Mars Retrograde in Leo (20Dec09 – 10Mar10)

Mars does its biyearly retro thing starting early in the morning on December 20, 2009. The planet of will, action, desire, aggression, and competition will appear from Earth’s perspective to move backward for a little over two and half months.

Right now, it’s stationing retrograde, meaning it’s slowing down before seeming to change direction.

All Mars stuff needs to start working differently. Will, assertion, desire, etc., need to get checked. Be clear about what you really want, because the energy of moving ahead with things might not seem to be your friend in the short term.

We’re not used to energies working differently – hence the mayhem accompanying the thrice-yearly Mercury retros that throw most people into absurd tizzies. But if you know an energy’s working differently, you can adjust your approach and choose more patience, relieving yourself of the need to make life ten times harder for yourself than necessary.

Will, assertion, desire, forward movement. Through the lens of Leo, lots of folks are taking things a lot more personally than usual. Leo’s about shining, being in the moment…and being the center of attention. In Leo we get to feeling that the only time for things is “right now, [expletive]!” – but the world around us is filled with people also trying to get their needs of the moment met. And we will conflict with a few of them now and then, an important keyword for Mars.

If you’re finding yourself jammed up because what you’re trying to get done just won’t get done, take a few moments to step back and breathe. Frustration from not getting what you want is alleviated when you’re so in touch with what you want that you can act without hesitation when opportunities arise. And if you get mad when things don’t work out, look into it a little and you’ll see that you’re really mad at yourself for missing an opportunity, not being prepared, not being quick enough on the draw. Those other people who seem the source of your particular reason for being bent out of shape are imaginary – they’re just showing up to remind you that not everyone gets their way all the time. A great lesson for Mars retroing in Leo.

This is also about creativity. Where you have ideas for projects that won’t get off the ground, let the blocked feeling lead you in new directions. It could be experimenting with modes and means you don’t usually think of, or old ones you left behind for some reason. Experimenting now will help fertilize your imagination.

Above, I wrote this energy might not seem to be your friend in the short term. If you choose to respond to the energy, you’ll be looking clearly and unflinchingly at your motivations. Don’t look away if what you see in your motivation looks selfish, even absurdly so. It’s important to look at it for what it really is – because if you don’t, how could you let your course be corrected? Course corrections are what retros are all about.

All of them ask/nudge/force us to reconsider what we’re up to with the planet in question. They bring an intermission so you have a chance to go over the game plan and trade up anything you’re up to that isn’t really getting you where you want to go.

Let yourself see what personal interests feel front-and-center now, and be willing to let go of those that aren’t truly important. Admit which investments are meaningful and which are about satisfying some portion of ego. There’s nothing wrong with ego, and nothing wrong with meeting its needs – we have to if we’re going to be healthy. But with Mars retroing in Leo, everything not working can be made to work by aligning more with who you really are, not only who you are as ego.

Tom Jacobs is an astrologer, medium and channel in Tucson, AZ with Mars conjunct Uranus in the 1st house, who’s jazzed about being shown three billion course corrections in the next few months. Contact him via his site https://tdjacobs.com.