Mars Retrograde in Gemini

When you hear the word “retrograde” in pop culture, you probably think of Mercury. And if you’ve been a fan of ours for a while…you might even have one of our very own “Survive Mercury Retrograde” candles! That’s because Mercury retrogrades more frequently than any other planet, as much as four times per year, and can be quite disruptive to daily life. All planets actually retrograde though- with the luminaries, the Sun and the Moon- being the only celestial bodies that never do.

While some retrogrades might happen without you even noticing, others are much more intense. One of the many reasons for this is because the “outer planets” or anything past Jupiter, tend to impact us more collectively, while the inner planets (Moon, Mercury, Venus, and Mars) deal with things closer to home.

You can generally expect a Mars retrograde period to feel more personal than say a Pluto or Uranus retrograde, for example. But it also has to deal with your personal birth chart and the other current transits you’re experiencing. Unfamiliar with you birth chart? We've got a book for that.

That said, all retrogrades have to do with a shift in consciousness, which usually involves a shift in perspective. Mercury retrogrades highlight Mercurial themes like technology, information, and communication, while Mars retrogrades center around Martian themes like anger, instinct, initiation, and leadership.

As for this Mars Retrograde specifically, here’s some overview information you need to know:

Mars Retrograde in Gemini 2022 Overview

• Dates: October 30th, 2022-January 12th, 2023
• Sign: Gemini
• Degrees: 8°- 25°
• Most influenced: People with personal planets between 8-25 degrees of the mutable signs (Gemini, Sagittarius, Pisces, and Virgo) are likely to feel this transit most directly
• Themes: Fighting words, Miscommunications, Scattered energy, Brain fog

Because this Mars retrograde is in Gemini, a Mercury ruled sign, it has a slight flavor of a Mercury retrograde. Expect to receive more than one email that was sent too soon, and more than one person publicly putting their foot in their mouth over the coming months.

The old adage “sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me” comes to mind. People will be busy reviewing how wounding words can actually be…and we might see many people saying things they later regret, or that don’t sound anything like who we know them to be at all! 

Gemini is a dual sign full of trickster energy- and Mars moves fast. The best way to navigate this astrological setup is to fight the urge to be everywhere at once. It’s going to be a slippery slope when it comes to connecting with new people in a direct way, and what once felt like charming social engagements could easily become charged with hostility.

Grounding will be an especially important practice for this period, regardless of your astrological makeup. But especially if you have a lot of fire or air in your chart, misfires will be more likely if you don’t prioritize slowing down and resting when you’re tired (which is likely to be often!).

Especially because the beginning of this period also coincides with eclipse season…flexibility is necessary. There will be surprising shifts and new projects of any kind are best suited for a launch in 2023 when Mars returns to its regular wattage. 

Tarot Spread for Mars Retrograde in Gemini

Here at Birthdate Co., we’re all for taking your spirituality into your own hands, and Mars is the definition of self-directed. That said, this Tarot Spread is a mere suggestion! We find it helpful to pull a spread before big retrogrades like this, to help us understand astrology on a deeper, more personal level. 

We would also suggest any and all of our candles as a supportive tool for this practice. The Tarot Candle, specifically, could be used in place of any of the questions, rather than a paper card. Use your intuition to decide which question it should answer!

Each planet is ruled by a number in numerology, and Mars is associated with 9. For that reason, we’ve designed a spread with 3 rows of 3, but again, feel free to lay out your own cards however it feels best!

1. What is my energy like entering into this Mars retrograde period?
2. How can I expect my energy to shift because of Mars retrograde?
3. Where should I direct my attention during this Mars retrograde?
4. My Mars retrograde November theme
5. My Mars retrograde December theme
6. My Mars retrograde January theme
7. What am I ready to revisit during this Mars retrograde period?
8. What lessons am I learning during this Mars retrograde period?
9. What will be the ultimate resolution of this Mars retrograde period for me?

 

This Tarot spread was designed (and personally pulled!) by our lead astrologer and Tarot practitioner, Erin River Sunday. Connect with her here.