Hi, I’m Alicia, lover of all things in the sky above. My wish is for astrology to bring understanding, insight and help others live a conscious life. This is some small insight into the month ahead, may it help you navigate with ease and grace! For more information, please visit my website www.futurefrequency.com.au
Retrograde motion is a funny thing. Astronomers say it is entirely perspective driven as the retrograde planet doesn’t actually go backwards, and that is true (see this YouTube clip if you’d like to understand more). However, for us here on Earth the other planets in the sky operate as pipelines of stellar energy from the constellations beyond them, so we cannot ignore the emphasis of that planet’s seemingly extended journey through a particular constellation.
I am bringing this up is because a lot of planets retrograde right now. The outers (Uranus, Neptune and Pluto) spend much of their time that way as Earth’s movement is much faster, so we’ll put them aside for now. Mar’s retrograde in Aquarius ( 27 June until 27 August) is already being felt. In some ways it is coming up as sluggish energy, or less power to get things done. It’s like your reserve tank of petrol has been emptied, there’s just nowhere to dig down deeper to. Impatience and frustration will come to the fore more easily now, especially if we don’t use it as a time for rest and restoration. It also brings out the darker side of Mars, think anger, rage, war; the smallest spark that can set off a raging fire. The horrendous fight that broke out during the basketball match in the Philippines a few days ago is, sadly, a perfect illustration of this energy.
For us in the southern hemispheres, it’s an ideal time. We’re in winter hibernation anyway as our bodies are naturally making more use of the lower temperatures and longer nights. Our northern hemisphere friends best make sure this summer is laidback and languid summer, with all serious plans on hold until September. Mars is a hot, dry planet, so make sure you drink lots of water and don’t overheat yourself. It also is a time for soothing foods full of healthy oils to put out its fires. Making rest an important part of our daily lives is something to add in here. As author Alex Soonjung-Kim Pang states, in his book on the subject, “When we take the right to rest, when we make rest fulfilling, and when we practice rest throughout our days and years, we also make our lives richer and more fulfilling.” Definitely a book to curl up with during the slower energy of these times.
As for other side of Mars coming out, it will take all we have in us to stay calm, centred and neutral. It’s a chance to do some resistance training to build different muscles – those of patience, calm and forgiveness. To grow patience in our lives by quelling our frustrations. To increase our calmness through rest, meditation and contemplation. To build forgiveness as we dwell on past battles or wounds. The lunar eclipse on July 28th will trigger this point, so keep an eye on yourself and your reactions to any tension that may come up.
Mercury, the planet of communication, our mind, our intelligence, will also slow in it’s tracks and appear to move backwards from 25 July until 19 August. This is a time of rest for our minds, to turn inwards and examine our inner mental landscape. As it is happening in Leo, it I the perfect chance to examine ego, the big I self, and see just where it is leading us. Come from that small “i” place in yourself, the one that listens to the chatter of the monkey mind, and you may just uncover some interesting insights to help you move into more consciousness about what drives and operates in you. Mediation, contemplation, mindfulness – anything that will help you be in this space and operate from your core self.
Mercury rules all things communication related, as well as things that take us on short-trips. So expect problems that can involve you communicating such as computers going haywire, phones being lost, cars breaking down. I find the phone companies always have some big outage when Mercury goes retrograde. Mercury is a cold, dry planet, so keeping up with water and oils while it is highlighted will help, and perhaps it will help take some of the heat out of Mar’s fiery furnace.
Thankfully, there is optimistic light being shed by Jupiter as it turns forwards on 10 July… it will open the door to faith, belief and flow. Since March we’ve been spending time in the watery depths of Scorpio, meeting our inner demons and whatever else dark and mysterious that dwells down there. Now it’s time to rise up, and bring those demons into the light. It is like the hero of story coming out of their dark night of the soul; walking out of the battle, wounded but alive, empowered and ready to start a new life of freedom!
