Mars RX
Speaker at
OPA Conference in
Greece!
Mars Retrograde
Cycle 2016
by Angela
W
Tiki
e can dream,
we can hope,
we can plan,
but we can almost never
achieve anything without the active
force of Mars. This vigorous planet is
the one who gives us the will and the
determination to accomplish our goals
and fulfill our desires in the outer world.
One of the major astrological themes
of this year is the retrogression of Mars.
On April 17 he changes direction at
08ο54’, just a breath away from his
participation in the mutable schema of
Jupiter, Saturn, Neptune, Chiron and
Nodes. He will return in Scorpio on the
27th of May, turning direct on the 30th
of June, at 23ο04’.
On February 14, after forming a sex-
tile with Jupiter, Mars starts his journey
equipped with confidence, an adven-
turous spirit and the will to fight for his
beliefs and ideas – reinforcing gifts from
his father Zeus. Like a free rider, he’s
given the freedom to act independently,
to fight for his rights, to survive. But what
are his actual motives? Are they pure or
are they emanating out of egotistical and
immature instincts?
The Universe knows better. It seems
like we are not ready to handle the cosmic
demands. This is why we are given a sec-
ond chance, a chance to reevaluate our
actions and our primary incentives. Before
the final battle, we must rein over our ani-
mal Self by purifying our spirit and soul.
The Martian transit to Sagittarius adds
fire to fire. He can be very optimistic and
enthusiastic. His acts are based on ethical
and justice codes, but are prompt to exag-
geration, overestimation and risk. If badly
expressed, without a second thought,
The
Career
Astrologer
his motto could be “I’m right, so you’re
definitely wrong! I’m ready to fight for my
beliefs even if I have to extinguish you”.
No wonder why Mars was not in the
high rank of the Olympian Pantheon. For
the ancient Greeks, Ares was so hothead-
ed that almost everyone disliked him. In
Iliad, his fa ther Zeus told him “I hate you
more than every resident of Olympus
because you always like quarrels, battles
and wars”. Instead, the Greeks worshiped
Athena, the warrior goddess of intellect
and reasoning. A creation from the union
of Mitis - the personification of wisdom –
and Zeus, Athena was a sworn enemy of
Ares. In all disputes, she was always the
winner. Fully armed and always ready to
defend the humans she protects, Athena
thinks before she acts, plotting strategi-
cally every move she makes. In the same
sense, this is exactly what we have to con-
quer during the retrograde phase of Mars:
ally with Athena inside us – as of the earli-
er deal Mars made with Jupiter in Virgo.
Midway through the retrograde
cycle, Mars plays a key role to the Full
Moon of May 22nd. This is an apoca-
lyptic moment, a time when we might
realize how much others influence us, to
what extend they have power over our
lives. It’s time to realize what blocks our
self-expression and dive into our sub-
conscious to reinvent ourselves. Feelings
of anger and aggression do nothing
more than take us back to square one.
Mars opposition to Venus (May 24)
operates as a tug of war. In the dual
sign of Gemini desires might be more
superficial and unable to come in con-
tact with deeper needs. Inevitably, we
might feel that our wish to balance our
Using all the expe-
riences attained
throughout the path,
we are now ready to
plot a new course,
free from meaning-
less acts, fears, and
frustrations.
OPA’s Quarterly Magazine
ARES (Mars) and APHRODITE (Venus)
(section of original) By Carole Raddato from
FRANKFURT, Germany [CC BY-SA 2.0 (http://
creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)], via
Wikimedia Commons
needs in relation to others comes into
contradiction with our inner balance.
Soon after Mars retrogrades back into
Scorpio, he’ll oppose Mercury, who has
just come out of his own retrograde
cycle. Mercury in Taurus is a position of
great resistance, especially in terms of
fixed beliefs and material possessions.
This is the time when the Hero – as in
the myth of Hercules – arrives in the
world of the dead with the escort of
Hermes and Athena and the blessings
of Zeus. His feat is to bring Kerveros, the
monstrous guardian of the underworld,
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