Halfway through Mars retrograde!
What’s next?
Hi there!
How was your weekend? I hope you get some rest because this week could be A LOT.
On Monday 13th at 17:26, there’s a Full Moon at 23°59’ of Cancer. Full Moons are always restless and exalt emotions.
Drink lots of water, and don’t overexert yourself.
On top of that, on Wednesday the 15th at 21:38, the Sun in Capricorn opposes Mars in Cancer at 26°12’. This marks the middle of Mars retrogradation and the topic of this newsletter.
A little bit of background about Mars retrograde
In astrology, Mars is related to action, desire, drive, aggression, and ambition.
This planet propels us to move forward, fight for what we want, and achieve goals with grit and determination.
The spirit of competitiveness and being a pioneer are also contained within Mars' realm.
All of these topics and actions are considered relevant in today’s society.
So when Mars is retrograde, IT IS a big deal. Actions seem stalled, and you can’t move forward as quickly and assertively as you may want to.
Mars retrogradation is also a big deal because it doesn’t happen often.
The red planet retrogrades every two years for about 80 days. Those 80 days are definitely memorable.
But they are not equal. Mars cycle has different characteristics that invite you to execute different actions.
Today, I will focus on the beginning of Mars retrogradation until the middle of it.
Let’s go.
Mars Cycle: Dates and Journaling Prompts
Since I firmly believe in embodying astrology and not just reading about it for entertainment, I’m offering an experiment.
I’ll share with you the different stages of Mars’ cycle. Then, I'll mention the characteristics of those stages, and some possible manifestations of each of them.
You'll also read about my personal experiences in this current cycle. I want you to write about yours, so I'll give you journaling ideas to help you reflect on your life.
Sounds good? Here we go.
1) First Sun-Mars trine
When this trine happens, Mars is still direct. It occurs fifteen to twenty days before Mars stations retrograde.
It’s a day when energy flows, so you feel that everything is moving along. This feeling brings excitement and potential.
However, this is usually reversed during the retrogradation. Energy is missing, and the previous excitement feels like it was all hype with little substance.
Enjoy this day, but don’t overextend yourself.
In this cycle, it happened on November 27th, 2024 at 03:06 EST. The Sun at 5°34’ of Sagittarius trined Mars at 5°34’ of Leo.
I remember it vividly because it was my mom’s birthday.
Thanksgiving is not part of my cultural heritage, but we still celebrate it. Well, sort of. My mom’s birthday is November 27th, which sometimes occurs on the last Thursday of the month, coinciding with Thanksgiving.
Last year, she had a big celebration, as she usually does. It was a lovely gathering. Everyone was in a pleasant mood.
Personally, I was in the middle of a negotiation. At that time, I thought I would get what I wanted.
Back to you: How was November 27th, 2024 for you? Were you having an optimistic and upbeat day? What were you dealing with back then?
2) From Mars’ station retrograde to the opposition to the Sun
This period goes from 5 days before Mars goes retrograde until approximately 40 days into the retrogradation.
Your usual drive and focus come to a standstill. The daily progress you take for granted becomes filled with effort. Every task seems to take forever to be completed.
You no longer have the interest, drive, energy, and focus you used to devote to an important project or relationship.
The frustrations concern the house of your birth chart in which Mars is retrograding.
These frustrations cause a burning within you. You must extinguish this burning before it consumes your inner sense of self-worth.
You could also feel stagnant. This can create problems if you’re under a deadline or have limited time or funds to complete a project. It’s not like all activity stops, but this period offers more reactive experiences than active ones.
It’s the perfect time to analyze the motives behind your actions and reflect on the validity of your goals. The house in which Mars is retrograding symbolizes these goals.
There may be no need to stop what you’re already doing, but more introspection and contemplation are required.
This period can bring suppressed feelings of hostility or frustration to the surface. These feelings will occupy your energy and temporarily delay progress.
Recognizing unresolved conflicts that have been incubating can liberate you. It will also allow you to manage your energy more appropriately.
Old wounds, hurts, or frustrations may arise out of context. However, these disruptions have a purpose.
In this cycle, this period extended from December 1st, 2024, until January 15th, 2025. On December 1st, Mars stationed to go retrograde. It actually turned retrograde on December 6th, 2024, at 18:33 EST at 06°10’ of Leo. Then, it went back to Cancer on January 6th, 2025.
It was particularly memorable for me because my birthday took place the same day Mars went retrograde. I have written about it here:
For you, it may have been memorable because all of this took place during the holiday season and the whole “new year, new me” shenanigans.
I wouldn’t say I lost energy or drive. Quite the opposite. I felt very creative during this period. I worked on the materials for The Astrology of 2025 workshop and other ideas I’m concocting.
However, I moved slowly.
During the first part of Mars retrogradation, I needed to do less but more intentionally rather than moving fast and breaking things.
I journaled a lot. Besides, I created a WhatsApp group to do a Yoga With Adriene challenge in January 2025 with some accountability buddies.
The frustrations did, in fact, occur in the house of my birth chart where Mars was retrograding.
Since my rising sign is Aquarius, Leo occupies my 7th house when using the whole sign house system.
Some of the topics of the 7th house are contracts and negotiations.
Remember that negotiation I thought was going well at the end of November? Well, it didn’t continue moving in that trajectory.
Nothing tragic or heartbreaking happened. The other person wanted something, and I wanted something different, so we couldn’t reach an agreement.
What surprised me, though, was that this person was very VERY stubborn during the negotiations. In fact, during this period, there was no negotiation AT ALL.
I was hoping to achieve my best-case scenario. But I was also willing to compromise some of my desires if we could find some common ground.
None of this happened. The other person didn’t offer any alternatives.
Let’s pause for a second here.
Unclench your jaw. Move your neck gently, saying yes and then no. Sigh loudly.
All done? Good. Now you can keep reading.
☄️ Wondering what the stars have to say about 2025?
Then you have to come to the workshop!
I’ll keep it simple:
When: Thursday, January 23rd, 2025
Time: 6-8 pm London time (1-3 pm EST)
Where: Online in Google Meet
Tickets: Only £15 (around 18 USD)
Bring your journal and a nice pen!
Save your spot now: https://shorturl.at/BoTWT
See you soon!
Back to the newsletter.
On Monday, January 6th, Mars returned to Cancer. That night, I had a big dinner. On Tuesday, the 7th, I decided to start a raw vegan detox for a few days. I wanted my liver to rest after the excesses of the holiday season.
You can learn one of the reasons I had a nice dinner on Monday 6th here:
On January 16th, I have an appointment with an ENT doctor to check my nose. My septum may be deviated, and I may need surgery because I can’t breathe properly. We’ll see what happens.
Cancer is my 6th house, which is connected with health, routines, and habits.
Back to you: Did your energy levels change during December and the first half of January? Did you feel more angry than usual? What activities (if any) did you implement to channel your frustrations without hurting yourself or others? In which houses of your birth chart was Mars retrograding? Find the Leo and Cancer houses of your birth chart. Then, look up the meanings of those houses in this lovely Pinterest board I have created for you.
3) Day of the Sun-Mars Opposition
This aspect marks the middle of the retrograde period.
The day of the opposition doesn’t pass unnoticed. It’s impossible to predict what will happen due to the free spirit of Mars.
But this is a dramatic time.
It externalizes energy that has been simmering in your unconscious. When you confront your past frustrations, this stored energy is brought to a head.
This day highlights the two houses in which you have been experiencing a build-up of energy. This build-up could be challenging or constructive.
The emerging feelings, moods, events, and circumstances identify an area needing consciousness.
Expel the festering energy to liberate yourself psychologically. It can be an explosive moment that clears the air. It usually activates dormant anger or hostility. It may also ignite frustrations that will not cease until Mars turns direct again.
I’m writing this before January 15th, 2025, the date the opposition will occur. I’ll try to have a chill day. If something dramatic happens, I want my nervous system to be able to handle it.
Back to you: Check the houses where the Sun and Mars have been transiting in your birth chart. You have to look for the Sagittarius, Capricorn, Cancer, and Leo houses of your birth chart. The first two zodiac signs were the ones where the Sun transited during Mars’ retrograde phase. The second two zodiac signs are the ones in which Mars went retrograde. Doing this analysis will give you clues about the topics that will surface on the day of the opposition. Do some free journaling about those topics, but try not to become fixated on them. Doubledown on practices to regulate your nervous system.
Related: 9 Things I Did To Regulate My Nervous System During My First Saturn Return
There are three more stages involved in the Mars retrograde cycle. They run from after the Sun's opposition until the second Sun-Mars trine, which occurs 15 days after Mars turns direct.
I’ll cover those other stages in future newsletters. Still, if you want more advice about Mars retrograde in general, here’s another text you can find useful:
I hope this information was interesting! Thank you for reading, and until next time.
With love,
Valentina
P.S.: Don’t forget to buy your ticket for The Astrology of 2025 workshop!