When looking back over the past six months, there has been a curious constant, Mars in Aries. For those who like life on the spicy side, this transit has offered a nearly inexhaustible supply of motivation and vigor, with heaps of variety. For the battle weary, news that the feisty planet is leaving the fiery sign is a welcomed relief. Neither side can deny the passionate influence of this transit or the indelible mark it leaves. To be fair, 2020’s Mars homecoming was exceptionally robust. This year the red planet went retrograde and stayed in instigating Aries for six months, rather than the usual six weeks it spends in a sign. Additionally, until the tail end of this transit, when Jupiter and Saturn changed signs, Mars made a hard angle to them and Pluto in Capricorn. Together those planets exerted enormous pressure on each and every configuration that involved other planets passing through any of the cardinal signs. Whether the experience was a ceaseless source of inspiration and adventure or utterly onerous, the current Mars transit ends on January 6th.
A planet’s return to its home sign signifies the initiation of a cycle, one that lasts until the following homecoming. This concept is underscored when that planet is assertive Mars and the sign is forging Aries. The last time Mars was home was December 31, 2018 through February 14, 2019. This year Mars arrived in Aries back on June 27th. May 24, 2022 through July 5, 2022 will be its next return to HQ. Incidentally, at that time, exuberant Jupiter will also be in Aries, fanning the flames. Now is a good time to review the period of early 2019 through mid 2020, and to assess the prospects for now through spring 2022. On January 6th, ever-ready Mars will settle into stable, dependable Taurus. Ordinarily, the fixed earth sign is not the ideal spot for the planet of conquest and action. But, the presence of unruly, chaos-causing Uranus in Taurus portends the kind of excitement Mars is accustomed to. As well as making their unique brand of mischief, Mars and Uranus will stir things up by squaring Jupiter and Saturn, now in fixed Aquarius. So this stay, in the feminine,Venus-ruled realm of Taurus, might not be so boring for Mars after all. Before getting there, he’ll transit those extra caffeinated, late degrees of spirited Aries. This is a rowdy, hyper-adrenalized Mars, blazing his next trail and being fueled by the cosmos’ purest firepower. As we contemplate the chasm lying between now and May of 2022, perhaps it’s time to order one more espresso, or a shot of the smoothest sipping tequila, and to imbibe one last blast of the ferocity only Mars in Aries can serve up.
