful with your overly optimistic side that you don’t find yourself treading backwards from impulsive travel decisions. Make sure whatever you do that you have good insurance.

10th House Aries: You may want to get active out in the public eye. You have a lot of energy to put towards your career goals. While this is great, careful not to overextend and exhaust yourself. It’s better to under promise and over deliver, then sign up for more than you can do.

With your superhuman energy towards work and career you may think you can do it all. You probably can do leaps and bounds more than others during this time, but you won’t be able to sustain it ongoing. Take a breath and commit moderately, knowing that you can exceed and get some brownie points. 

Shadow side: If you have employees, be aware that they may not have the same energy level as you do and cut them some slack. If you are a cutthroat at work, eventually it will come back to bite you.

11th House Aries: Your extra energy will be directed towards friends and social groups. If you have been thinking of starting any online groups, you will have the energy to do so. Your friends will love seeing you more. Actively doing something with your friends can be very rewarding.

This area represents free and independent thinking. Any boundary pushing ideas you have may now be put forward. Just be careful to moderate your energy so you don’t lose momentum at the wrong time.

Shadow side: Your friends may back away if you are overly aggressive with your ideas. Sometimes independent thinkers are ahead of their time and people don’t understand. Be careful not to become angry, bossy or pushy with your ideas.

12th House Aries: It is very important to use this energy in a spiritual or metaphysical way. You will benefit from finding an outlet for this energy. The 12th house tends to be isolated and has difficulty expressing outward. Things like creative expression through art, dance, yoga or working with herbs could soak up that energy leaving you refreshed.

You may feel driven to isolate and spend time alone, which is fine as long as you find an outlet. Careful that your outlet is healthy and not over use of drugs and alcohol. Shadow side: Isolation and use of drugs and alcohol. Without a healthy outlet for all this extra energy, you could exhaust yourself and your nervous system.

Use Your Warrior Energy Wisely!

Want to know more about the difficult aspects between Saturn, Pluto and Mars? Read this article on What Happened to 2020.

Book an Astrology Consultation to find out where all these planetary energies are active in your chart.

Get a free copy of your chart here.

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