Mars God of War, by Diego Rodriguez de Silva Velazquez (1599-1660), Prado Museum. Public domain image.
Mars God of War, by Diego Rodriguez de Silva Velazquez (1599-1660), Prado Museum. Public domain image.

Mars, the planet and archetypal energy of raw life-force, brash Yang, passion, and momentum stationed direct after its retrograde vision-quest cave-time that started in mid-April.

In mythology, the only time Mars did cave time was when he was with his lover, Venus … the only one who could influence Mars to channel all of that life-force and passion in more constructive, creative, and wise ways.

Otherwise, much to the constant chagrin of his fellow gods, Mars was out stirring up trouble, knockin’ heads, and generally bustin’ shit up, and thinking about it later, if at all.

What’s interesting is that — whether they ‘believe in astrology’ or not — a lot of people have been reporting the withdrawn energy, feeling the need for more rest or a more gentle pace (like it or not), feeling more inward than usual, and/or noticing delays, slow-downs, or shifts in momentum, progress, and passion in recent months.

Burning embers, by Jens Buurgaard Nielsen. CC-SSA via Wikimedia.
Burning embers, by Jens Buurgaard Nielsen. CC-SSA via Wikimedia.

Other expressions of Mars Rx archetypal-energetic influence in real life include behind the scenes, covert aggression and passive aggression, or an actual ‘cease fire’ in relationships or interactions that are often more tinged by hostility or aggression.

Have you noticed these ebbs or (behind the scenes) flows in energy, passion, or momentum in the last couple of months whilst Mars went into subterranean vision-quest mode?

The energy-ball of Eros, passion, young Yang warrior juju emerges from the retrograde cave into forward, externalized expression as of June 29th, so let’s see what we notice about those energy ebbs and flows as the days and weeks unfold now.

I appreciated Robert Phoenix’s insights in one of his recent musings. It’s very relevant to the Energies of Now. Here’s an excerpt:

“If we can engage in this process, we can move forward with a greater sense of who we are, in a world that is constantly chipping away at us in so many ways, seen and unseen.”
“The more push back that’s happening, the more fuel it’s adding to fire of awakening and that fire of course is Uranus in Aries and Saturn in Sag. By years end, they will be in a tight trine and the radical impetus of the self to express at an authentic level, will be in alignment with discipline, focus and form.”

“Many of us are taxed, sapped and zapped, but if we can remove the detritus, unplug from the programs of approval, stop seeking outside of ourselves, we get lighter and as we get lighter, we have more energy, and when we have more energy, we can address our lives from a very different perspective. When we slay the “Status Quo” inside of us, the outer is just a shadow play across the scrim of life.”

~ Robert Phoenix, Tyranny of the Status Quo

A phoenix depicted in a book of legendary creatures by FJ Bertuch (1747–1822). Public domain image courtesy of Wikimedia.
A phoenix depicted in a book of legendary creatures by FJ Bertuch (1747–1822). Public domain image courtesy of Wikimedia.

Phoenix’s insights here are relevant not only when we’re talking Mars, a.k.a. life-force, energy, passion, and a sense of momentum, but also interconnected with the other archetypal energetics in play now:

Saturn vision-questing in Saj, squaring watery, diffuse Neptune in Pisces; expansive and visionary Jupiter and depths-master Pluto (Persephone) both in Earth-element signs; Venus and Sun now in Water, too, along with Mars.

The invitation is for the brash, rash, immature  warrior to move from ramming through life (and anything in the way) and bustin’ the place up all willy nilly — or having that beautiful life-force co-opted to serve nefarious purposes — to using that life-force and beautiful passion more wisely and creatively as a sacred warrior, a spiritual warrior, a noble warrior aligned with the deepest, truest values (Venus) and in service to a truly worthy, Life-and-Earth honoring vision or cause.

The Accolade, 1901, by Edmund Blair Leighton.
The Accolade, 1901, by Edmund Blair Leighton.

One main question during the Mars retrograde since mid-April until now has been this:

• Just what have we been giving our energy and thus our power to, and are we still thinking that’s a good idea?

• And is it a worthwhile investment of our greatest resource — our very life-force — or might that attention, energy, and life-force be better focused to something more truly worthwhile?

Where Saturn is involved, we see cultural conditioning that isn’t always life-force or creativity honoring, so that’s part of this puzzle now, too.

Okay, so technically that was two questions and a comment.

Here are two more questions to help orient us into the good and fruitful uses of these Energies of Now:

• What part of your life-force, passion, creative-fire, and ‘outer life’ has been doing cave time, vision-questing?

• What might you notice as these fiery self-facets emerge now from the cave, resurface, and gain momentum?

To purposefully explore these questions and focus your life-force well, schedule a Sophiastrology reading or Golden Thread coaching consultation — I’ve still got the Solstice specials up for a few days more.

In the meanwhile, go gently and go well.

Big Love,

Jamie