Mars Retrograde - Winter and Spring 2012

Written by: Janet (Sparrow) Moon
Published on: February 4, 2012
Category: Astrology

January 23rd through April 13th, 2012

Mars rules action, energy, and sex. When Mars is in retrograde, things we initiate tend to end up much differently than we intended. It's mostly because we decided those actions while under too much confusion. Also, when Mars is retrograde, the "little guy" usually ends up winning the fight.

Mars requires 687 days to orbit the Sun, so his retrograde occurs about every 2 years. Mars retrograde means that the Earth is passing it on our solar race track, therefore our planets are very close to one another. Mars' gravitational influence will be stronger. Some may find that their energy is low, but others could feel just the opposite. They just can't sit still, especially those with dominate Virgo in their charts. But, all that energy may not mean that work gets done. Some will find themselves working very hard, just to realize that the project won't work.

Mars will be doing his retrograde in the sign of Virgo this year. Virgo is the housekeeper of the zodiac, and of course, she rules virtue. Virgo also loves to get down to the details of any project, but she can also be too critical. While Mars is backing up through Virgo, we may find ourselves focusing all our energy into some frivolous project that won't bear fruit. Be sure to think twice before undertaking any time consuming task. Our sex drives could also be dull. Sometimes Virgo likes to keep sex on a clinical level. There could also be gossip and destructive criticism in the air. People may have a tendency to become more verbally abusive during this Mars' retrograde.

The first 7 weeks of Mars' retrograde should be rather typical... a lot of false starts and hard work. People with dominate Aries in their charts could find this time to be especially frustrating. Around the week of March 12th, 2012, we may find our energy becomes more focused as Mars moves to create a grand trine (the most positive aspect in astrology) with Jupiter and Pluto. This could bring an enormous burst of energy that should last through Sunday, March 18th. We may find we get extra work done at home or in business, and we may also find our sex drives increase exponentially. There could be some romance in the air for St. Patrick's Day.

As Mars approaches the end of his retrograde, he will move to an opposition with Neptune. Neptune rules the tides and will pull you where ever it wants to take you. With this aspect, we may start off in one direction and find ourselves ending up way off the mark. Be sure to stay focused on the project at hand, and follow a plan. The Mars and Neptune opposition will begin on April 5th and will continue past Mars' direct station (the point where Mars turns direct on April 13th) through April 27th.

Mars' retrograde will travel from 23 degrees 6 minutes through 3 degrees 41 minutes Virgo. If you have any planets or power points on your natal chart between 2 degrees and 25 degrees in Aries, Pisces, or Gemini, this retrograde could be more difficult for you. Planets or power points between the same degrees in earth signs, Virgo, Capricorn, or, Taurus, may find that Mars' retrograde brings them opportunities to correct mistakes from the past. If you're not sure how Mars' retrograde will affect you, call your favorite astrologer. It should only take a few minutes to get your answer.

My favorite part about Mars' retrograde is star gazing. Mars will be close, and it should be very easy to locate that bright red star in the sky. Mars will be rising in the east a little before midnight on January 23rd, but he will rise a little earlier each day throughout his retrograde. By February 15th, Mars should be rising by 9 PM, and by March 15th, Mars will be high in the eastern sky by 9 PM. Mars will be getting dimmer and high in the western sky by June 15th at 9 PM. So get out and take a look. You can impress all your friends too.

Janet (Sparrow) Moon is a professional psychic and astrologer. You can visit her web site for more articles about upcoming events in astrology, and to read her daily astrology general tendencies forecast. http://www.sparrowmoon.com/