*Whether astrology is science or magic, we’re open to most things, if they may be of benefit. ~ Ed.

While the majority of us are familiar with Mercury retrograde, one of the most frequently retrograding planets, we generally don’t hear as much about Mars, which only retrogrades once every two years.

Mars is about to appear in Aquarius on June 26th, and will station (end) on August 27th in Capricorn. 

This retrograde is going to be intense, as Mars is closer than it’s been to Earth in the past 15 years, and is currently clearly visible, shining 25 times brighter in the night sky than it did at the start of the year.

Mars, named after the God of War, draws out our assertive, aggressive, warrior-type energy, and remains in retrograde for approximately 11 weeks, so if anything that may potentially bring conflict or destruction can be paused and dealt with after this hostile period, it is advisable to wait. On the plus side, conflict is an opportunity to slow down and consider how we express ourselves and to learn new strategies for dealing with those who trigger our emotions.

Although conflict is something most of us avoid, it can also be an immense opportunity for soul-growth, as it allows us to become aware of the way we allow other people to treat us, the way we treat other people, and ultimately how we treat ourselves. Stepping back and observing how we, and other people, express feelings can awaken us to what we are accepting and settling for.

We not only gain a greater understanding of other people’s emotions toward us, but we get a deeper insight into how we feel about others, as well as how we feel about ourselves.

Overall, conflict can be a profound chance to learn more about the relationships we choose and how healthy or unhealthy our communication is with those around us. We may subconsciously pick fights with people we are close to, or behave antagonistically in order to set the healing work in motion, and clear out any accumulated tension and heavy energy. This is why it is imperative that we stay mindful and aware during retrogrades, as these periods are known to make or break relationships.

Retrogrades are notorious for making life-changing decisions, and this spell will prompt us to question who we’ve allowed in our inner circle, and what their true intentions are. When we watch closely we will see that motives are revealed in how people express themselves, and whether their intentions toward us are genuine or not. It is also an opportunity to take responsibility for the part we play, and to make alterations if we are disrespectful, thoughtless, or uncaring toward those who consistently show us unconditional love and loyalty.  

There’s a possibility that people we think about from our past will make an unexpected reappearance, as Mars retrograde churns up history and tempts us to take one last look before we decide whether we want to lock those doors. This is a sentimental period that will tug at our heartstrings and pull us to want to reconnect with friends or lovers we have lost contact with. Whether we are the ones reaching out, or someone is reaching for us, it’s worth being prepared for a wave of nostalgia powerful enough to sweep us clean off our feet—so be warned as we may be caught up in irrational and risky decision making.

This Mars retrograde energy will frequently throw us out of alignment during its course. However, as with all cosmic energy, this temporary fragmentation is for our highest good, and serves a divine purpose. It forces us to take a long, hard look at what, and who, we have been prioritising. We then have the option to take our time and energy away from whatever pulls us down to lower frequencies, and to refocus attention so we place importance on ourselves, for once, and indulge in vital self-care and nourishment.

As we move through this period we will regularly want to cleanse and clear out our homes, social media accounts, and friendships, as well as reconsidering commitments and eliminating any bad habits. This detox will be severe at times as we purge old energies and remove anything, or anyone, that prevents us from moving forward and achieving inner happiness, stability, and peace.

This does not necessarily mean closing the door on anyone, or anything. It is simply a recycling period, whereby a huge shift takes place as we rearrange our lives and place a safe distance between us and whatever causes chaos and harm.  

During any type of cleansing process, we often feel our emotions intensifying and becoming overwhelming; however, this is just part of the healing cycle, and occurs so we recognise where our open emotional wounds lie. This allows us to take time out to give ourselves the care and attention needed in order to effectively heal old wounds. When we clear energy, we remove low vibrational energies and create pathways so that higher vibrational energy can enter. This can make us feel temporarily destabilised and off-centre while we release toxic entities, transcend dysfunctional patterns, and recalibrate our energy. 

When Mars travels in direct motion it emanates a determined and focused essence that can make us feel assertive, strong-willed, and decisive. However, when it appears to slow down and travel backward it is known to do the opposite, which means during this retrograde we may feel insecure about our intuitive abilities, question ourselves excessively, and feel hesitant or fearful to take action.  

We may also feel compelled to internalise how we are feeling, not be as open and upfront as we normally are, and, as we are holding everything internally, pressure can build and lead to emotional explosions. Due to the buildup of negative energy, we might notice we are quite stressed, anxious, and feel low, so it is vital to find healthy ways to channel and express our pent up energy—otherwise we may take our mood swings out on the people closest to us and cause permanent damage to our personal relationships. 

When we suppress our emotions our energetic flow is blocked, so we may notice that we, or those around us, are more likely to be resentful, critical, passive-aggressive, manipulative, engage in gossip, and communicate inauthentically. Being resistant and not speaking our truth can lead to throat issues, as our fifth chakra (Vishuddha/Throat) will be unbalanced, so we may feel exceptionally drained, fatigued, and possibly experience throat, head, or neck aches and pains.

One effective way to combat this is through chanting mantras morning and night, or as often as we feel called to do so. Mantras such as, “I am confident and release all fear,” or “I fearlessly and courageously live and speak my truth,” can help relieve tension and open and balance the throat chakra.

The overall retrograde energy may cause restlessness, not only in our daily lives with sleeping patterns. We may notice we feel tired more than normal and find it difficult to sleep deeply during the night. Dreams may be so vivid that they leave a lasting effect, as they contain subliminal messages with hidden meaning, as our subconscious comes alive while we rest—essentially so we wake up to what is harmful or no longer serving us in our personal life.

We can ease the intense retrograde energy by reducing the amount of time we spend around highly stimulating appliances, such as televisions, laptops, mobile phones, and environments where we feel as though our energy is easily zapped. It is vital to rest, recharge, and revitalise through eating healthily and drinking plenty of filtered water throughout this highly charged period.

During this retrograde we may feel highly sensitive, raw, vulnerable, and our physical bodies may experience unexplained aches and pains caused by empathetically attuning with others. We might feel drawn toward healing therapies or pampering and relaxing alternative practices. We can seek professional treatment, or there are plenty of ways to realign and soothe ourselves from the comfort of our own home with either yoga, meditation, cooking, creating, or through taking a trip to the ocean, mountains, or countryside.

Disclaimer: If you experience any of the health symptoms listed here, please also seek the advice of a medical professional. The above symptoms are commonly noted during retrogrades; however, there may be other medical-related causes.