Pictorial Spotlight on Mars

As Mars nears its December 20th retrograde, it is becoming brighter and more noticeable in the pre-dawn sky. Look for a bright, amber colored, star-like object that does not twinkle above the eastern horizon. This brightening occurs because Earth is catching up, or drawing closer to Mars, as both continue their orbital dance around the Sun.


Retrograde means a slowing down, then a temporary reversal of position in the sky background. Ordinarily, Mars moves through one sign of the zodiac in about 5 weeks. However, at retrograde, the lingering stretches this time frame to over 8 months. 


As the astrological archetype of Mars continues its 8 month journey through the sign of Leo, it brings Leo like attention to itself in a variety of ways. In part, the Leo archetype enjoys being on center stage. It relishes the spotlight and the adulation that sometimes occurs. This is a wonderful time to shine a spotlight on the inner Mars of your astrological natal chart, exploring ways to recalibrate and re-energize its vibration over the coming Mars retrograde months. 

If you'd like a free copy of your natal chart and our Astrological Interpretation Guide, send us an e-mail with your birth information (date, time, location).

The inner journey of Mars has an outer journey too. The Boston Globe's tri-weekly photo series "The Big Picture" puts its Leo-like spotlight on the planet Mars and its mysterious, artistic landscape. This pictorial journey may be found here. Wonderful timing for this sort of information. "Why" you might ask? Today the magnetic Moon moves through early degrees Leo and conjoins or meets Mars. How's that for magnetic spotlight magic!