Interesting things I'm reading about Mars Rx:"All things that are associated with the planet Mars will not go as expected while transiting Mars is retrograde. If you are guiding people to delay an activity because of a Retrograde Mars, they will become uncharacteristically impatient, aggressive and aggravated (all Mars words) with tempers short and arguments plentiful. Let me assure you that he who starts the fight when Mars is retrograde will surely lose the fight. If it is a personal argument or a war between nations, Mars retrograde always favors the person who was attacked. By extrapolation, the person who starts a lawsuit when Mars is retrograde will surely lose the case."
"A warning I give that is not always heeded is that one must not have sexual intercourse with a person for the very first time if transiting Mars is retrograde. If one does, then, before long, the two partners will both learn to hate each other. It is difficult to wait when passions are high, but, because there are people who have not waited for a direct Mars, I have been told of this unfortunate result many times."
"My final warning about Retrograde Mars is this: never, never, ever buy a car when transiting Mars is retrograde. Mars represents metal and motion and automobiles and accidents. Cars purchased while Mars is retrograde tend to be accident-prone."
"HOW TO HANDLE MARS RETROGRADE:
When Mars is retrograde, it depletes the vitality so that it is never a time to initiate. Whoever initiates loses— a new project, a great love, an argument, a lawsuit, or an international war. With a new project, it will fizzle out and never really go anywhere. With a hot romance, it too fizzles and it rarely gets to the altar. With an argument, the hostility will come back to haunt you later. In legal matters, stoke your opponent into initiating the lawsuit first. It will be etched in granite that they will lose. In an international war, whoever fires first will automatically lose or ultimately withdraw.
Matters commenced while Mars is retrograde will be frustrated and plagued with disruptions until they finally fizzle out. At this time, people become irritated when activities do not run smoothly. The anger may disrupt indirectly and inappropriately— like getting a traffic ticket when you feel annoyed with your job.
During this cycle, never buy anything mechanical unless it is heavily insured! Office machinery and computers easily break down. Anything mechanical that is hanging on by a thread will likely break down during this cycle. Get those unstable devices repaired in advance— don’t wait until you have a breakdown disaster!
Those who have Aries or Scorpio strong in their horoscopes are dramatically affected by this shift in direction of their ruler. For Arians, they find themselves being less aggressive, less pushy and less impatient to have THEIR WAY in a situation. For Scorpios, they find that they are less concerned about being in control, controlling an immediate situation and, of course, running matters THEIR WAY. Both Mars-ruled types find themselves more inclined to sit back and review matters in a more detached or impersonal way. They feel more patient to wait on circumstances to unfold before they take action. These individuals, however, may not recognize the anger they feel inside. They may express an unusual passiveness while under fire because they need too much processing time before they can retaliate. Only when Mars turns direct can they move the Mars energy forward.
For those who are NOT ruled by Mars, it may feel quite differently. They may feel more impatient to force matters to a conclusion, to get a project going or to take immediate action. This would be an unwise course of action! Look to the House-position of your natal Mars to see where you might become impatient and act pre-maturely. Remember, initiating or impulsively taking action will not work to your favor.
Mary Shea describes an ideal way to handle Mars retrograde. She states that, “there is a tendency to be more reserved (when Mars is retrograde). Your hesitation causes you to review your behavior in the past and look for new way of responding in the future.” She feels that this is the way we learn to perfect our responses. “You go back over situations (either in your mind or in reality), doing things again and again while making corrections in the way you handle events. While Mars is retrograde, you will be reviewing the way you handle anger, self-defense, self-motivation and sexual relationships, outward anger or conflicts may not be appropriate.”
She rightfully feels that using passive-aggressive techniques, manipulation, arbitration or subtle power plays may be more appropriate at this time. “If you are normally non-assertive, you have be forced to defend yourself. Whatever your tactics, you must give thought to what you are doing. If your tactics do not work or they are inappropriate to the situation, your anger will continue to build while Mars is retrograde. You can expect the anger to manifest full-blown by the time Mars turns direct. If you have seriously wronged or angered another with…acts of aggression, you can expect the backlash as Mars turns direct.”