July
Changes—
July 29
Mars retro
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J U L Y 2 0 0 3 R E T R O G R A D E W A T C H  by Maya del Mar Mars, the star of the times, has the stationing business to itself this month. It is the only planet which changes direction. That’s enough. Mars retrograde will be a surprising, fascinating period, especially if we do the requisite inner exploration. Read this month's Skywatch, and the Daily Success Guide entries for July 17 and July 29, for information about Mars, now moving very close to earth, and brightly visible high in the early morning sky. Moon occults Mars on July 17, and Mars turns retrograde on July 29, only minutes before the New Moon in royal Leo. Mars will travel retrograde in the first decanate of Pisces for the months of August and September. It turns direct on September 29. This two-month period provides an opportunity for us to review how we apply our energy. Our vitality, our drive, our motivation are all functions of Mars. When Mars is retrograde, it becomes harder for us to act. And in many cases, we shouldn’t. This is not a time to push things through; wait until Mars turns direct. Mars is conscious and goal-oriented. It helps us get done those things which move our lives ahead. Retrograde Mars can be difficult because Mars is working deep within us, rather than pushing into the outer world and making things happen. This is not a comfortable position for Mars. Dreams can be a guide now. And we can work to sharpen our intuition. Mars in Pisces works through subtle channels. E.g., alternative healing can be extra effective now. This is a time to access uncomfortable feelings which we have ignored, but which have actually blocked our successful action at an unconscious level. These feelings may emerge, in odd ways and at odd times. We may feel frustration, anger, or resentment, and perhaps not know why. Those are the moments to explore more deeply our subconscious, and perhaps find the clues which can lead to healing. Mars, because it activates us, is one of the special healing energies. If we can release those blocks, life will move much more easily when Mars turns direct. Preparation for future action is another good Mars retrograde activity. Mars was retrograde in Capricorn during November and December 1990, when the U.S. built up its Gulf War force. After Mars turned direct at the beginning of January 1991, the U.S. invaded Iraq at the next new moon on January 15, Capricorn time. Capricorn is a sign of government and the establishment. Mars is considered exalted in Capricorn. Now Mars will be retrograde in Pisces, a much more difficult sign for Mars. Pisces is a spiritual sign. Mars deals well with the material world, but it tends to get confused with nonmaterial reality. The challenge now is to clear our spiritual channels. With direct access to spiritual energy, Mars is the shaman, the medicine person. If we work on spiritual purification during this Mars retrograde, we can emerge from this period with a magic which we can apply in the world. Mars is not often retrograde in Pisces. The last time was in September-October of 1956. Pisces is the sign on my 8th house of birth and death, of endings and beginnings, and I decided then to leave my first husband—and did so in December. Pisces is the sign of unification. We are truly all connected, and all one. It is likely that inventions and situations which unify us will emerge now, or prepare to emerge after Mars turns direct. There is also the Mars-Uranus effect, which injects a great deal of sudden and abrupt energy into Mars’ business right now. Uranus is unpredictable, but in general, the Mars-Uranus combination goes with revolutionary action. There is the desire to put forth much effort, and yet with Mars retrograde, there will surely be bad timing or other difficulties in achieving our goals. The whole combination can be quite chaotic. Do wait until after Mars turns direct to get projects moving. However, Mars-Uranus can also be very creative and inventive. With Mars retrograde, we are better able to think outside the box. The Mars-Uranus combination is also excellent for uncovering hidden information, which will affect our behavior when Mars turns direct. Mars retrograde often descends suddenly. A couple of weeks before the retrograde, Sun trines Mars and it feels like things are going along swimmingly. Suddenly the retrograde brings things to a halt, and we have to regroup. With Pisces, the possibilities are infinite. However, one general possibility is that many of us rethink the idea of war and peace, and come down on the side of peace, Pisces’ preference. Some of us, at least, will emerge from the retrograde with a new determination to work for that better world. In this light, it will be very interesting to watch the WTO meeting in Cancun in late September, very close to the time that Mars turns direct. During the retrograde, everyone involved will be working hard on their presentations for the conference and for the counter-conference. Another possibility is that terrorist groups plan a new attack during the retrograde. For them, attacking the West is working for a better world. Washington will proceed with its agenda, dominating the world through a mighty military. All of the Mars charts show Mars and Uranus overhead in Washington, guiding the actions of government. U.S. military rule of the world picks up. This retrograde Mars will oppose GW’s Mars, and he will probably create a fight somewhere. Pluto and Mars lines, which together show a high potential for violence, run through both Washington DC and the Koreas all through the autumn. Uranus also indicates sudden impulsiveness, and anything can happen, especially where, as with the U.S. Administration, emotional control is minimal. Other particularly difficult areas of the Mars station are Venezuela, Zambia, Indonesia, and the Philippines. A good use of our energy now would be to develop our spiritual warriorship. |