If You're Feeling Super Frustrated Lately, It May Be Thanks To The Mars Retrograde
You know that fire in your soul? The one that never stops burning? When you're feeling passionate, it spreads embers across everything it touches. When you're feeling relaxed, the fire flickers and glows like a candle flame. When you're feeling angry, it torches hot, fast, and without apology. In astrology, the source of that fire is the planet Mars. It gives you all the raw animal energy that propels you to go after your goals. It's at the very center of every decision you make, fueling the insatiable desire that motivates your every move. From June 26, 2018 to Aug. 27, 2018, the planet that fans your flames will enter retrograde. If you thought you had everything under control, the Mars retrograde meaning will throw you for a tailspin.
It's important to note that planets never actually reverse course in their orbit. However, during retrograde, a planet still appears to be rolling backward from our perspective. Because astrology is concerned with what can be seen and felt from planet Earth, a planetary retrograde challenges the way a celestial body normally functions in our lives. Since Mars is responsible for your usual means of acting on impulse, going after what you want, and expressing your rawest of emotions, this retrograde could inundate your life with some serious frustration.
Bottling Up Your Instincts
We each have our own personal styles when it comes to acting on our impulses. While some of us may think twice before making a move, others might bite the bullet without hesitation. When Mars is behaving itself by moving gracefully through its orbit, you're able to trust your own means of harnessing your instincts. However, when Mars is in retrograde, you might suddenly be at a loss for how to cope with your desires.
During this astrological phenomenon, it's all too common to allow all your instincts to build on top of one another until the pressure is too much to handle, causing you to explode in messy and disorganized ways. Mars allows you to react in a way you're currently programmed to. When Mars isn't functioning properly, you may instead feel your instincts swirling inside you, not acted upon. With no means of release, the frustration that can mount during this time is infinite.
Reacting In Unusual Ways
In life, dilemmas are unavoidable. Every single day, we are given a series of difficult choices that we must make. We're placed in situations where we're required to stand up for ourselves, voice our opinions, and express our needs. Some of us are more direct and combative when maneuvering through these situations, while others might be more quiet, strategic, and possibly even passive aggressive. However, when Mars is in retrograde, you'll find yourself reacting in a way that's definitely not like your usual self.
If you're normally the type of person who says exactly what's on their mind, no matter who it offends, you might instead choose to keep your feelings to yourself and simmer in your emotions during this retrograde. If you're usually someone who hates causing a fuss, often keeping your true feelings quiet for the sake of overall peace, you might instead find yourself becoming the harbinger of conflict.
Rethinking The Way You Assert Yourself
While all of this will certainly land you in uncomfortable positions, Mars retrograde, like all planetary retrogrades, does have an important purpose. During retrograde cycles, we're broken down so that we can build ourselves back up, learning and growing in the process. When Mars is in retrograde, you're forced to do some introspective work and reassess the way you act on your impulses. Like fire, the energy from Mars is complicated, chaotic, and requires careful handling. Once in a while, it's necessary to reflect on the way you've been using that fire.
If you've been releasing the tumultuous energy from Mars without any caution, it might be time to learn how to exercise more restraint. If you're known for constantly swallowing your fire back and hoping it will extinguish on its own, it could be time to start roaring that fire like the dragon you are.
