When Mars is in retrograde, it visually appears to be moving opposite its usual direction across the sky. While the direction of its orbit doesn\u2019t actually change, retrograde Mars can have a very real impact on some of the most critical areas of our lives. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The astrological planets are closely aligned with, but not identical to, the planets of mainstream astronomy. First, because astrology is studied from the perspective of Earth, you won\u2019t ever see it on an astrological chart. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
However, the Moon and Sun are powerful astrological planets because of their prominent place in Earth\u2019s sky. While many astronomers no longer consider it an official planet, Pluto is still an intensely powerful astrological entity. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
In astrology, each planet rules over a particular area or theme of life. In natal astrology, the position of the planets in a person\u2019s chart tells a lot about who they are and how the story of their life might unfold. The positions and movements of the planets also impact the universal consciousness, causing changes on a cosmic scale as well. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Each planet represents a particular area or theme in a person\u2019s life. The planets and their areas of influence are as follows:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The astrological planets, except for the Moon, orbit the Sun at different distances. Viewed from a distance, you can see that all planets move in the same direction around a fixed center point at different speeds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In literal terms, the planets never change direction. On Earth, however, we can only see the planets\u2019 movements relative to our position in the Solar System. The Earth is also orbiting the Sun, and the combined movements of Earth and the other planets can cause some fascinating optical illusions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Every night, the planets appear at different points in the sky. They might be visible to the naked eye, or you might need a telescope to see them. Typically, from one night to the next, they appear to be traveling in the same direction. This is called prograde or direct motion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
However, from time to time, because of the different speeds of the planets\u2019 orbits, one or more planets might appear to slow down and reverse direction in the sky. This is called retrograde motion. Depending on the planet, this might happen rarely or frequently, and the retrograde period can be brief or very long.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Imagine you\u2019re a passenger in a car on a highway, traveling at a constant rate of speed. In the lane next to you, several car lengths ahead, is a bus traveling just a little bit slower than the car in which you\u2019re riding. From your perspective, it\u2019s clear that the bus is traveling in the same direction as you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Over time, because it\u2019s traveling faster, your car begins to overtake the bus. Where you sit in the passenger seat, the bus appears to stand still for a brief moment, and then it falls behind you. Because of your position relative to the bus, it appears to be moving backward, though you know it\u2019s actually still traveling in the same direction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This is how retrogrades occur. The planets are like vehicles on the highway, traveling in the same direction at different speeds. From time to time, Earth will overtake one or more of these planets. For some time after this happens, the planet will be in retrograde, appearing to move backward across the sky.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
How often and how long each planet\u2019s retrograde period lasts depends on the speed of their orbits<\/a> and position relative to Earth. Every planet retrogrades<\/a> at some time or another, except for Earth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Because their relative positions are in constant change, every planet\u2019s retrograde period varies. The inner planets \u2012 those closer to the Sun than Earth \u2012 retrograde more frequently than the outer planets \u2012 those further from the Sun. Even on the same planet, some retrograde periods can be longer or shorter than others.<\/p>\n\n\n\n While the backward movement of the planets in the sky is an optical illusion based on our perspective on Earth, its astrological effects are very real<\/a>. If prograde or direct movement indicates the steady, regular flow of life, retrograde movement indicates its opposite.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Retrogrades allow us to pause and re-evaluate our trajectory in a particular area of our lives. Depending on the planet in retrograde, it could be time to revisit the strategies we use in our careers, personal lives, or spiritual journeys.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A planet in retrograde often also allows us to revisit the past, heal old wounds, or test our growth. For example, standard advice during Mercury retrograde is to resist any temptation to communicate with an ex-lover. Things that resurface during retrogrades are meant to challenge us to act differently from before.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Unfortunately, navigating a planet\u2019s backward motion in retrograde is like swimming against the current. Everything is a little bit harder, and we often have to find new strategies out of necessity rather than by choice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The energies of Mars, often attributed to violence and war, are often misunderstood among novice astrologers. Mars is more than just aggressive \u2012 its energies are primal, touching on all of our basic animal instincts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n When there\u2019s something you really want, whether it\u2019s a lifelong goal, career aspiration, or bucket list item, the energies of Mars are responsible for that desire. Mars is the planet that gets you out of bed in the morning, motivated to do the things that get you one step closer to achieving what you desire.<\/p>\n\n\n\n At home, Mars influences an individual\u2019s motivation to find a mate and reproduce, a biological imperative. Mars influences sexual desire and drive, but this planet is more than sexual passion. It\u2019s also about the urge to build and maintain a safe home and fortress.<\/p>\n\n\n\n How a person hunts and gathers \u2012 their career and financial motivations \u2012 are also influenced by the energies of Mars. Classic Martian influence is the spark of inspiration that ignites a relentless desire to pursue a new project at work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The retrograde motion of the planets triggers events that cause you to change something about the way you act or think. They\u2019ll typically call you to do this in one of three ways<\/a> \u2012 by re-evaluating<\/strong> your current situation or strategy, revisiting<\/strong> past situations and emotions, or facing resistance<\/strong> in your usual ways of thinking and being. <\/p>\n\n\n\n With Mars in retrograde, you might be faced with a chance to look at your overarching life goals with a more critical eye. It could be time to reconsider what you want your career to look like and think about alternate strategies for achieving the professional life you desire.<\/p>\n\n\n\n You might also see your home and family in a new light during Mars retrograde. What do you want your legacy to be? Are you acting in alignment with your values, or are you being influenced by what other people want from you?<\/p>\n\n\n\n While the direct motion of Mars is responsible for concrete, motivated action, retrograde motion turns Martian energy inward. You might struggle to find the motivation to act on your goals, but you\u2019ll probably spend a lot of time thinking about them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If there ever was a time where the more aggressive Martian energies got the better of you, whether in your immediate or ancestral past, you might feel a little bit of deja vu with Mars in retrograde. Struggles and shortcomings from your past tend to resurface during retrogrades, and for Mars, that means learning better strategies for dealing with your aggressive side.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Note that we\u2019re not saying to suppress the aggressive energies of Mars. Retrograde is a time to integrate your shadow side, not resist it. When Mars retrograde invites you to revisit your anger, jealousy, or aggression, work with those energies, not against them<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n When life is going smoothly, and you\u2019re chugging along at achieving all your dreams, Mars retrograde can slow your progress to a crawl. Maybe your old strategies stop working as well as they used to, or you just have a hard time motivating yourself to get to work at all.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Going from direct to retrograde motion is like going with the flow downriver, then suddenly turning around and swimming upstream instead. The projects that used to consume your every thought no longer hold much interest. Work might lose all of its appeal. Your sex drive might be low, or it could be out of control.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Mars retrograde will call you to find new strategies to motivate yourself, to get yourself out of the retrograde rut. When you\u2019re feeling low on energy or drive, look for ways to make your responsibilities more fun so you\u2019re not tempted to ignore them.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" When Mars is in retrograde, it visually appears to be moving opposite its usual direction across the sky. While the direction of its orbit doesn\u2019t actually change, retrograde Mars can have a very real impact on some of the most critical areas of our lives. The Planets In Astrology The astrological planets are closely aligned … Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/journalofcosmology.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/62"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/journalofcosmology.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/journalofcosmology.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/journalofcosmology.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/journalofcosmology.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=62"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/journalofcosmology.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/62\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":67,"href":"https:\/\/journalofcosmology.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/62\/revisions\/67"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/journalofcosmology.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=62"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/journalofcosmology.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=62"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/journalofcosmology.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=62"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}The Impact of Retrogrades<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Mars in Astrology<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Mars Energies at Home<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Mars Energies at Work<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Mars in Retrograde<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Re-evaluate<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Revisit<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Resistance<\/h3>\n\n\n\n