A Retrograde Mars Check-Up
Now that Mars has picked some speed in its retrograde motion, its influence on individual charts is not so toxic. Throughout January and for most of February, Mars was between 20 and 22 degrees of Virgo, creating havoc for anyone with the Sun, Moon, planets or angles (Ascendant, M.C. etc.) at these degrees or at a 90 or 180 aspect to these degrees. Now Mars is moving along (backwards) at a clip of about one degree for every two or three days. Its aspects still create problems but they tend to pass more quickly.
Let’s take a moment to review what Mars retrograde did during its slow sojourn in January and February.
On the Hollywood front the most visible calamity was the breakdown of Demi Moore as retrograde Mars crossed her Descendant (opposite her Ascendant) at 22 degrees of Virgo. Also, we have the breakup of supermodel Heidi Klum and her singer husband, Seal. Klum has Saturn at 22 degrees of Gemini (square to Mars) with Venus nearby at 24 degrees of Gemini.
Of course, for some people the influence of this transit has not been so heart-rending or destructive. Some manifestations have been more like irritations. There’s Ellen Degeneres, who has Saturn at 22 
degrees of Sagittarius (with her natal Mars nearby) square to retrograde Mars. She had to deal with protests for homophobes regarding her being selected as a spokesperson for J.C. Penney. And then there’s Amanda Knox who had retrograde Mars square her Moon at 21 degrees of Sagittarius. She was informed during this transit that Italian prosecutors will continue to appeal the dismissal of their case against her.
The problems it created for Barack Obama and Mitt Romney have probably been the most news worthy. As transiting Mars crossed his natal Mars (at 22 degrees of Virgo,) President Obama dealt with the outcry from Catholic organizations and conservative groups over his mandate that employers cover contraception in insurance plans for their employees. Meanwhile, Mitt Romney, with the Sun at 21 degrees Pisces, (opposite retrograde Mars) won the Florida primary only to see his “inevitability” serious challenged by Rick Santorum.
Another political figure who has been reacting to retrograde Mars is Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. He has the Sun at 22 degrees of Virgo. He has chosen to express that Martian energy by killing his own people. Another violent incident, though not nearly so tragic, involved Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer. He was robbed by a man wielding a machete as retrograde Mars moved near his Neptune at 19 degrees Virgo.
There are also people who got through this transit relatively unscathed. Eli Manning, for example, won the Super Bowl despite the fact that retrograde Mars was square in natal Neptune at 23 degrees of Sagittarius. (We don’t have a birth time for Manning so we don’t know what other aspects were functioning at that time.) And John Glenn, who had retrograde Mars conjunct his natal Jupiter, celebrated the 50th
anniversary of his history space flight.
What about you? Did retrograde Mars make an impact on your life? We always appreciate your comments and observations.
